History Main / GhettoName

Spanish-speaking countries, [=LatAm=] in particular, have their counterpart with English-originated names. It's become a {{meme|ticMutation}} that if you're named or name your kids Bryan or Kimberly, then it's indicative of poverty and cholo/narco culture.

A possible subtrope of WhoNamesTheirKidDude, UnfortunateNames, and UnfortunateImplications if the name is outlandish enough.

Over the last 30 years of the USA's history, a trend has cropped up among the country's poor — many of whom are descended from Africans — to give their kids weird and wonderful names. Many of said names are oddly and [[MyNaymeIs perhaps intentionally misspelled]], not to mention [[PretentiousPronunciation unusually pronounced]], and [[OverlyLongName grandiose.]] The media finds this endlessly amusing, and names like this are now firmly tied to poverty stereotype.

Although it must be noted, not all of these names are just "made up out of nowhere". Most of these names, for example may have a French/Creole origin or inspiration (using prefixes such as Le', De', Fa'), or may have been taken from Arabic (Latifah, Hakeem, Jamal) or even Swahili (Jabari, Imani).

The USA has several rather exclusive subcultures separated by racial distinctions, so expect poor people of white and African-American descent to have rather different names (the USA's white poor tend to have more plain, but no less strange and silly-sounding, names like "Cletus" and "Billy Bob"). If you see anyone with a name like "Sha'quayla Joniqua [=LeBrontayyy=]" in a comedy, she's almost automatically mockable -- quite probably a FatIdiot SassyBlackWoman with multiple kids who serves as an [[UnintentionallyUnsympathetic attempt at]] PluckyComicRelief -- [[BlackDudeDiesFirst and sometimes not even that]].

A possible subtrope of WhoNamesTheirKidDude, UnfortunateNames and UnfortunateImplications if the name is outlandish enough.

* One character in Creator/NnediOkorafor's ''Lagoon'' intentionally changes the spelling of his name from "Moses" to "Moziz" to distance himself from his religious mother and sound more badass.

* One of the characters in ''NW'' by Zadie Smith is a black lawyer called Natalie. Her parents named her Keisha, but she didn't think that it sounded very professional.

[[folder: Radio]]

** The musical version also introduces Nautica and [=LaCienega]

* Creator/BobTheDragQueen's stand-up special, ''Suspiciously Large Woman'', has a bit about Black first names [[SesquepedalianSmith in comparison to their last names]].

* Creator/BobTheDragQueen's stand-up special, ''Suspiciously Large Woman'', has a bit about Black first names in comparison to their last names.

The USA has several rather exclusive subcultures separated by racial distinctions, so expect poor people of white and African-American descent to have rather different names (the USA's white poor tend to have more plain, but no less strange and silly-sounding, names like "Cletus" and "Billy Bob"). If you see anyone with a name like "Sha'quayla Joniqua [=LeBrontayyy=]" in a comedy, she's almost automatically an AcceptableTarget -- quite probably a FatIdiot SassyBlackWoman with multiple kids who serves as an [[UnintentionallyUnsympathetic attempt at]] PluckyComicRelief -- [[BlackDudeDiesFirst and sometimes not even that]].

* ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'' uses this for characterising several {{Rounded Character}}s rather than the expected AcceptableTargets:

** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gODZzSOelss East/West College Bowl skit]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT1nGjGM2p8 its]] [[https://youtu.be/mDp-ABzpRX8 sequels.]] The names start out as the normal version of this trope, becoming more and more exaggerated as they go on until they're the most ridiculous names imaginable. Also note D'Jasper Probincrux III, who manages to blend this with PreppyName.

* [=LaFawnduh=] from ''Film/NapoleonDynamite''.

