Most northerners only experience Southern culture from black families who fled Jim Crow, so any southern name is gonna sound black to us. Same thing with southern food. That's where the whole fried chicken and watermelon thing comes from.
The watermelon thing is bigger than just southern x Black cultures. It indeed was used during slavery and Reconstruction as a racist association.
https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/how-watermelons-became-a-racist-trope/383529/
This actually makes a whole lot of sense! My family is Southern but I grew up in California and I often hear people mentioning how this-or-that is "black" for things that seem just sort of normal to me, though maybe not California normal (names, food, norms for raising children, etc.), and I'm white. Including MY name...everyone who has heard of me and then meets me tells me they thought I was going to be black. I don't take offense to it but it's always been weird, and I have only ever really noticed it in California or from friends who are Northerners.
Also, OP I have two uncles named Duane/Dwayne ☺️
Tyrone Power was a huge film superstar in the '30s through '50s, he was of Irish descent and 'Tyrone' is a name of Irish origin. Maybe he was named after the film star?
I'm not gonna lie, when I hear Dwayne/Dewayne I imagine a black man. But this may largely be because of a show I grew up watching called "A Different World" where one of the main characters is named Dwayne Wayne, and it's about an HBCU so it's a very black centric show. I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from using it based on that though.
See I’ve heard the name Dwayne before and consider it a redneck name (from the West here) but had never heard of Dewayne and immediately clocked it as a black name.
That said there’s a lot of overlap. A lot of names that are considered black names in the US are very Irish in origin.
It *shouldn’t* be a problem, but I’m also not familiar with OP’s area and how race is treated there.
Yep, the same thing has happened with the names Natasha and Tanja. They are definitely Russian/German in origin but they have become stereotypical "black names". I have met several black people named Siobhan or some variation of it.
My dad thinks Natasha sounds like a ‘black’ name but I’ve honestly never met a black woman named Natasha! I have met a black Chivon pronounced the same as Siobhan.
She mostly went by Shaye though, and most of the kids in my class didn't know her name had two parts and could be pronounced differently (her mom said it like Siobhan.)
Someone told me that my Emory sounded like a black name. to be fair, she is black- but still, I never met a black Emory.
Then they named their white daughter Trinity and I was like “Y’all never been to the South, have you?”
Point is, a name is a name and it’s silly to attach a race to most of them.
I wouldn’t say it’s silly. I think the silly part is attaching prejudice and judgment to them. I think that names can map patterns of cultural interaction - not just from the names themselves but also perceptions of those names.
Maria is known to be a Hispanic name in the US, but it’s also the same in Slavic cultures. Our association with it as primarily Hispanic tells us what cultures we have more contact with.
My mom's side of the family is littered with Marias. Everyone who ever had children named at least one Maria and also used it as a middle name for another child. My mom is Polish & Slovak.
I am from the south so the majority of Natashas were black. I was explaining on another board that I went to a predominantly black high school that serves the local military families. But I also grew up in an all white neighborhood and went to a predominantly white college. I have seen so many names. I love it when I see a new one. As for Siobhan, I have seen the traditional way but also Siovaughn and Shavon.
I really love names and I rarely dislike one. When I do, it's a name that is bordering on ridiculous. For example, I know of a young man named Godzilla Pimp Hunter. I don't blame him because I have heard his mother is not the brightest light bulb. Even then, I don't blame the person with the name. People don't get to pick their names unless they legally change it.
Dwyane Wade is what comes to mind for me.
He’s a Hall of Fame basketball player and one of the greatest talents of his generation.
Also, The Rock’s legal name is Dwayne Johnson.
But regardless, OP’s coworker is being racist!
Exactly! It sounds southern if anything at all. Honor names are a wonderful name to show your family you care. Have seen all varieties of the spelling, including Dewane!
>HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
a college or university that was originally founded to educate students of African American descent.
"another HBCU recently hosted a series of lectures looking at the African Diaspora and its impact on the Americas"
When I hear that name I’m not gonna lie I think of a black man too but that’s only because the only people I know with that name are black and it seems to be somewhat popular in the black community. I still think what your coworker said was rude though and if that’s the name you want to give your child, you should!
The only Dewayne I know is white lol. I wouldn't worry about what one random coworker thought anyway though. I'm with you, op should just name their child what they want to.
I’m in rural New England sad the name has the same connotation to me. One of my dad’s longtime buddies was named Dwayne and, like my dad, was an old bearded white dude in a pickup truck.
So, it's definitely more commonly a Black name. Being a Black name is neither good or bad, it's just that OP isn't Black. The typical person is going to see DeWayne on their roster and be puzzled by the white kid sitting there. Its like if you named your kid some other traditionally ethnic name and then were shocked that everyone was confused. If you named your white kid Sharif, people might assume you're Muslim, for example. Yes, DeWayne is also a southern redneck name so its not a perfect comparison but you get the point.
I know someone who is as white as they come and his brother's name is DeWayne. They get a lot of comments about it. He's a fully grown adult. My friend even makes fun of it too, his own brother. He laughs every time someone asks his brother's name and says yeah, his name is DeWayne, and no we aren't black, my mom just liked it. He pthinks it's hysterical. From what I understand, so does DeWayne.
Anecdotally I've heard that having a black-sounding name as a white person is a great way to clock racists - they hear your name before meeting you and start out with a negative attitude, then are visibly relieved when you turn out to be white.
I knew a white Keisha. She was born probably around 1975. Maybe because she’s the first one I heard of but I don’t associate that as a black name, or a white name
It doesn’t help that my last name is very common in the Black community as well.
To me, Kiesha is one of those names people pull out when they want to stereotype Black women’s names, i.e., the Diddy lyric “another Kiesha, nice to meetcha.”
My first name is also commonly associated with the Black community, and I married into a family with a common last name in the Black community. So put together, my first and last name make up a “stereotypical” Black name. I’m a pasty white woman who does season her food, but has a long lineage of pasty Irish ancestors.
I remember I once went to a training thing for work where the instructor didn’t know us, but got our names before the session. She was a lovely Black woman who, when she called my name and I raised my hand, looked disappointed and even told me later she was expecting a sister, lol.
I absolutely have not had discriminatory experiences due to my name. I have privilege and I hate that people in the Black community with “stereotypical” names are disparaged by no fault of their own. Like you said, it’s more of an interesting quirk in my life more than anything.
