games anime toys
Don't just stand there!
Contribute to Dtoid:
Members login
About us RSS  
   All updates Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 Nintendo Wii PC / Windows DS PSP Retro Indie




Staff Columns

Ten Golden Rules
If you disagree ... you are wrong.
Hey Ash,
Whatcha Playin

A teenage girl's video saga
The Great Retro Quiz
Test your retro brain
Games Time Forgot
Great games of the past
Bargain Bin Laden
The best game bargains
The Memory Card
Amazing moments in games
Indie Nation
Killer independent games
Friday Night Fights
Game with us online
An RPG draws near
Remembering great RPGs
You're the
man now, dog!
This fad defies explanation
Nerdcore Culture
Trends in gamer culture
Debate to the death
May the best games win
Monday mind teasers
Do you know your box art?
Art Attack Friday
The artists of gaming
Best of the week
News from our network
Weekend reading
Let it simmer


   
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief
Anthony Burch
Features Editor
Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Hamza Aziz
Community Mgr
Niero
Robot-in-Chief
Bloggiest this week
Alan Johnson
Brad Nicholson
Brad Rice
Chad Concelmo
Colette Bennett
Dale North
Justin Villasenor
Samit Sarkar
Associate editors
Conrad Zimmerman
Jonathan Holmes
Joseph Leray
Jordan Devore
Mike Ferry
Tom Fronczak
Topher Cantler
Tiffany Chow
Qais Fulton
Contributors
Adam Dork
Charlie Suh
Joe Burling
Jonathan Ross

 
Podcasts
Rev on Podtoid
Chad on Retroforce GO!
Jim on The Podcastle

Elephant Software
Thomas Lackner

Destructoid is made by
ModernMethod


Big in 2007: Naming your child 'Raiden'
by Nick Chester on 05.14.2008 83 comments

Big in 2007: Naming your child 'Raiden' screenshot

The United States Social Security Administration has revealed the top baby names for 2007, and much of the list is unsurprisingly banal. The top three boy names are Jacob, Michael, and Ethan; the top three girl names are Emily, Isabella, and Emma. Nothing to see here, move along.

But most surprising -- and something that made me pause and say "What the f**k, why?" -- was that the name "Raiden" actually made the list. Surely it was only number 931, but the fact that it's even on there at all is a real head-scratcher, and makes me question the sanity of some American parents. 

According to Wikipedia, "raiden" is Japanese for "thunder and lighting," which is a pretty frightening name for a child in itself. But let us not forget the popular Mortal Kombat character. Or the Raiden in Metal Gear. Or Fatal Fury. Or the several side-scrolling shooters. The list goes on.

But I'm not one to judge -- my wife (seriously) wants to name our potential future son Lincoln so that we can call him "Link" for short. I put a stop to that thinking real quick. But the question remains -- is anyone here named Raiden? Or have you or are you thinking about naming your son after a videogame or a character in a videogame?

[Image]

MORE IN OUR This is getting ridiculous SECTION

Latest comment by cikoaragorn |view all 83 comments
Thanks so much for this! This is exactly what I was looking for ...





Aerox's Avatar
Aerox at 05/14/2008 17:46

My family got a Cockatiel when I was like 7 or 8 and I named it Link. It turned out to be a girl though...
Captain Internet's Avatar
Captain Internet at 05/14/2008 17:49

Yeah, I plan on naming one of my kids Vega, actually. No joke.

My family has a history of odd names though, in order of seniority:

Rafat, Jaser, Munir, Seraj, Thayer (thaaaats me), Sarah (??), Gabriel, Farris, Xavier (named after the good ol' professor), and Hanna (Hahn-uh, not hannah montana)
PsychoSoldier's Avatar
PsychoSoldier at 05/14/2008 17:54

I am thinking about naming my daughter Talim and well Vincent isn't to out of there.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 05/14/2008 17:56

But crazy names are fun!
Gynecologist Cobra's Avatar
Gynecologist Cobra at 05/14/2008 17:56

Oh, good. Then it won't be so weird when I name my child "FATALITY". All caps and everything.
Wexx's Avatar
Wexx at 05/14/2008 17:58

I'm naming my son SR388, what then!
Jayson Napolitano's Avatar
Jayson Napolitano at 05/14/2008 17:59

I love the name Vincent. Wife shot it down. I always grew up wanting to name my son Cecil, but she shot that down as well. =(
MaxVest's Avatar
MaxVest at 05/14/2008 18:00

