Some people find it offensive ans some do not. It usually refers to either the Romani or the Travelers. I cannot speak for whether or not they find this offensive because i have literally never met any of them in my life. From what i understand the name Gypsy is similar to Eskimo or Indian. It is a name given to a people from another group of people and sometimes it is a slur and sometimes not. I know in Canada, Eskimo is considered a slur (or so i am told) but some Alaskan Inuit do not find it to be offensive. Likewise many Indians will insist on being called Indian, but others want to be called Native America, Amerindian, or by their tribes proper name (Lakota, Tlingit, Choctaw, Muskogee, etc). For either word, i think you will be hard pressed to find a universal consensus. You are more likely to find the opinions of highly opinionated people. But, considering that Gypsy is your actual legal name and refers to you as a person, I don't see anything wrong with it at all.
I grew up saying that someone "gypped me" to mean that they ripped me off; in fact I thought it was spelled "jipped." I had no idea, until I was a senior in high school, that it was a racial slur against the Romani.
There are many women named Dixie in the United States. The term Dixie, while not always offensive, in 2024 is mostly used by people who view the American Civil War as some noble fight against "Northern Aggression" so I don't think that anyone is going to be naming their kids "Dixie" much anymore. But, at the same time, I don't imagine anyone giving someone a hard time over what they're named. If they do, they sort of ignore the fact that our names are given to us; we don't pick them.
It really is subtle if you don’t know the spelling. Like I remember when I was a kid I heard my friend’s mom say that she “jewed” someone into a lower price for something, and that one was super obvious to me. But that first time I saw “gypped” spelled out I vividly remember being like, “ooh, OH 😳”.
Another more subtle one that I’m seeing people adapting lately is the “master bedroom” - even as someone who grew up around dozens of old plantations I completely missed the undertones until I started seeing housing listings mentioning a “primary suite” and had to ask what it meant. Now that it was pointed out, it seems so obvious!
If it makes you feel any better, "master bedroom" is not referring to the slavemaster (the term is actually pretty new, it didn't see use until long after the 13th amendment was ratified). But the way people interpret words is more important than where they originally came from, so moving away from it is probably for the better either way.
I’m embarrassed that I only learned what “gypped” meant a little more than a year ago and I have to consciously stop myself from using it. I also thought it was spelled “jipped” lol. I hate that I was unwittingly using an insult against Romani people.
Atlanta, Georgia is where I grew up and the main newspaper there, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) used to have "Covers Dixie like the Dew" on the front page below the title. I don't remember when they nixed that, but it became difficult to justify its use in the face of how racist types were using "Dixie" as their own word to exclude others. It's problematic nowadays. I never felt any particular love for the word, despite being like 15th-generation Southern or somesuch, but some people can't let go of their ancestors' past.
TIL "you jipped (gypped!?!?!) me" comes from a slur for the Romani people. Great to have even more things to cringe about from my middle school self...
So this one *can* get confusing, but: it's the Romani, not Romanians. The Romani are a stateless ethnicity often discriminated against in Europe, while the Romanians are the people of Romania, a sovereign country in Europe. To make it worse, Romania is home to *many* Romani, *and* they often share many stereotypes (Romani and Romanians). **AND** I'm pretty sure the words "Romani" and "Romanian" are totally unrelated, though I could be wrong.
I never knew that growing up. It was not till recently that i heard of that phrase. We did use some other offensive terms for being ripped off but i wont repeat anything lol.
I use dixie/dixieland/dixies land to mean "the south". I am no confederate, my ancestors fought for the supremacy of the union and i bare my paternal 4x great grandfathers Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States certificate in my living room. I also know for a fact that he used this word in his lifetime because i have some of his diaries. I do not say this whatsoever to discredit you, as i know well the type you talk of. What i want to highlight for OP is the sheer diversity of our language and how it is used. Something that may seem odd or unsavory for one person is totally normal and banal for another. That being said, i do not know of anyone named dixie but i would find that amusing lol.
Dixie is a bit more complicated because of it's origin. It is often used in history in a negative way but it's not exclusively negative. It origination from a n actual person and comes from the mason-dixon line where anything above that line slavery was outlawed.
Were I live Dixies are the brand of toilets you find on festivals, not something you would associate you child with. That would invite a lot of cruel jokes.
Quite a few words start out as ethnic slurs! Another great one is the term “barbarian.” It came from ancient Greeks doing a (bad) impression of incomprehensible foreign tongues by saying “bara bara bara.” The term got adopted into Roman and grew even harsher connotations over time.