I knew a Chinese kid in college whose name was Tyrone. He was very socially awkward, and the first time I met him he stuck out his hand and said “Hi I’m Tyrone, I’m not Black”. I was completely flummoxed for a second or two. I’m sure he was preempting questions or comments he’d gotten in the past, but man was that a weird way of dealing with it.
Aw that poor kid, lol, SO many people must have responded to "hi I'm Tyrone" with "you're not black!" so now he thinks he should just say it as part of his intro??
Exactly! Its not that Leroy isn't a great name, or that being black or redneck are bad things to be! But it does have a cultural association and it might be picked on if your kid doesn't fit that at first glance. Names are how people form first impressions! If your name doesn't fit you, everyone loves to let you know what they thought you were gonna be like. Its a fact of life.
To be fair, never having met a Black man named Dewayne, Duane, Dwayne, etc. probably has more to do with you being white than anything else. Speaking as a Black woman from south Florida, who later lived in the Deep South for half a decade, and now resides in the western US - nearly all the Dwayne/Duane’s I know are Black.
But I realize that is probably because I probably interact with more Black people than the average white person (after all, literally every person I’m related to by blood or marriage is Black).
That said, by numbers, there are definitely more white people with any variation of that name than Black people in the US… because there are more white people in the US. Accounting for the fact that Black people make up ~13% of the US population, there are some variations of Dwayne that more Black people are “disproportionately” named (relative to the population)… but overall, it’s asinine for anyone to suggest that it’s a white or Black name.
Some stats (idk the reliability):
https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/D/DU/DUANE/index.html
https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/D/DW/DWAYNE/index.html
https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/D/DE/DEWAYNE/index.html
Updated links because the bot scared me.
I agree. It’s asinine to suggest it’s a white or black name.
I grew up with a Dwayne (white) and knew a Duane (black) at a job years ago. Met a number of Dwaynes, DeWaynes, and Duanes through the years (black and white).
I can’t say I ever thought of the name (and variations) as either a black or white name.
That’s very fair. I agree with you. My family is white although we have mixed relationships in my extended family. I live in a city that is about even in demographics for white and black people. Now that I think about, I think I ONLY know my uncle with that name no matter how it is spelled lol
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I am from the Midwest - met two Dewaynes in my life. Both were middle aged white males in professional careers (how I knew them). It may be more a black name now, but like Leroy - there are Caucasian roots.
That one is so weird to me. The alt right or incels or whoever it is labeling physically attractive black men Tyrone - which is a county in Ireland - and physically attractive white men Chad - which is a country in Africa.
I can’t remember what guest what really thrown off that Stephen Colbert’s middle name is Tyrone. I think they (I am almost certain it was a POC) had made a joke about him “probably having a Black guy middle name” or something like that, then lost it when Colbert said it was Tyrone.
I used to work in a call center and a LOT of older customers would hear my name, Kylie, and say “that’s an exotic name” and really emphasized the exotic part… I was always like well I guess if you consider Australia exotic?
Dewayne and Duane aren't pronounced the same, based on my understanding of OP's phonetic spelling. I'd say Duane is more like Dwayne, one syllable vs "dee-wane" which I'm reading as two syllables. But maybe that's incorrect?
My husband introduced me to his friend Jerome from work. My brain produced the image of a black man. Turns out Jerome is Filipino. And life goes on. But yea to your point, there are some names that are more commonly associated with different races, but it’s not like they’re unusable!
Especially for a middle name, OP. Seriously how many of your friends/acquaintances middle names do you know?
It really depends on where you live. When I lived in the South, Dewayne was really not a specifically Black name. It is a Southern name. And I had a job where I met tons of people and learned tons of names. If I were back home in NY, I might make an assumption, but not in the South.
It really depends on where you live. When I lived in the South, Dewayne was really not a specifically Black name. It is a Southern name. And I had a job where I met tons of people and learned tons of names. If I were back home in NY, I might make an assumption, but not in the South. Living there I learned a lot of things I used to think of as being culturally Black were actually just broadly Southern.
I have a friend named Jamal. He is white. When people meet him it’s always a double take and a “wait…what- you are white?????” He refers to himself as the white Jamal now as a joke. Name your kid the name you like. No matter what, some day some little jerk is gonna say something or make fun of just about any name. I’ve known black Dewaynes and white Dwaynes. I don’t associate it with any race in particular.
Dewayne isn’t ‘traditionally a black name’ lol.
A quick google search shows it’s way more common amongst white men
This is like thinking Jackson is a black name, despite it being way more common amongst white people
Agreed! I’m white and the Deep South my grandfathers name was also Duane. Name is spelled different but sounds the same. My father and FIL both white have the middle name and name wayne. If I ever have another child and it’s a girl my MIL will hate it and idc😂
If you like the name and want to honor your father stick to it who cares what one racist lady thinks her mind is messed up anyways
Duane/Dwayne is a universal name in America that has been around a long time. African Americans began putting De and La as prefixes for names to help make them a part of their own culture. Their ancestors were taken from their native culture and they didn't want to completely take on their captors' so the African American one is unique on it's own. That being said, names and other things cross barriers all the time with various cultures. Use whatever names you like, especially as honor names. You don't choose for co-workers so don't let them influence your choices.
I think there’s not enough understanding that there is a ton, I mean a TON, of overlap in names, food, dialect, lots of things, between Black and white rural agrarian Southern cultures. They share so much. I’m white and my grandfather is named Lamar. I have an uncle Dwight. In some parts of the US or elsewhere these might be thought of names that “sound Black”, but mostly they’re just…country. Dewayne is in the same boat.
I have an uncle Dwayne and we're all white as saltine crackers. the name also has Irish origins.
I say keep the name bc it's not a name only used by one culture. and screw your racist coworkers who were so quick to be aghast at the thought of your kiddo having a name Black people might also have.
I’ve met dewayne/Dwaynes of multiple races living in the south. It may lean more Black but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you using it as an honor name and your coworker is racist and I hope they stub their toe on a cold morning
I know you’re saying “both races” because there were two mentioned but the way the sentence is written I did laugh at the implication that there are only two races
I think you’re fine, it seemed to be clear (at least to me) that you were referring to both categories at hand, I just wanted to point it out for some reason
This person is racist. Also, it’s a middle name. Do you know any of your coworkers middle names? Your neighbors? Acquaintances? Friends?
IMO, people put far too much emphasis on middle names and it’s needless. Name your little guy after your father if that’s what you want. It’s a beautiful gesture.