MaxVest Jr. May the screen name live on.
Sick Daddy's Avatar
Sick Daddy at 05/14/2008 18:00

My friends son is named Raiden, but as a proud member of Raider Nation, not some video game character
Captain Internet's Avatar
Captain Internet at 05/14/2008 18:01

Jayson, its time for a divorce man.
Xenomorph52's Avatar
Xenomorph52 at 05/14/2008 18:01

Name your kid Kratos.
bleep's Avatar
bleep at 05/14/2008 18:01

because Big Trouble in Little China is a classic movie and people want their children's name to be associated with a character from that film!

guidedbyvoip's Avatar
guidedbyvoip at 05/14/2008 18:02

My friend's little brother is named Raiden or Rayden. Mormons too, go figure.
Droll's Avatar
Droll at 05/14/2008 18:03

I want to name my son Andrew Ryan.
Whats classier than being named after the medium's favorite megalomaniac?
Unless....you named your kid Kefka.
Pixel Blue's Avatar
Pixel Blue at 05/14/2008 18:05

Link / Lincoln is no good because if the kid thinks Link is stupid, he has to go by Lincoln.

Name a kid Orion, it's awesome, and he can just be Ryan to his friends if he doesn't like having a Greek god as a namesake. It's a stealth awesome name.
Lordbobo's Avatar
Lordbobo at 05/14/2008 18:06

I named my daughter Kairi.
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 05/14/2008 18:06

I AM RAIDEN.
Ascythopicism's Avatar
Ascythopicism at 05/14/2008 18:08

NVGR, but I'd want to name my children (if a boy) Bertrand and (if a girl) Socrates (think of the nick-names! ["Sock"]).
Nessie's Avatar
Nessie at 05/14/2008 18:17

No idea what i'd name a girl, but i think Jaden is a nice boy name.
eyevory's Avatar
eyevory at 05/14/2008 18:22

My nephew's name is Lincoln and people call him Link all the time. I don't think my sister had zelda in mind when naming him.
Robert's Avatar
Robert at 05/14/2008 18:30

My child will named Octavius Xavier.

Yeah, the kids will call him octopus, but who will be laughing when he sacks Carthage?
DamnYouKrycek's Avatar
DamnYouKrycek at 05/14/2008 18:34

Just don't name your child Sagat!
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 05/14/2008 18:40

I'm going to name my kid Quote so that when he dies he can say "unquote".
Professor Pew's Avatar
Professor Pew at 05/14/2008 18:41

Screw that, I'm naming my kid Janier Samit Chad Chester Sterling Anthony. Or Colette Lauren Rio Hollie if it's a girl.

Hmmm, Chad Chester has quite a ring to it!
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 05/14/2008 18:42

Chad Chester sounds like the name of a sketch comedy regular.
liam2015's Avatar
liam2015 at 05/14/2008 18:43

If, in some godforsaken unforseen future, I have a son, I could totally consider naming him Raiden.

Or fucking Zeus. No one messes with a kid named Zeus.
DJDuffy 's Avatar
DJDuffy at 05/14/2008 18:44

I would name my kid Bridget, girl or boy. *tear* I'm such a responsible person.
Redzie's Avatar
Redzie at 05/14/2008 18:53

Ill name mine after my hero: Niero
Pepillou2's Avatar
Pepillou2 at 05/14/2008 18:53

What about Anon? or Wario? or Banjo?
Samit Sarkar's Avatar
Samit Sarkar at 05/14/2008 18:56

Oh, come on...Lincoln Chester is an awesome name! Think about it: he could be called “Link Chest” for short!
bloodylip's Avatar
bloodylip at 05/14/2008 18:57

Your wife sounds pretty damn awesome, Nick. Although I'd go with Linkovitch, so I could reference video games and Pauly Shore movies with one name.
Prince Ghidorah's Avatar
Prince Ghidorah at 05/14/2008 18:59

I suggested Aeris for a girl's name when I was under the mistaken impression that it is a real name and not something made up by Squaresoft. Wife loved it too until a little research revealed it to be...something made up by Squaresoft.
Aberrant Thought's Avatar
Aberrant Thought at 05/14/2008 19:02

I like your choice DJDuffy,

In Scottish culture, for females mind you, Bridget means goddess. A good choice indeed.