* Yonica Babyyeah, a Middle-Eastern pop idol in ''Film/WarInc'' Subverted in that she turned out to be not only Caucasian, [[spoiler:but the long-lost daughter of Creator/JohnCusack's character]].
* Rare male examples: main characters Durell (pronounced Darrel) and [=LeeJohn=] in ''Film/FirstSunday''. The latter was named because his mother was seeing two men, Lee and John, and since she didn't know who the biological father was, called him [[{{Portmanteau}} LeeJohn]].

* ''Film/BringItOn'' has Isis, Jenelope, Lava and [=LaFred=] from rival squad, the East Compton Clovers.
* ''Film/DodgeballATrueUnderdogStory'' gives us Me'Shell (pronounced the same as Michelle), White Goodman's [[TheDragon "fitness consigliere"]].
* Parodied in ''Film/MalibusMostWanted'', where the very white Bradley Gluckman insists on being called "B-Rad G" and acting as if he's gangsta.
* Parodied in ''Film/Red2010'' when Frank and Sarah are breaking into the CIA Headquarters disguised as a general and his aide. The very-white Sarah (played by Mary-Louise Parker) glances at her cover identity and notices that her name is "Shaniqua Johnson". Frank sheepishly replies that she's adopted.
* ''Film/{{Loqueesha}}'' is a blatant example already, but it's the name a white man invents for his black female radio persona. We'll leave it at that.

* The protagonist of ''Literature/TheTrueMeaningOfSmekday'' is named Gratuity. While she ''is'' black, the name was given to her by her white, Italian mother, who was an immigrant and didn't understand what the word meant. Her friends call her Tip.

* One character in Creator/NnediOkorafor's ''Lagoon'' intentionally changes the spelling of his name from "Moses" to "Moziz" to distance himself from his religious mother and sound more badass.
* ''Literature/{{Idoru}}'' has Chia Pet [=McKenzie=]. Her mother, who did not speak English, liked the way "Chia Pet" sounded, and her Canadian father was unfortunately absent.
* Discussed in ''Literature/TheHateUGive'', when [[InnocentlyInsensitive Chris]] asks Starr and her friends why so many black people have "weird" names. After their initial response of, "[[WhatTheHellHero Dude, c'mon]]," they explain that many so-called ghetto names are quite meaningful in various African languages -- and, more to the point, when compared to some {{Preppy Name}}s they've heard, most of them aren't ''that'' weird. Chris immediately concedes their point and apologizes.

* ''Series/{{Selfie}}'' has Charmonique (although averted with her son, Kevin), the receptionist. In the pilot, Henry asks Eliza if she knows Charmonique's name (Charmonique knows hers, and the two see each other every day in the morning). Eliza does not remember, and when Henry tells her, she says "In my defense, that's not a real name." Cue an offended noise from Charmonique.
* The pilot of ''Series/Unreal2015'' has Quinn groaning furiously at a contestant named Shamiqua, saying that America would never root for a girl with that name.

* RealityTelevision is notorious for these; the more ridiculous name the black contestant has, the grosser the stereotype she will be. Examples are Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth from ''Series/TheApprentice'' and [=NaOnka=] Mixon from ''Series/{{Survivor}}'' — and it turned out in the last episode that [=NaOnka=]'s mother is named Zena.
* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'': Finesse Mitchell's character Starkisha. He has a whole [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ4bKQqSfFk bit about Ghetto Names here.]]
** A skit from the [[SeasonalRot mid-90s]] (''just'' before Chris Farley left,) has two inner-city teachers and eventually the bus driver doing roll-call and name games like "Red Rover" in increasing complexity/ludicrousness with the last being "[[Music/CultureClub Karmakarmakarmakarmakarmakarmakarmakarmakarmakarmachameleon]]."
** Also, Ellen Cleghorne's Weekend Update commentator [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurring_Saturday_Night_Live_characters_and_sketches_introduced_1991–1992#Queen_Shenequa Queen Shenequa.]]
* [[TheGhost Shaquan]] on ''Series/TheParkers''. [[spoiler:She turns out to be Asian American]].