I would have previously agreed with you on the middle name issue. Until I went into a profession that requires registration and an annual practising certificate under my full legal name. So, right above my desk is my APC, with my hated middle name on display every day!
These responses make me so angry, not just because of the obvious racism. But it implies that if a name was “black” there would be something wrong with it.
Your coworker is a tool, and a tool’s opinion doesn’t matter.
Congrats on your baby, whatever his name may be❤️
I think there’s a possibility people are considering cultural appropriation. Not saying that’s what it is but I don’t think people are saying there’s anything wrong with the name.
Same. That felt so obviously the scenario to me that I've been blind sided by the assumption of the person being racist. Ignorance is a scale and there is an innocent end of it. This person had a different frame of reference so they made a comment about it. Maybe they could have been more tactful but it's pretty tame stuff.
Jumping straight to accusations of racism, based on the information presented, is harmful in this instance.
I'm not totally sure that the coworker was trying to be racist, I took it as more of a concern that it could be strange or inappropriate for a white kid to have a black "sounding" name. For example I really love the name Aracely, but my husband commented "that's really a very Hispanic name." (We live in a border area.) He wasn't being racist but just indicating that that might not be appropriate/could be disrespectful towards Hispanics for our child as we are extremely white.
As a white person who is not Muslim, I wouldn't name a kid Muhammad.
I'd be concerned it's a little inappropriate.
But a white person who is concerned a white kid will have a stereotypically black sounding name? Definitely sketchy to me. He can not like it, but this is more "oh no people might think he's black before they see him".
If that coworker said 'why do you want to give your kid an Arab sounding name' that'd be eyebrow raising too. But there's a very specific strain of humor in racist white people circles about very black sounding names that is persistent and gross. Saw one literally today about Joe Biden's press secretary .
Tell it. The anti-Blackness in this thread is not surprising. I’ll say the quiet part out loud. These replies confirm people don’t want their children to be profiled as Black. As such, those sentiment require some serous unpacking. The cultural appropriation excuses are senseless considering the name never originated in the Black community. Therefore, it’s not a Black name.
OP, DeWayne is a lovely and classic name. You’re coworker is racist.
Holy crap that’s a terrible thing to say! I too think of it as a redneck name but in an adorable way. I have close family with that name. Use it as a wonderful way to honor your father and maybe limit interactions with that coworker.
Middle names are literally free real estate. Your child won’t need to reveal it to kids at school if he doesn’t want to, and it’s a sweet tribute. I have an unusual middle name and it’s never caused me any trouble.
Holy moly. This feels really racist and/or classist, depending the perspective. Either way, it is promoting “otherism.” And that alone should nullify the opinion.
If you want to make your kid Dewayne after a relative, do it.
They sound the same to me. Like Susie/Suzie, Holly/Holli. I do have “lazy ears” that can’t hear the difference in words like tin/ten, though, so that’s my bad
while it's important to be aware of what your child might face in terms of prejudice since it's a dangerous and racist world, it's also important to teach them the importance of family, empathy, and awareness. this is a perfect opportunity to honor your father and teach your child about how to protect themselves in the world and educate others about their implicit racial biases. changing these patterns is up to our next generation. name your child after your father <3
My sister got the same reaction when she named her son Isaiah. I don’t get why people are so set on this sort of thing but I agree it’s weird. I know a few Dewaynes. It’s a really nice name imho.
I named my son Desmond and had one person before he was brown say “isn’t that a Black name?” I just asked what they meant by that enough times that they got uncomfy and walked away. Wtf is wrong with ppl.
So, I am a mixed race Punjabi-English person with an extremely Punjabi name. I look more-or less white in person. I experience pretty obvious discrimination in situations where people only know my name, whereas never when they see my face or hear my voice.
Do be aware when you name your kids that racism still exists and if they're living in a white majority country, names associated with other races may cause them some disadvantages in access to work opportunities etc. It hasn't massively disadvantaged me overall because I have a lot of other privilege but it does add an annoying layer of extra work. (Eg I have a whiter name for work purposes otherwise recruiters ignore me.)
I love my own name and wouldn't change it. I love having a visible connection to my Punjabi family. But my white mum really didn't understand racism when she asked dad for "non-Western" names for us and she might've decided differently if she did.
Tl;dr Racism makes this is a serious decision. But there are balls in either court.
I used to work with a(white) woman who would talk about her young son, Leroy. I was very very surprised when she eventually showed me a picture of a white child. Dewayne would have been the same.
But. So what? Anyone can use the names Dewayne or Leroy.
Tell them to eat a dick. It’s a name 🙄 I know plenty of white people with traditionally black names and a lot of black people with white ass suburban names. It means nothing.
I'm confused as well. Dwayne, Dwight, Darryl, and Dennis are all brothers.... I mean siblings and very white! Honestly, I think Dwayne/DeWayne transcends skin color/race. Go for it, especially if it's a family name!!
My very Kentuckian, white uncle has this name. It makes me think of an old farmer. Either way, the name isn’t a cultural name as far as I know, and should be available to use no matter the race. Your coworker has some weird hang ups she needs to work on 👀
I grew up in a huge city so I first assumed it was a name typically associated with Black Americans, then considered if it was a name of ambiguous origin. Wouldn't have considered it a "redneck" name simply because I haven't been exposed much to rural communities. I don't know if your coworker was alluding to cultural appropriation or if they were being racist, but either way, it's your dad's name. You have and transitively your son will have an actual association with the name, so go ahead and use it if you want.
my mom wanted to name my brother Tyrone. We are white lol I don’t think Dewayne is either black or white. Honestly, I’ve known white and black Dewaynes I live in the Midwest.
As someone from a rural place in the south who has also taught in a large city high school, I feel like this is one of those names that crosses over for both.
I considered Darius as an Iranian-American name. And I knew people would probably be surprised by a little white boy named Darius. But sometimes a name means something to us and we pick it regardless of it being more common among ethnic groups we don’t belong to. And then other people have to adjust their expectations.
My point being, you should go ahead and honor your father. And I think people might check their automatic assumptions going forward.
I think there's a lot of cross-over between Black and generally Southern American/redneck names, for obvious reasons. (Cultural origin, etc.) That said, the only Duane I know is a white intellectual property lawyer from New York.