I would NOT name my child raiden... Sub-Zero yeah but not Raiden. Male names: Aram (My great grand father)

Females (Much preferred): Bridget, Alice, Olivia, Shayna
hoezee's Avatar
hoezee at 05/14/2008 19:11

Trinity? 72?
These fuckers don't deserve children.
dsitvarin's Avatar
dsitvarin at 05/14/2008 19:27

I want to name a male child Pacman or a female child Mrs. Pacman.
TheHunter234's Avatar
TheHunter234 at 05/14/2008 19:30

I know a guy named Lincoln, though I am the only person who refers to him as Link. He never really had any problems, so I wouldn't entirely dismiss the name. Also, I had a photography teacher who named his newborn Zenobius, and was going to call him Zeno for short (not sure on the spelling; might have used an x). Most people thought is sounded cool.
GeminiEye's Avatar
GeminiEye at 05/14/2008 19:32

Ha cant say I know any raidens. But I do know a link. If I had a soon I would name him Boy and have his middle name ardee. Then I would force him to become a chef.
Superfluous Moniker's Avatar
Superfluous Moniker at 05/14/2008 19:38

My sister's friend just named her kid Raiden. I had thought it was an isolated case of weirdness, but in retrospect it makes more sense that she was just blindly following some stupid fad.
TrailerParkJesus's Avatar
TrailerParkJesus at 05/14/2008 19:41

I'm gonna name my kid Spinning Pile Driver.
Max Power's Avatar
Max Power at 05/14/2008 20:07

This generation will leave its marks...silly marks, that is. I'm not looking forward to 2027s UN Secretary General Masterchief Michaels, US President LevelUp Smith, Pope Luigi XVII, and Academy Award winner PS8haznogaems Bukowski.
c0dek's Avatar
c0dek at 05/14/2008 20:18

I'm hoping for twins, so they can be named Ding and Grats
Violet Son's Avatar
Violet Son at 05/14/2008 20:22

I had a student named Gannon a few years ago. I taught second grade though, so none of the other kids were old enough to realize that it was a weird name. I bet he gets hell now.
Cheeburga's Avatar
Cheeburga at 05/14/2008 20:23

Gonna name my kids Rash Zits and Pimple
Eschatos's Avatar
Eschatos at 05/14/2008 20:25

I shall have twins. One will be Gordon, the other will be Freeman.
gabrielcoeli's Avatar
gabrielcoeli at 05/14/2008 20:26

My daughter's name is Livia Reign, which will probably be a video-game-name soon at the rate they're thinking up these things. But nothing tops my friend Amber's kid - her son's name is, no shit, "Skeletor." And they call him Tory for short.

Ding and Grats, ROFL.
emo zema's Avatar
emo zema at 05/14/2008 20:29

That's awesome imma name mah kid licoln to .Hey it would be worth it .

& my daughter.......nariko or jade .

Now i just gotta find the other main ingrediant of this baby making thing .
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 05/14/2008 20:36

I don't plan to have a child but if I ever did, I'd call it Big Boss, regardless of its gender.
BlackSunEmpire's Avatar
BlackSunEmpire at 05/14/2008 20:39

There are two sets of (unrelated) twins around here called both Benson and Hedges and Porsche and Carrera. It spurned calls for the government to somehow regulate naming rights on your children (of course it never took off).
BlackSunEmpire's Avatar
BlackSunEmpire at 05/14/2008 20:40

Benson and Hedges is a British tobacco company if they don't sell them in the states.
ceark's Avatar
ceark at 05/14/2008 20:49

I ain't gonna lie. If I ever have daughters, I'd name them Pearl Valkyrie and Ruby Morrigan. At least the game names are the middle names though.
Kain's Avatar
Kain at 05/14/2008 21:21

I'd name my son Kain and my daugter the pillar guardian? haha. Kain though i'd seriously consider. Maybe Raziel.

I'm an LOK nut. I can't help it...
Respectable Gentleman's Avatar
Respectable Gentleman at 05/14/2008 21:24

If my child is a girl I'm going to name her A Barrel Roll. She will be a slut and lots of people will do her.
ApocSin's Avatar
ApocSin at 05/14/2008 22:14

Im going to name my kid Jack Solid...
yeah im a nerd
Vongore's Avatar
Vongore at 05/14/2008 22:35

You are lucky that you have kind of english last names, It would me weird to meet a "Lincoln Estela" or "Aeris Estela" Being Estela my last name (it's spanish =0= i hate being latin american)

If i ever have a girl, i'm goin to name her Luna Samus.. it sounds grear on spanish..