* ''Series/ThirtyRock'':
** In the episodes "Queen of Jordan" and "Queen of Jordan 2: The Mystery of the Phantom Pooper", Angie has a GayBestFriend named D'Fwan. This proves that the ''30 Rock'' writers are geniuses, because this name manages to sound both ghetto and incredibly {{Camp}} (which [[CampGay D'Fwan]] is). This is used for puns when he makes his own wine, D'Fwine that you should d'fwink responsibly.
** In a combination with PunnyName, we have Grizz's fiancé [[Music/{{Beyonce}} Feyoncé]].
* Jocelyn Jee Esien's sketch show ''Little Miss Jocelyn'' featured "Sharonisha", a lower-class "chav" London schoolgirl.
* ''Series/KeyAndPeele'':
** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gODZzSOelss East/West College Bowl skit]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT1nGjGM2p8 its]] [[https://youtu.be/mDp-ABzpRX8 sequels.]] The names start out as the normal version of this trope, becoming more and more exaggerated as they go on until they're the most ridiculous names imaginable. Also note D'Jasper Probincrux III, who manages to blend this with PreppyName.
** Inverted in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7FixvoKBw "Substitute Teacher]] [[https://youtu.be/WLAq3JVJ6Ho Mr. Garvy"]] sketches, where the eponymous teacher has spent his entire career teaching in the inner city, so he assumes ''every'' name is like this, confusing his new class of suburban white kids when he calls out names like "J-Kwellen" (Jacqueline), and "Balakay" (Blake). When the kids correct his pronunciation, he assumes they're trying to play a joke on him because [[YourNormalIsOurTaboo nobody could ever have such silly-sounding names]]. With each correction, he becomes increasingly enraged and hostile, demanding that the kids stop screwing around and say their names "correctly", and culminating in him sending a kid to the principal's office. Finally, he calls out one last ghetto-fied name... and the only black kid in class responds immediately, because it actually ''is'' his name (and he responds by saying "[[AccentUponTheWrongSyllable Pre-sent]]").
--->'''Mr. Garvy:''' Ay-Ay-Ron! Where are you? Where is Ay-Ay-Ron right now? No A-A-Ron, huh? Well, you better be sick, dead, or mute, Ay-Ay-Ron!\\
'''Student:''' Here!\\
'''Mr. Garvy:''' Why didn't you answer me the first time I said it, huh? I'm just-- y'know, I'm just askin', y'know. I said it, like, four times, so why didn't you say it the first time I said "A-A-Ron"?\\
'''Student:''' ...Because it's pronounced "''Aaron''"?\\
'''Mr. Garvy:''' '''''SON OF A BALD BITCH!''''' ''[pushes everything off his desk onto the floor in anger]'' YA DONE MESSED UP, A-A-RON! NOW TAKE YO' ASS ON DOWN TO O-SHAG-HENNESEY'S OFFICE RIGHT NOW, AND TELL HIM ''EXACTLY'' WHAT YOU DID!\\
'''Aaron:''' ...Who?\\
'''Mr. Garvy:''' O-SHAG-HENNESEY!\\
'''Aaron:''' ...Principal O'Shaughnessy?\\
'''Mr. Garvy:''' '''''GET OUTTA MY GOTDAMN CLASSROOM BEFORE I BREAK MY FOOT OFF IN YA ASS!'''''
* Verquonica, the second machine in [[http://vimeo.com/57927823 the SNL sketch parodying Starbucks' ads for its Verismo machines.]]

* Used in passing in ''Series/{{Community}}'', when Dean Pelton tries a money-saving scheme that involves texting only black students. He accidentally texts a French student named le Bron.
** In Season 2, Chang attempts to pick up Shirley's kids from school, but gets the wrong kids. They inform him that their mom is named Laquanda, which Chang immediately says is "racist".