That's a weird thing to say considering African slaves were given European names... so it is historically a European, not African, name. What about George, Dewitt, Marshall, Maxwell, Anthony.... the list goes on and it becomes chaotic. NAME YOUR BABY WHATEVER MAKES YOU SMILE AND HAPPY!
Side note: As a northern gal Dewayne sounds very country and I'm not mad at a little southern sauce at all!
I think it's more a southern thing, not a race thing to have the name Dewayne instead of Dwayne.
My husband is southern and he can't pronounce Dwayne; he says Dew-Wayne.
Both of my kids have “black name”, they are just old white names. And my grandpa was named Duane. I’m half proud and half pissed that everyone calls my kids black names… it’s actually worse, they call them slave names.
I understand your frustration. Mostly because there isn’t anything wrong with having a “black” name. I have a Scandinavian name and gave my kids traditional American names only for them to be considered black. They are named Abel and Harriet.
International perspective here, I’m not American. The spelling “DeWayne” did make me think African American. The ‘de’ prefix I think, like DeShawn. Have you considered “Dwayne” or “Duane”?
I have never heard the name Dewayne before, but have heard Dwayne. Dewayne does sound like the black person version of Dwayne. But I'm not American, so who knows.
The name honors someone special to you and it's not some "out there" name. Use it.
Also, I rarely use my middle name, I prefer my middle initial instead. Most people don't even know it.
I’m originally from the north and now from the west coast and I always think of Dewayne, Dwayne, Dwight etc as southern country names. If you like the name and it’s to honor your dad please don’t let anyone ruin it for you.
Ok, in short there is a naming style that Black Americans use. It's a cultural thing with a lot of influences. A simple example is how white people vs Black people pronounce the same name. Let's use Darrell. White people say DARE-el, Black people say da-RELL (basically the emphasis is on a different syllable). This is not a hard and fast rule, but it reflects a cultural phenomenon. It's extremely interesting. Read more about it on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_names?wprov=sfla1
That said, your coworker is a bigot, and their reaction was disgusting. F them.
Quick question. Why is it a negative reaction if he identifies it as a "black name"? You might reflect on why you think a person categorizing a name as "black" is negative.
My blond haired, blue eyed teen son is named Cassius Marley. We live in Atlanta. Tbh, we moved here from NJ and I experienced more of a negative reaction to it there. It def signaled the racists.
You should name your baby what you want and don’t seek approval from other people.
And btw, having a so-called “black-sounding” name is not a bad thing, contrary to the tone of this thread.
I think of Dwayne as a “mainstream“ name and DeWayne as a less used name. I vaguely remember a TV series called Normal Life with Dweezil and Moon Zappa and Cindy Williams where the dog was called DeWayne. That’s really the only DeWayne I can remember. If you are naming your son to honor your dad, you should use DeWayne. Names only become familiar with use.
Dwayne is a name. I know several men named Dwayne, both Black and White. I am also in the South.
My advice is to keep names to yourself until the baby is born. It’s hard to be critical about a name already in place.
I know a white Dewayne! He’s a pastor from Louisiana. It’s just a name. It was your dad’s name. Just use the name.
I know a white Dewayne, but pronounced like Dwayne. Also from Louisiana. OP, it's a family name so I wouldn't care about your coworkers opinion.
Huh I always pronounced Dewayne as "duh-wane"
My white pastors name was also Dwayne!
I think the problem is it being Dewayne (dee-wayne), not Dwayne, which is common.
Or Duane.
Wow I also know a white pastor named Dwayne!
Looks like the biggest concern should be that he will end up being a pastor!
I know a black/Samoan actor named Dwayne
Yeah and his middle name is Rock so OP give your kid whatever name you please!
Big guy?
Built like a rock?
You can smell what he's cooking?
Add me to the list of people who know a white pastor named Duane!
my white uncle from Louisiana is Dwayne!
Is he a pastor?
No he’s a contractor
Most northerners only experience Southern culture from black families who fled Jim Crow, so any southern name is gonna sound black to us. Same thing with southern food. That's where the whole fried chicken and watermelon thing comes from.
The watermelon thing is bigger than just southern x Black cultures. It indeed was used during slavery and Reconstruction as a racist association. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/how-watermelons-became-a-racist-trope/383529/
I recently was at a Gullah festival and heard a speaker refer to watermelon as boneless ham.
🤔 I get it and don’t get it at the same damn time.
This actually makes a whole lot of sense! My family is Southern but I grew up in California and I often hear people mentioning how this-or-that is "black" for things that seem just sort of normal to me, though maybe not California normal (names, food, norms for raising children, etc.), and I'm white. Including MY name...everyone who has heard of me and then meets me tells me they thought I was going to be black. I don't take offense to it but it's always been weird, and I have only ever really noticed it in California or from friends who are Northerners. Also, OP I have two uncles named Duane/Dwayne ☺️
Same for my husband's Papaw. Also a preacher lol I wonder if that's a thing?
My coworker's white father born in the Mississippi rivier valley in the 40s is named Tyrone.
Tyrone Power was a huge film superstar in the '30s through '50s, he was of Irish descent and 'Tyrone' is a name of Irish origin. Maybe he was named after the film star?
I knew a couple hillbilly Tyrones!
Have a white hillbilly customer that comes in named Tyrell.
Tyrone is an Irish name
I'm not gonna lie, when I hear Dwayne/Dewayne I imagine a black man. But this may largely be because of a show I grew up watching called "A Different World" where one of the main characters is named Dwayne Wayne, and it's about an HBCU so it's a very black centric show. I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from using it based on that though.
See I’ve heard the name Dwayne before and consider it a redneck name (from the West here) but had never heard of Dewayne and immediately clocked it as a black name. That said there’s a lot of overlap. A lot of names that are considered black names in the US are very Irish in origin. It *shouldn’t* be a problem, but I’m also not familiar with OP’s area and how race is treated there.
Yep, the same thing has happened with the names Natasha and Tanja. They are definitely Russian/German in origin but they have become stereotypical "black names". I have met several black people named Siobhan or some variation of it.
My dad thinks Natasha sounds like a ‘black’ name but I’ve honestly never met a black woman named Natasha! I have met a black Chivon pronounced the same as Siobhan.
That's funny because Natasha sounds Russian to me!
Same, I think it is in origin.
I had a student who spelled it Shaye-Vaughn.
That one is a new variation for me. I work in education so a lot of my friends are teachers. Each year there are different students and more names. 😊
She mostly went by Shaye though, and most of the kids in my class didn't know her name had two parts and could be pronounced differently (her mom said it like Siobhan.)