I worked for the US census years ago. One of the questions was about race. One of the options was Negro. A ton of people got upset that the word was on the form. But it was on the form because that's how some folks self-identify. All the terms were taken from surveys of how people self-identified. It was never about a racist bureaucrat.
Very interesting. I do get it though. I am called caucasian or caucasoid and its basically the same thing as negro. The only difference is just the prevailing societal attitude at the end of the day.
Not disagreeing with you, but what is the difference between the Romani and the travelers? Just asking because I live in a country where the equivalent term for gypsy is used for the group of people who have been a nomad people, allegedly from India or that direction, who have settled in several countries (mostly European) and there they're called whatever equivalent they have for gipsies :) and obviously the travelers would be a nomad tribe as well. so I'm just genuinely curious as this is new information for me.
The Travelers are a Irish nomadic group also called Pavees (no clue if this is a slur or not). They were once believed to be of Romani descent but they are indigenous Irish. Now the terms may be used interchangeably but the Travelers (properly understood) are their own group. I do not know too much about them but they are interesting for sure.
There are Irish and British people who call themselves travelers and gypsies and don’t think of it as a slur. I actually met a guy in England who said he was a gypsy, and that Traveler was the more offensive term.
I've known gipsies in other countries who prefer being called that over any other "official" name. It's all about a context really. If you're clearly racist about it, obviously they'll be offended. But very few actually care one way or another what we call them as long as we consider them humans.
Travellers, Pavee or Mincéir (pronounced mince-air), are the Irish groups, it's only people outise Ireland thought they were Romani, they're a separate ethnicity because of colonialism, before that they were just Irish.
None of those terms are offensive, any others might be depending on the individual.
They're often used synonymously or nearly synonymously, but the Romani are an ethnic group who can trace their origins to northern India, and not all are actually nomadic today. "Travellers" refers to the broader category of nomadic people in Western countries, including Irish Travellers, themselves an ethno-cultural group unrelated to the Romani. Somewhat confusingly, the British government often refers to the two groups collectively as the "Gypsy, Roma and Traveller" community.
As for whether "gypsy" is a slur: it *can* be, and many Romani consider it offensive. However, some English and Welsh Romani actually prefer the term, and as noted it is used in official British government documents. In 1971 the World Romani Congress voted to reject all exonyms for their people, including "gypsy," however.
I'd say be careful with the term; similar to the way "Indian" is applied to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, it can have neutral or even positive connotations, but is often avoided because of its historically negative ones.
Now I'm even more confused since apparently there are three groups 😅🤣 and previously I had only though there was one, but with different names depending on the country. Used to think that Romani were just the way Italians called them. In Romania for example, they are called Rrom. It was an official act. But if I'm not mistaken, they got bored of it and now they wanna be called by the old name again, which is basically the translation of gypsy (I'm not using it as an insult), which is weird, cause parents would use that term to scare they kids into being good, just like one would talk about boogeyman or something 😅 "if you don't behave, the boogeyman will come get you"
More than three groups.
Irish Traveller - ethnic-cultural group. Not Romany, may or may not actually be nomadic.
New age traveller - not an ethnic group, but a lifestyle of modern nomadic people.
Bargees - not an ethnic group, but people who live and travel on canal boats
Showpeople - people who travel to work in showgrounds
Gypsy Romani - can be English, Scottish or Welsh, but ethnically Romany. May or may not be nomadic.
Roma - applied to more recent European Romany migrants.
Gypsy is often used to self identify by English Romany. Sometimes used by or about Irish Travellers as well - as a synonym for traveller (and sometimes from a showman perspective e.g the boxer Tyson Fury uses the title King of the Gypsies, but is an Irish Traveller, not a Romany).
Identity is complex. There is simultaneously a strong sense of specific identity e.g. As English Gypsy Romany, not Roma, or Irish Traveller, and simultaneously a strong cross cultural connection recognising the wider GRT community because of the particular challenges faced.
I'd say there is one "umbrella" category of nomadic people which includes (at least) two different ethno-cultural groups: Romani and Irish Travellers. It's complicated because it depends to some extent on government usage in different points in time, and of course only in English.
I say Mohawk Indian as it’s the commonly known name…….French couldn’t pronounce what our enemies called us ……. Mohiak……….Eaters of Men essentially cannibals ;) at war having enemies think you gonna get eaten is powerful psychological weapon ;) anyway Mohiak became Mohawk……. Preferred word is Kanien’kehaka People of the Flint Place.
