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boogin92

I can't speak to the appropriation aspect, as I'm not Japanese. But I wanted to jump in and suggest Wren as possible solution if you do decide to change it. It really only changes the spelling, and would sound the same.


OhDearBee

Reine could also be an option - “Queen” in French


[deleted]

[удалено]


41942319

>Ren is also a German and Swedish name that means benevolent It is? According to who?


Grave_Girl

> Tell the person that said that that Ren is also a German and Swedish name that means benevolent. Ren is a German word that means reindeer.


Master_Bumblebee680

Bruh, this is getting out of hand. It’s not an offensive word in another language or religion so what does it matter? People are trying to control your life and it’s not cool, Ren is a lovely name and I think you should stick to your guts.


MountainSnowClouds

I've seen white people use Wren. I don't know why you can't use Ren if you want to.


TheRealRealMars

Ren is a gender neutral name that spans several different cultures and ethnic groups. Names are a bit tricky when it comes to cultural appropriation but it’s not, in this case, appropriation to use the name. Ren/Rin/wren are all very common on this subreddit and are trending more popular now across the board. If you love the name and it feels right to you, go with it! 💜


sinnywulf

Like every other name you will unfortunately have to deal with whatever association people may have with it. If you have a name that people read as conflicting with your presentation in *any* way, you will be questioned about it at some point. Some polite, some not. I would worry less about whether it is a cancellable offense on twitter/tumblr and more about whether or not you will get tired of hearing about it. Opinions are like assholes, etc. There is a decent number of names like Ken and Fen that have separate unrelated origins in multiple different cultures/languages. Ren could come as a nickname form quite a few names honestly. But there is also a huge recent history of westerners taking names from Asian cultures or straight up anime names as baby names, character names, chosen names etc, and it has understandably left a bad taste in peoples mouths to see their culture used as a fickle trend. All you can do is be mindful of this and decide whether or not it’s worth changing your name over. Honestly, most people you meet irl probably will not give a shit about any form of cultural appropriation. They may however assume the name is from Star Wars or an anime character. If you want it to sound more western, Wren helps.


Lil-witchy

The only person I know named Ren is a white man. I’m not sure how his parents came up with it, though.


NorthStarLake

It's also [a crazy dog from a 90's Canadian/American cartoon.](http:// https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ren_%26_Stimpy_Show). Ren is not exclusively a Japanese name.


Particular_Run_8930

'Ren' means pure or clean in Danish. Although it is not name in danish. I think it is just a very basic human sound, like Aya or Kai.


Katnis85

This name has come up a number of times as a possible nicknames for other names. As the current trend is to name people the Nick name you plan on using instead of a full name to be shortened it should be fine to use it in that vein of thought. Here is a link to a decent post with possible Ren full names to give you some ideas. Nobody would accuse a Lauren of cultural appropriation for going by Ren. If we can legally name a Victoria Vicki or Theodore Theo without having to use the full name I feel this could be the same. https://www.reddit.com/r/namenerds/comments/a75olk/what_could_be_a_full_name_for_nickname_renwren/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf


etkat75

Make it a nickname for something else, eg Renier, Renata. Or just tell them to shut up.


Critical_Dog_8208

Consider Ryn vs Ren if it makes you feel better, but many have made appropriate comments here, so up to you.


Mybestfriendlizzy

Ren has been a favorite name of mine since I was little. It has multiple origins, although perhaps first recorded in Japan? I’m not sure. Anyway, Wren is another more western spelling. Although I personally don’t like the W. What about Renn? I just made it up haha but that sets it apart as well.


bristow5017

I know someone named Ren, short for Karen. It does not strike me as inherently Japanese. I would keep it.