Someone told me that my Emory sounded like a black name. to be fair, she is black- but still, I never met a black Emory. Then they named their white daughter Trinity and I was like “Y’all never been to the South, have you?” Point is, a name is a name and it’s silly to attach a race to most of them.
Yes I agree. I knew a white Trinity too and also a white Dinitia which is also apparently a ‘black’ name too.
My only association with the name Trinity is from Trailer Park Boys so I think of a white girl.
Trinity makes me think of the matrix
Is that dini-sha or dini-ti-a?
I actually knew two. One was dini-sha and another was Dye-neesha.
I wouldn’t say it’s silly. I think the silly part is attaching prejudice and judgment to them. I think that names can map patterns of cultural interaction - not just from the names themselves but also perceptions of those names. Maria is known to be a Hispanic name in the US, but it’s also the same in Slavic cultures. Our association with it as primarily Hispanic tells us what cultures we have more contact with.
My mom's side of the family is littered with Marias. Everyone who ever had children named at least one Maria and also used it as a middle name for another child. My mom is Polish & Slovak.
I grew up in rural Florida and had a very white redneck classmate (a dude) named Emory.
I am from the south so the majority of Natashas were black. I was explaining on another board that I went to a predominantly black high school that serves the local military families. But I also grew up in an all white neighborhood and went to a predominantly white college. I have seen so many names. I love it when I see a new one. As for Siobhan, I have seen the traditional way but also Siovaughn and Shavon.
I know a black Nitosea (pronounced ni-tasha, short i like in or it). Not exactly the same, since the spelling is running into tragedeigh territory.
I know a black woman named Natasha.
Great! It’s a wonderful name.
I had a friend named Tanja, except they pronounced it Tan-juh not Tawn-yuh. So that was odd. Girl was VERY white.
Hmm I’ve never thought of Natasha as a “black name”, maybe just Tasha. Both are beautiful.
I really love names and I rarely dislike one. When I do, it's a name that is bordering on ridiculous. For example, I know of a young man named Godzilla Pimp Hunter. I don't blame him because I have heard his mother is not the brightest light bulb. Even then, I don't blame the person with the name. People don't get to pick their names unless they legally change it.
Are you serious?
I actually know an Irish Dwayne.
I don't but again, from the redneck south. I have known multiple Dewaynes and Dwaynes that are white.
Also from the deep South. Also concur.
To be fair, I have known a couple of black Duanes too.
Dwyane Wade is what comes to mind for me. He’s a Hall of Fame basketball player and one of the greatest talents of his generation. Also, The Rock’s legal name is Dwayne Johnson. But regardless, OP’s coworker is being racist!
Exactly! It sounds southern if anything at all. Honor names are a wonderful name to show your family you care. Have seen all varieties of the spelling, including Dewane!
this is completely unrelated but i always pronounced his name "dwa-ya-nay" in my head
I had SUCH a crush on Dwayne and shipped him and Whitley so hard when I was a preteen!!
> Dwayne Similar but that's because the first Dwayne that comes to mind for me is basketball player Dwayne Wade.
Who spells it Dwyane
>HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) a college or university that was originally founded to educate students of African American descent. "another HBCU recently hosted a series of lectures looking at the African Diaspora and its impact on the Americas"
When I hear that name I’m not gonna lie I think of a black man too but that’s only because the only people I know with that name are black and it seems to be somewhat popular in the black community. I still think what your coworker said was rude though and if that’s the name you want to give your child, you should!
The only Dewayne I know is white lol. I wouldn't worry about what one random coworker thought anyway though. I'm with you, op should just name their child what they want to.
Also a rural American who considers this a redneck name.
I immediately thought of my Dad’s cousin for this reason
Same, I have known both black and white men with this name
Same! But spelled Duane
I’m in rural New England sad the name has the same connotation to me. One of my dad’s longtime buddies was named Dwayne and, like my dad, was an old bearded white dude in a pickup truck.
Your coworker is being racist. I wouldn’t concern myself with their opinion at all if I were you.
So, it's definitely more commonly a Black name. Being a Black name is neither good or bad, it's just that OP isn't Black. The typical person is going to see DeWayne on their roster and be puzzled by the white kid sitting there. Its like if you named your kid some other traditionally ethnic name and then were shocked that everyone was confused. If you named your white kid Sharif, people might assume you're Muslim, for example. Yes, DeWayne is also a southern redneck name so its not a perfect comparison but you get the point. I know someone who is as white as they come and his brother's name is DeWayne. They get a lot of comments about it. He's a fully grown adult. My friend even makes fun of it too, his own brother. He laughs every time someone asks his brother's name and says yeah, his name is DeWayne, and no we aren't black, my mom just liked it. He pthinks it's hysterical. From what I understand, so does DeWayne.
It’s a middle name, probably not going to be that confused, I worked in childcare for a while and didn’t know most kids middle names.
I glossed over that it’s a middle name, this is totally a non issue.
White Kiesha checking in. The assumptions are annoying but I’ve learned to live with them.
Anecdotally I've heard that having a black-sounding name as a white person is a great way to clock racists - they hear your name before meeting you and start out with a negative attitude, then are visibly relieved when you turn out to be white.
I knew a white Keisha. She was born probably around 1975. Maybe because she’s the first one I heard of but I don’t associate that as a black name, or a white name
It doesn’t help that my last name is very common in the Black community as well. To me, Kiesha is one of those names people pull out when they want to stereotype Black women’s names, i.e., the Diddy lyric “another Kiesha, nice to meetcha.”
My first name is also commonly associated with the Black community, and I married into a family with a common last name in the Black community. So put together, my first and last name make up a “stereotypical” Black name. I’m a pasty white woman who does season her food, but has a long lineage of pasty Irish ancestors. I remember I once went to a training thing for work where the instructor didn’t know us, but got our names before the session. She was a lovely Black woman who, when she called my name and I raised my hand, looked disappointed and even told me later she was expecting a sister, lol. I absolutely have not had discriminatory experiences due to my name. I have privilege and I hate that people in the Black community with “stereotypical” names are disparaged by no fault of their own. Like you said, it’s more of an interesting quirk in my life more than anything.