* Invoked in ''Series/{{Eastenders}}'' when twelve-year-old, white, lower-class Demi Miller gives birth and names her baby Aleesha Beyonce.
* On ''Series/TheMindyProject'', Tamra's boyfriend is named Ray-Ron. Turns out that Ray-Ron is white.
* On ''Series/DearWhitePeople'', Coco's real name is revealed to be Colandrea.
* PlayedWith in ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'', where Donna Meagle (who explicitly comes from a wealthy family) has an estranged brother named Lavondrius and a slightly less estranged brother named George.
* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Frank tells a story in which he fell in love with a black singer named Shadynasty, pronounced "Shuh-Dynasty". When he names a club after her, people look at the name written out and ask who "Shady-Nasty" is.

* Skee-Lo's "I Wish" contains the line "I would name my kids Ghetto Names Little Mookie, Big Al, Lorraine".
* A recurring character in Music/KendrickLamar's music is Kdot's extravagantly trashy hoodrat ex-girlfriend Sherane, who gives him an STD and (in LooseCanon) caused one of her ex-boyfriends to drown by hiding him in the bathtub from a prying aunt.
* Music/{{Eminem}}, as part of his StereotypeFlip aesthetic, parodies this by giving his LowerClassLout characters faintly antiquated white-people names like Tonya, Susan, Hector, Brian, Milo, Renée and Brenda.

* [[SassyBlackWoman LaShawndra]] from ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'', one of the first survivors you can rescue.

* ''WebAnimation/CampCamp'' has Bonquisha.

* ''WebVideo/GhettoSmosh'' rechristens Anthony as "Antwon".
* This is [[ParodiedTrope parodied]] and combined with NWordPrivileges on ''WebVideo/ThisIsACommentary'', with one of Tré's characters being named "Watermelondrea".

* In ''WebVideo/TheTourettesGuy'', Danny demonstrates his ignorance of technology when he is told that his birthday presents were bought on Amazon, assuming it to be the name of the black woman from his son's job. Even after he is told "Amazon ''dot com''", he just thinks they're talking about a ''different'' black woman.
* MK of ''WebVideo/MKLoves'' took African-American culture to task over this, arguing that "If your name is worth more than 40 points in Scrabble" you should pick a different name for yourself.

* In ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether,'' Foxy Love's overly-elaborate role play identity is named Chocolandra.

* After observing, regarding ''[[Film/TheLittleRascals Our Gang]]'', how he's never run into a black person named Buckwheat, Creator/EddieMurphy riffed on what siblings and cousins might be in that branch of the family, all following the breakfast-cereal theme, down to [[IncrediblyLamePun Trix]], who's a prostitute, and the gay brother Lucky Charms.

* ''Series/MadTV'':

* In one [[ChristmasEpisode Christmas episode]] of ''Series/{{Psych}}'', Shawn imagines Gus’s life had Shawn not returned to Santa Barbara in the form of a sitcom titled “Wilin’ with da’ Gusters.” In this sitcom, Gus is married to a woman named Stranjay and has a stepson named Anfernee.

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, the Redguards (Tamriel's dark-skinned human race) get some of these throughout the series, with exactly how many varying from game to game. By the time of ''[[Videogame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', this has been dropped almost completely in favor of giving them Arabic-sounding names instead. (Justified, as the medieval Middle East and North Africa are a large part of the Redguard CultureChopSuey.)

* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Frank tells a story in which he fell in love with a black singer named Shadynasty, pronounced "Shuh-Dynasty." When he names a club after her, people look at the name written out and ask who "Shady-Nasty" is.

* Rare male examples: main characters Durell (pronounced Darrel) and [=LeeJohn=] in ''First Sunday''. The latter was named because his mother was seeing two men, Lee and John, and since she didn't know who the biological father was, called him [[{{Portmanteau}} LeeJohn]].

Although it must be noted, not all of these names are just "made up out of nowhere". Most of these names, for example may have a French/Creole origin or inspiration (using prefixes such as Le', De',Fa'), or may have been taken from Arabic (Latifah, Hakeem, Jamal) or even Swahili (Jabari, Imani).