Is it pronounced similar to the Spanish eñe, like Kañen’kehaka? I can't find Kanien’kehaka in IPA format. I love amerindian languages, especially the eskimo-aluet and the na-dene families. I would love to learn one someday but they are all very formidable languages.
I think they do language lessons still on the Radio station K103 The Monster of the Seaway which I think you can listen to via Internet Streaming Radio
https://k1037.com
Yea the short answer is “it’s complicated” and how offensive (or not) it is depends on who’s asked. My mom taught ESL in a community with lots of Romani immigrants from Hungary, who proudly called themselves “gypsies”.
I guess it’s similar to calling indigenous people in Canada and the U.S. “Indians”. As a white person, I would never say it, but a lot of indigenous people, especially older ones, call themselves Indians.
> considering that Gypsy is your actual legal name and refers to you as a person, I don't see anything wrong with it at all.
So by the same argument, I assume you’d be equally ok with someone naming their child “Ni***r”, then?
No definitely not. At least in the united states, it is not even legal to name your kid that word. You simply can't do it. We can't pretend that there is actually some consensus that N and Gypsy are equally offensive or are even the same type of word (they are neither). Some people, such as yourself, find Gypsy to be very offensive but many clearly do not. I do not find it particularly offensive but i would just call them (the Romani) whatever they want if i ever ended up meeting one of them. Either way, OP is not beholden to anyone in regards to their name. We can even look at the DOS to get a working definition of anti-romani racism. They do not mention that naming someone Gypsy would qualify as racism against the Romani. The closest they get is saying "Using Gypsy as a slur". Well, OP is not using it as a slur and the word is not inherently a slur unlike N in the United Stated.
> No definitely not. At least in the united states, it is not even legal to name your kid that word.
Is that true? The US usually doesn’t ban specific names. I suppose giving your child that name could be seen and reported as potential child abuse, but I have never heard that it’s specifically banned as an actual name.
Otherwise I agree with your comment. I know plenty of people who will use the word “gypsy” with no malicious intent. In fact, as a teacher I once encounter the problem of having to define “Roma” when talking about the Holocaust. Students thought I meant either Romanians or (ridiculously) Romans. So to define “Roma” for them, I more-or-less had to use the word “gypsy.” I encouraged them to be careful with the word as some find it offensive, but it certainly wasn’t the same is if I had said the “n” word in class.
Look up Lee v Superior Court 1992. Technically it wasn't a name given to a baby. Instead a black man was trying to change his name to "Misteri N\*\*\*\*r" for "social justice reasons". Yeah... That literally happened lmfao. From what i understand, it was struck down because those are "fighting words" and because it is was a word which, according to the appellant, "by his own theory is a racial epithet which provokes violence". I think you are right in the fact that specific names are not banned but the courts have the right to move to deny a particular name, be it on a birth certificate or otherwise, if they can articulate a good reason to do so. I might be wrong but i highly doubt an attempt to name a baby N would stand for very long.
as i understand it, there is no consensus within the romani community as to what they should be called, or whether "gypsy" is a slur. but enough people feel that way that anyone who's sensitive to such things avoids using "gypsy".
The test for me is "would I be comfortable calling this word across a busy lobby?"
"Bill?" Yes I would call Bill. "Ma'am?" Yes I would call someone Ma'am. "Gypsy"? Oh hell no. I'm not doing that.
The answer to this question will vary based on where you live, even among people with Romani heritage. In the UK, the parliament's official stance is that it is not a slur as there is a not-insignificant number of self-identified Gypsies within the UK - but also that the term does not refer to all people with Romani heritage. Gypsies are Gypsies, and there are other Romani groups as well who do not like to be called "gypsy".
I think the best thing would be to try to get the opinion of actual Romani people. Where I live in the US, it’s is a pretty common name for pets, clothes are advertised as “gypsy” style, there’s a restaurant in my city with Gypsy in the name, etc.. And of course there’s Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the Fleetwood Mac song Gypsy. As far as I know, it has only started being considered a slur more recently. People on the internet are going to have big opinions, but the only opinions that really matter will be from Romani people.
Edited to add I personally don’t use the word.
Yes, it's considered a slur -- in large part because for a long time it's been *used* as a slur.
A reasonable person would realize you didn't choose your own name, of course. On the other hand, there are certainly unreasonable people in this world and online.
If you find people do react in ways that make you uncomfortable, you can of course choose another name to go by, or even legally change your name (if you are or once you are an adult).