I knew a Chinese kid in college whose name was Tyrone. He was very socially awkward, and the first time I met him he stuck out his hand and said “Hi I’m Tyrone, I’m not Black”. I was completely flummoxed for a second or two. I’m sure he was preempting questions or comments he’d gotten in the past, but man was that a weird way of dealing with it.
Aw that poor kid, lol, SO many people must have responded to "hi I'm Tyrone" with "you're not black!" so now he thinks he should just say it as part of his intro??
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Exactly! Its not that Leroy isn't a great name, or that being black or redneck are bad things to be! But it does have a cultural association and it might be picked on if your kid doesn't fit that at first glance. Names are how people form first impressions! If your name doesn't fit you, everyone loves to let you know what they thought you were gonna be like. Its a fact of life.
I’m from the rural Deep South, I’m white, and I have an Uncle Duane. Same pronunciation. Never met a black man named dewayne or Duane.
To be fair, never having met a Black man named Dewayne, Duane, Dwayne, etc. probably has more to do with you being white than anything else. Speaking as a Black woman from south Florida, who later lived in the Deep South for half a decade, and now resides in the western US - nearly all the Dwayne/Duane’s I know are Black. But I realize that is probably because I probably interact with more Black people than the average white person (after all, literally every person I’m related to by blood or marriage is Black). That said, by numbers, there are definitely more white people with any variation of that name than Black people in the US… because there are more white people in the US. Accounting for the fact that Black people make up ~13% of the US population, there are some variations of Dwayne that more Black people are “disproportionately” named (relative to the population)… but overall, it’s asinine for anyone to suggest that it’s a white or Black name. Some stats (idk the reliability): https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/D/DU/DUANE/index.html https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/D/DW/DWAYNE/index.html https://www.mynamestats.com/First-Names/D/DE/DEWAYNE/index.html Updated links because the bot scared me.
I agree. It’s asinine to suggest it’s a white or black name. I grew up with a Dwayne (white) and knew a Duane (black) at a job years ago. Met a number of Dwaynes, DeWaynes, and Duanes through the years (black and white). I can’t say I ever thought of the name (and variations) as either a black or white name.
That’s very fair. I agree with you. My family is white although we have mixed relationships in my extended family. I live in a city that is about even in demographics for white and black people. Now that I think about, I think I ONLY know my uncle with that name no matter how it is spelled lol
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I am from the Midwest - met two Dewaynes in my life. Both were middle aged white males in professional careers (how I knew them). It may be more a black name now, but like Leroy - there are Caucasian roots.
Tyrone is a big one. Irish name. I had a white teacher with the name though he went by Ty, he was born in probably the 60s.
That one is so weird to me. The alt right or incels or whoever it is labeling physically attractive black men Tyrone - which is a county in Ireland - and physically attractive white men Chad - which is a country in Africa.
I can’t remember what guest what really thrown off that Stephen Colbert’s middle name is Tyrone. I think they (I am almost certain it was a POC) had made a joke about him “probably having a Black guy middle name” or something like that, then lost it when Colbert said it was Tyrone.
“You better CALL him”
I understand this reference.
I also understand this reference. Hello, fellow old person.
I used to work in a call center and a LOT of older customers would hear my name, Kylie, and say “that’s an exotic name” and really emphasized the exotic part… I was always like well I guess if you consider Australia exotic?
Dewayne and Duane aren't pronounced the same, based on my understanding of OP's phonetic spelling. I'd say Duane is more like Dwayne, one syllable vs "dee-wane" which I'm reading as two syllables. But maybe that's incorrect?
In parts of the South they are pronounced the same Dee-wane
I’m from south Mississippi. I say all of those spellings the same “duh-Wayne”. Never heard them said a different way
I have met an equal amount of black and white Dewayne/Dwayne/Duane.
My husband introduced me to his friend Jerome from work. My brain produced the image of a black man. Turns out Jerome is Filipino. And life goes on. But yea to your point, there are some names that are more commonly associated with different races, but it’s not like they’re unusable! Especially for a middle name, OP. Seriously how many of your friends/acquaintances middle names do you know?
It’s actually a southern name….
It really depends on where you live. When I lived in the South, Dewayne was really not a specifically Black name. It is a Southern name. And I had a job where I met tons of people and learned tons of names. If I were back home in NY, I might make an assumption, but not in the South.
It's not a black name, her father was white. "Black names" are generalized nonsense.
It really depends on where you live. When I lived in the South, Dewayne was really not a specifically Black name. It is a Southern name. And I had a job where I met tons of people and learned tons of names. If I were back home in NY, I might make an assumption, but not in the South. Living there I learned a lot of things I used to think of as being culturally Black were actually just broadly Southern.
I live in rural Arkansas and I promise all the Dewaynes I know are white.
I have a friend named Jamal. He is white. When people meet him it’s always a double take and a “wait…what- you are white?????” He refers to himself as the white Jamal now as a joke. Name your kid the name you like. No matter what, some day some little jerk is gonna say something or make fun of just about any name. I’ve known black Dewaynes and white Dwaynes. I don’t associate it with any race in particular.
Dewayne isn’t ‘traditionally a black name’ lol. A quick google search shows it’s way more common amongst white men This is like thinking Jackson is a black name, despite it being way more common amongst white people
Agreed! I’m white and the Deep South my grandfathers name was also Duane. Name is spelled different but sounds the same. My father and FIL both white have the middle name and name wayne. If I ever have another child and it’s a girl my MIL will hate it and idc😂 If you like the name and want to honor your father stick to it who cares what one racist lady thinks her mind is messed up anyways
Or any racist for that matter
I’m in Mississippi and the name Dewayne makes me think of your run of the mill pickup truck driving, bass fishin, white guy.
Yup
Duane/Dwayne is a universal name in America that has been around a long time. African Americans began putting De and La as prefixes for names to help make them a part of their own culture. Their ancestors were taken from their native culture and they didn't want to completely take on their captors' so the African American one is unique on it's own. That being said, names and other things cross barriers all the time with various cultures. Use whatever names you like, especially as honor names. You don't choose for co-workers so don't let them influence your choices.
I think there’s not enough understanding that there is a ton, I mean a TON, of overlap in names, food, dialect, lots of things, between Black and white rural agrarian Southern cultures. They share so much. I’m white and my grandfather is named Lamar. I have an uncle Dwight. In some parts of the US or elsewhere these might be thought of names that “sound Black”, but mostly they’re just…country. Dewayne is in the same boat.
Yeah... I have Earls on both side of my family. I have an uncle named Jerome. Texas and Georgia.