If i have a boy (hope not) i will name him Iriquois Plitskin
AgentMOO's Avatar
AgentMOO at 05/14/2008 23:29

It's time to put goro on the map!
Conrad Zimmerman's Avatar
Conrad Zimmerman at 05/14/2008 23:53

My woman convinced me that we wouldn't have to move to China where we could drown a daughter by agreeing to name it Samus Aran Zimmerman. She rules.
Crumpet Lips's Avatar
Crumpet Lips at 05/15/2008 02:45

I met a kid at football who was named Raiden. I asked if he was joking and he told me to ask his parents, so I did. They said they loved Raiden in Mortal Kombat and it would be fitting to a child they loved so much.

Nice kid, sucked at football though.
Noah's Avatar
Noah at 05/15/2008 04:20

I knew a white guy in high school named Ronin.....I'm still jealous to this day. 'Master-less Samurai' has to be the coolest name on the planet.
mrplow8's Avatar
mrplow8 at 05/15/2008 05:04

I'm naming my son Toon Lincoln, so I can call him Toon Link for short.
Batthink's Avatar
Batthink at 05/15/2008 05:05

@ Ascythopicism;

He is more likely to be called 'Crates'.
Druid_01's Avatar
Druid_01 at 05/15/2008 05:25

i'm gona name my kid jack thompson and raise him to be gamings biggest advocate EVAR!
GeneralWong's Avatar
GeneralWong at 05/15/2008 06:15

Tibias Reaper is what i am going to name my son. If i have a daughter i will just sell her.
zombiekiller13's Avatar
zombiekiller13 at 05/15/2008 08:28

We named our daughter Talulla. I call her Lulu. Totally not planned. I'm waiting for her to begin using her dolls to cast spells. She does throw them at her brother...

And when she was born, I was playing FF3 in the hospital...well, after she was born. The missus would've killed me if I whipped out the ol' DS while she wass pushing the baby out.

"Okay, breathe...breathe...aw, crap! I was poisoned!"
dew_lite's Avatar
dew_lite at 05/15/2008 08:42

Robin Williams named his daughter Zelda, and it really is after the princess.

EXCUUUUUUSE ME PRINCESS.
Mr Gilder's Avatar
Mr Gilder at 05/15/2008 08:45

Definitely have plans to name my first born son Richter after Richter Belmont from Castlevania. I figure he can skate by with a pretty normal life being called Rick. Daughter will be Naomi (all "I moan" jokes aside), after the arcade hardware that basically was the Dreamcast. I at least had an ex that was on board with it. lol
ToeKing's Avatar
ToeKing at 05/15/2008 08:58

Wait wait wait! You've all missed something here. Nick: Why did you read through 900+ names from last year's top baby names?
srfmrf007's Avatar
srfmrf007 at 05/15/2008 09:35

The wife and I had settled on Sef, cuz we thought it would be a boy. When we found out it was a girl...All kinds of names from games were thrown out there. Ivy(the wife's favorite soul calibur fighter) was the front runner. Then we were watching the matrix in HD, because when HD died we could afford the set... anyway, there was this chick who was hot and a badass...We welcomed Trinity to the world and in our hearts in Dec.
Oh, and bleep....(looking straight into the eyes)the check's in the mail.
16bitmonster's Avatar
16bitmonster at 05/15/2008 09:41

@toeking good point.

@everyone who was going to name there kid lincoln.. just so you can call your kid link... just name him link? :]
dgonchild's Avatar
dgonchild at 05/15/2008 10:07

I'm sure Raiden was used as people name in some culture or other before it was used in video games. It's a cool sounding name anyway, so I dont see what the big deal is. The kids are not necessarily being named after the video game characters, but after thunder and lightning. Better than naming your kid Wednesday, Thursday, or Seven.
amerijapoxicano's Avatar
amerijapoxicano at 05/15/2008 10:15

How come no one is making fun of the names, "Jacob, Ethan, Emily, Isabella, and Emma"? I rarely EVER meet anyone named those names. Maybe a couple Jacobs and Emilys, and one Isabella, but come on!

What? Is everyone here white or something?
Venom24's Avatar
Venom24 at 05/15/2008 12:13