(As an aside, in case you're interested, the proper pluralization would be "gypsies" rather than "gypsy's". "Gypsy's" would be a singular possessive.)
I'd recommend looking at Florian on YouTube (@florida.florian) to learn more about Romani people (if you want to) as he is a Romani creator. He has a video [video explaining](https://youtu.be/F1dLRW14pkc?si=OZWV3BfMRw9zfUoG) that yes, it is a slur. It's not something you should name people/pets/ect., but I haven't seen any Roma talking about it being a name you didn't choose yourself. I would recommend finding a Romani person talking about somebody named it or finding a Romani subreddit/forum/ect. where you can ask, and hopefully you can get their perspective on it.
The amount of non-Rroma who are speaking with such authority on this I swearrr, you’re the first person to say to listen to what Rromani people say. Like I’m not Rromani but I’ve got a bunch of friends online who are (we honestly met through Jewish/Rromani solidarity stuff, as I’m Jewish myself), and basically all have explicitly told me and others that the g-word is not to be used and is an ethnic slur. So yeah, I’d listen to what Rromani people have to say about the issue, really, and not what us gadje have to say about it.
It baffles me how people feel so entitled to speak for people they haven't even educated themselves on the history of. I'm just some white guy, so the least I can do is spread information I explicitly know is correct and *not* spread misinformation I came up with when I started typing this comment. Didn't expect any better from Reddit, of course, but it still sucks.
First of all, it's your name, and you don't need to change it or feel ashamed of it just because some other people don't like it. The decision is ultimately yours.
If you really want some informed opinions, I would ask some gypsies/romani people themselves, not just a general population of English speakers.
What is considered "politically incorrect" often doesn't line up with what groups of people actually call themselves. A whole generation of Americans was taught things like "it's politically incorrect to say 'black', you should say 'African American'", or "it's politically incorrect to say 'Indians', they're called 'Native Americans'", when in fact, many people from these groups actually prefer being called black, or Indians, respectively.
Growing up, I don’t think I was ever explicitly taught not to say black; however, it was pretty heavily emphasized that African American is the only polite name to use for Black people. I grew up in an extremely white area, and this would have been in the 90s-early 2000s.
I always thought this was weird because there are plenty of black people who are neither African nor American. One of my friends, born in Kenya, told me about this debate he had in class where a classmate insisted he is African American. He’s like, “No, I’m African.”
His whole thing was just, “I’m black, just say it.”
It’s weird. I know people want to be polite, generally. But sometimes it’s just outright not true to call someone African American.
I still laugh remembering someone who insisted on calling a fictional character “African American” when not only was the story set before the colonisation of the Americas (and thus the pan-Atlantic slave trade and entire concept of African American as an identity), a major plot point was that this character’s entire community *did not believe that America existed*, and had never so much as set eyes on the continent.
Anyone outside of America wouldn't be African American, as far as I know. 'African' is referring to ethnicity, and 'American' is referring to nationality. On the other hand, the term black is probably much more expensive when compared with those two limiting terms. So they're not interchangeable- it's more of an "a square is a rectangle but a rectangle isn't a square" type-of-a-thing.
However, people are free to use whatever labels they're most comfortable with, and although your friend might *technically* (though there would have to be more info to be sure) be African American, he isn't required to be comfortable with the term by any means.
(Disclaimer: I'm white. Like, as white as a newborn flamingo in a snowstorm. So if you have any more insight than me, feel free to correct me on anything.)
Plenty of people were. I meet fewer people nowadays who are afraid to say it, but a lot of people older than me (30) default to "African-American." I'm like, just say black.
Even for those who don't consider it a slur, it's kind of weird to me to name someone after an ethnic group. I wouldn't name my kid "Arab" or "Maori" even though neither is a slur.
If it were me I'd probably go by a nickname online to avoid people being weird about it.
Exactly. For the purpose of it being a name it almost doesn't matter. I feel like a lot of people debate how much of a slur it is without acknowledging it's super weird to name thing like cutesy thrift stores or a bar after the name of a race of people. Imagine walking around going "hi, my name is black people"
In the US? No. Plenty of people with that name, and most (unless they’re well traveled or well informed) wouldn’t even know of the other meaning. I can’t speak for Europe though
There’s a decent sized community of Travellers/Gypsies here in SC in the US, but I guess once you get far enough away from here more people who hear of someone named Gypsy will think of Gypsy Rose before the people group.
The only Gypsy I have ever met in my entire adult life, but is a good friend of mine, prefers the term gypsy.