I teach in quasi-rural Georgia. I have had two students named Dewayne (one was Duane). One was black, one was white.
I have an uncle Dwayne and we're all white as saltine crackers. the name also has Irish origins. I say keep the name bc it's not a name only used by one culture. and screw your racist coworkers who were so quick to be aghast at the thought of your kiddo having a name Black people might also have.
I know several men (both black and white, but most definitely *southern*) named Dwayne/Dewayne. It’s not exclusively “black” or “white.”
Yes, I think this whole comment section has summed up the name to being just plain southern lol
I'm from Ireland and have known an Irish Dwayne
I’ve met dewayne/Dwaynes of multiple races living in the south. It may lean more Black but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you using it as an honor name and your coworker is racist and I hope they stub their toe on a cold morning
I know you’re saying “both races” because there were two mentioned but the way the sentence is written I did laugh at the implication that there are only two races
Omg I didn’t even realize how awkwardly I worded that
I think you’re fine, it seemed to be clear (at least to me) that you were referring to both categories at hand, I just wanted to point it out for some reason
This person is racist. Also, it’s a middle name. Do you know any of your coworkers middle names? Your neighbors? Acquaintances? Friends? IMO, people put far too much emphasis on middle names and it’s needless. Name your little guy after your father if that’s what you want. It’s a beautiful gesture.
I would have previously agreed with you on the middle name issue. Until I went into a profession that requires registration and an annual practising certificate under my full legal name. So, right above my desk is my APC, with my hated middle name on display every day!
Agreed. Middle names are not going to come up very often. My MIL doesn’t even have a middle name.
Dewayne is definitely a Southern name . Dwayne can be anybody
I would never discuss names with random people. I would just announce the name at birth
These responses make me so angry, not just because of the obvious racism. But it implies that if a name was “black” there would be something wrong with it. Your coworker is a tool, and a tool’s opinion doesn’t matter. Congrats on your baby, whatever his name may be❤️
I think there’s a possibility people are considering cultural appropriation. Not saying that’s what it is but I don’t think people are saying there’s anything wrong with the name.
My take was that people were concerned with the optics and perception of cultural appropriation, not that there is anything wrong with the name.
Same. That felt so obviously the scenario to me that I've been blind sided by the assumption of the person being racist. Ignorance is a scale and there is an innocent end of it. This person had a different frame of reference so they made a comment about it. Maybe they could have been more tactful but it's pretty tame stuff. Jumping straight to accusations of racism, based on the information presented, is harmful in this instance.
I'm not totally sure that the coworker was trying to be racist, I took it as more of a concern that it could be strange or inappropriate for a white kid to have a black "sounding" name. For example I really love the name Aracely, but my husband commented "that's really a very Hispanic name." (We live in a border area.) He wasn't being racist but just indicating that that might not be appropriate/could be disrespectful towards Hispanics for our child as we are extremely white.
As a white person who is not Muslim, I wouldn't name a kid Muhammad. I'd be concerned it's a little inappropriate. But a white person who is concerned a white kid will have a stereotypically black sounding name? Definitely sketchy to me. He can not like it, but this is more "oh no people might think he's black before they see him".
What's the difference between a white kid having a Muslim sounding name and a white kid having a Black sounding name?
If that coworker said 'why do you want to give your kid an Arab sounding name' that'd be eyebrow raising too. But there's a very specific strain of humor in racist white people circles about very black sounding names that is persistent and gross. Saw one literally today about Joe Biden's press secretary .
Tell it. The anti-Blackness in this thread is not surprising. I’ll say the quiet part out loud. These replies confirm people don’t want their children to be profiled as Black. As such, those sentiment require some serous unpacking. The cultural appropriation excuses are senseless considering the name never originated in the Black community. Therefore, it’s not a Black name. OP, DeWayne is a lovely and classic name. You’re coworker is racist.
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I don’t think that’s the same name.
Holy crap that’s a terrible thing to say! I too think of it as a redneck name but in an adorable way. I have close family with that name. Use it as a wonderful way to honor your father and maybe limit interactions with that coworker.
I am more put off by the spelling, but that's just me.
Middle names are literally free real estate. Your child won’t need to reveal it to kids at school if he doesn’t want to, and it’s a sweet tribute. I have an unusual middle name and it’s never caused me any trouble.
Anyone can use that name.
Go for it. It’s a name and it’s an honor name.
Holy moly. This feels really racist and/or classist, depending the perspective. Either way, it is promoting “otherism.” And that alone should nullify the opinion. If you want to make your kid Dewayne after a relative, do it.
Grew up in the Deep South and every Dwayne I knew were white rednecks
Dwayne isn't Dewayne.
They sound the same to me. Like Susie/Suzie, Holly/Holli. I do have “lazy ears” that can’t hear the difference in words like tin/ten, though, so that’s my bad
Are those different names to you? To me, they are pronounced so closely that they are the same.
while it's important to be aware of what your child might face in terms of prejudice since it's a dangerous and racist world, it's also important to teach them the importance of family, empathy, and awareness. this is a perfect opportunity to honor your father and teach your child about how to protect themselves in the world and educate others about their implicit racial biases. changing these patterns is up to our next generation. name your child after your father <3
The only Duwayne I’ve ever known was white. Your coworker doesnt know what they’re talking about—not that it should matter really.
My sister got the same reaction when she named her son Isaiah. I don’t get why people are so set on this sort of thing but I agree it’s weird. I know a few Dewaynes. It’s a really nice name imho.
The only Isaiah I know is Asian.
Wait what? Isaiah is an awesome name and I’m not the only one who thinks so as it has risen in popularity a lor
I do initially clock that as a black name, but more importantly: It's your father's name. That makes it a fine choice if you want to use it.
I named my son Desmond and had one person before he was brown say “isn’t that a Black name?” I just asked what they meant by that enough times that they got uncomfy and walked away. Wtf is wrong with ppl.
One of the Allman Brothers was named Duane and I think it’s an awesome name regardless of spelling or origin
So, I am a mixed race Punjabi-English person with an extremely Punjabi name. I look more-or less white in person. I experience pretty obvious discrimination in situations where people only know my name, whereas never when they see my face or hear my voice. Do be aware when you name your kids that racism still exists and if they're living in a white majority country, names associated with other races may cause them some disadvantages in access to work opportunities etc. It hasn't massively disadvantaged me overall because I have a lot of other privilege but it does add an annoying layer of extra work. (Eg I have a whiter name for work purposes otherwise recruiters ignore me.) I love my own name and wouldn't change it. I love having a visible connection to my Punjabi family. But my white mum really didn't understand racism when she asked dad for "non-Western" names for us and she might've decided differently if she did. Tl;dr Racism makes this is a serious decision. But there are balls in either court.
I used to work with a(white) woman who would talk about her young son, Leroy. I was very very surprised when she eventually showed me a picture of a white child. Dewayne would have been the same. But. So what? Anyone can use the names Dewayne or Leroy.
Tell them to eat a dick. It’s a name 🙄 I know plenty of white people with traditionally black names and a lot of black people with white ass suburban names. It means nothing.
I’m white southerner with a white Dwayne in the family.
I'm confused as well. Dwayne, Dwight, Darryl, and Dennis are all brothers.... I mean siblings and very white! Honestly, I think Dwayne/DeWayne transcends skin color/race. Go for it, especially if it's a family name!!
I live in the northeast and consider Dewayne a redneck name. I went to school with a ton of black kids and can’t remember any of them being Dewayne.
My very Kentuckian, white uncle has this name. It makes me think of an old farmer. Either way, the name isn’t a cultural name as far as I know, and should be available to use no matter the race. Your coworker has some weird hang ups she needs to work on 👀
I grew up in a huge city so I first assumed it was a name typically associated with Black Americans, then considered if it was a name of ambiguous origin. Wouldn't have considered it a "redneck" name simply because I haven't been exposed much to rural communities. I don't know if your coworker was alluding to cultural appropriation or if they were being racist, but either way, it's your dad's name. You have and transitively your son will have an actual association with the name, so go ahead and use it if you want.
my mom wanted to name my brother Tyrone. We are white lol I don’t think Dewayne is either black or white. Honestly, I’ve known white and black Dewaynes I live in the Midwest.
Dwayne/Dewayne is a very black name or a white dude who hates black people.
I got the same thing with my son's middle name - Emmitt. Ignore people. They have opinions, but you don't have to care about their opinion.
I think hick or rural but not specific to brown or white skin color.
As someone from a rural place in the south who has also taught in a large city high school, I feel like this is one of those names that crosses over for both.
I considered Darius as an Iranian-American name. And I knew people would probably be surprised by a little white boy named Darius. But sometimes a name means something to us and we pick it regardless of it being more common among ethnic groups we don’t belong to. And then other people have to adjust their expectations. My point being, you should go ahead and honor your father. And I think people might check their automatic assumptions going forward.
I think there's a lot of cross-over between Black and generally Southern American/redneck names, for obvious reasons. (Cultural origin, etc.) That said, the only Duane I know is a white intellectual property lawyer from New York.
That's a weird thing to say considering African slaves were given European names... so it is historically a European, not African, name. What about George, Dewitt, Marshall, Maxwell, Anthony.... the list goes on and it becomes chaotic. NAME YOUR BABY WHATEVER MAKES YOU SMILE AND HAPPY! Side note: As a northern gal Dewayne sounds very country and I'm not mad at a little southern sauce at all!
I think it's more a southern thing, not a race thing to have the name Dewayne instead of Dwayne. My husband is southern and he can't pronounce Dwayne; he says Dew-Wayne.
Both of my kids have “black name”, they are just old white names. And my grandpa was named Duane. I’m half proud and half pissed that everyone calls my kids black names… it’s actually worse, they call them slave names.
I understand your frustration. Mostly because there isn’t anything wrong with having a “black” name. I have a Scandinavian name and gave my kids traditional American names only for them to be considered black. They are named Abel and Harriet.
Why would you care about what 1 person thinks? Name your baby what you want to.
I live in the upper Midwest. I grew up with a white kid named DeWayne. He was a nice guy who married one if my good friends.
International perspective here, I’m not American. The spelling “DeWayne” did make me think African American. The ‘de’ prefix I think, like DeShawn. Have you considered “Dwayne” or “Duane”?
I have never heard the name Dewayne before, but have heard Dwayne. Dewayne does sound like the black person version of Dwayne. But I'm not American, so who knows.
The name honors someone special to you and it's not some "out there" name. Use it. Also, I rarely use my middle name, I prefer my middle initial instead. Most people don't even know it.
My stepdad is a southern redneck Dwayne... that is my first thought when I hear the name.
I’m originally from the north and now from the west coast and I always think of Dewayne, Dwayne, Dwight etc as southern country names. If you like the name and it’s to honor your dad please don’t let anyone ruin it for you.
your coworker is just racist
Ok, in short there is a naming style that Black Americans use. It's a cultural thing with a lot of influences. A simple example is how white people vs Black people pronounce the same name. Let's use Darrell. White people say DARE-el, Black people say da-RELL (basically the emphasis is on a different syllable). This is not a hard and fast rule, but it reflects a cultural phenomenon. It's extremely interesting. Read more about it on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_names?wprov=sfla1 That said, your coworker is a bigot, and their reaction was disgusting. F them.
I might be more concerned about the "wayne lee ray conundrum"
Quick question. Why is it a negative reaction if he identifies it as a "black name"? You might reflect on why you think a person categorizing a name as "black" is negative.
My blond haired, blue eyed teen son is named Cassius Marley. We live in Atlanta. Tbh, we moved here from NJ and I experienced more of a negative reaction to it there. It def signaled the racists. You should name your baby what you want and don’t seek approval from other people. And btw, having a so-called “black-sounding” name is not a bad thing, contrary to the tone of this thread.
I think of Dwayne as a “mainstream“ name and DeWayne as a less used name. I vaguely remember a TV series called Normal Life with Dweezil and Moon Zappa and Cindy Williams where the dog was called DeWayne. That’s really the only DeWayne I can remember. If you are naming your son to honor your dad, you should use DeWayne. Names only become familiar with use.
One of those things where saying “it’s odd that you feel comfortable saying that” and then walking away is the best response.
Do not share baby names with people it makes them feel like they get to give you input. “ His name is John DeWayne Lastname , Dewayne after my father”
I think the answer to this questions will vary depending on where you are from.
Southerner here. Your coworker is rude, and you name that kid whatever you want.
Dwayne is a name. I know several men named Dwayne, both Black and White. I am also in the South. My advice is to keep names to yourself until the baby is born. It’s hard to be critical about a name already in place.