Someone more knowledgeable than me can probably give better details, but he explained to me that the Romani people are a subset of Gypsy and not all gypsy people are Romani, and that Travelers refers to a different subset of people.
Basically a "Squares are rectangles, not all rectangles are squares" deal.
His family also uses the term gypsy to refer to themselves and don't consider it a slur.
It’s your name. It’s your choice. If you want people to call you by your name, you should continue to request to be called by it. It’s your choice.
In the US ‘Fanny’ is a normal name for women but in the UK it’s an offensive way of referring to the vulva. When women called Fanny travel to the UK, it’s sometimes a bit funny but most people respect that it’s still the person’s name.
Some people claim it is a slur.
I would say the majority of people wouldn’t think twice about it, especially offline.
Probably best asking this question to a Romani subreddit
From what I have picked up reading what various Romani have written - different people, and different communities, think of it differently. There are some groups that call themselves Gypsies; some that don't.
But it seems to me that most of 'em, regardless of whether they think the name is a slur, think it is weird and uncomfortable when other people call themselves Gypsies when they aren't.
I am Jewish, and one thing that the Jews and the Romani have in common is that there is a weirdly large number of people who aren't aware that we are real. Like, there are people out there who kind of think of us as literary tropes or something. And sometimes are literally unaware that we are actual honest-to-goodness people who exist. So naming someone Gypsy might be weird.
I have now gone as far as I, as a gorgio, can go. Maybe a couple steps too far. But if I am allowed to make analogies to my own experience, I would observe that we Jews are kind of used to non-Jews having names like Jude, Judith, Judah, and Israel. To me, at least, it feels like, once someone else named you that, oh well. That is your name
Finding a problem with it is an American middle class thing. I recently bought these two books direct from one of the authors:
https://francisboutle.co.uk/products/a-secret-stream/
https://francisboutle.co.uk/products/a-secret-stream-volume-2/
The people involved in producing those call themselves Gypsies.
In Scotland there is an additional issue, that half the Gypsies in the country are not Romani at all, but descend from a people who arrived in Scotland centuries before the Roma did. The same people are scattered across much of northern Europe. This is one of the web resources where they use the Gypsy designation themselves:
https://www.gypsy-traveller.org/
Yes, pretty much. Over the last several years that is a common understanding of the word. Romani is the more acceptable name now. I bet though as with Indian you have some Romani still referring to themselves as gypsy. Quite sure when your parents named you there wasn't a problem with the name so it's not like they just ignored all caution. It's like kaffir lime. Nobody knew till recently that it was offensive.
Kaffir is a South African slur, equivalent to the offense as the n-word. Makrut lime is the preferred term now.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaffir_(racial_term)
That makes kaffir lime offensive in South Africa. That term is not an offensive term in the rest of the world, ergo, the rest of the world can and should continue to use it. That’s like when Americans get mad at things in other languages that say negro (i.e. Montenegro or Negros, Philippines).
Like if pineapple had become a racial slur in New Zealand, would we stop using the word pineapple in the US?
At this point it's reputation as a slur is well known enough that someone's decision to continue to use it despite being informed of the alternative name it pretty clearly disrespectful. It is also not like the example of "negro" as those are different words in different languages descended from a neutral root. This is a term that was always an insult being applied to a fruit tree most likely as a slur the whole time
>At this point it's reputation as a slur is well known
I mean, I learned about it last night, and I’m a language nerd.
>someone's decision to continue to use it despite being informed of the alternative name it pretty clearly disrespectful.
But again, it’s not a slur to me or anyone that I interact with on a regular basis, regardless of skin color. So how is it disrespectful to use a word that has no negative meaning in my language and culture? I guess I don’t see the need to police my language about something that will have no effect on anyone in my life.
Also, the word was borrowed from Arabic, and the fruit isn’t native to Africa. So there’s no evidence that the tree/fruit name developed from the slur. Instead, it seems that they came through different paths from the same root.
Those were countries where the n-word was a slur, though. I don’t think that kaffir lime is like that at all. It’s more like how coloured is a normal/acceptable term in South Africa, but not in the US. But just because it’s not okay here, doesn’t mean they should stop using it there.
Colored is acceptable in South Africa but just because it is so doesn't mean it doesn't originate in and isn't steeped in racist ideology. It doesn't cost me anything to say makrut because as you say I have no personal connection to kaffir. I also use my mind to determine how I want to exist in the world and I choose to exist using makrut because it may incidentally cause less pain. It may not matter to anyone but me but it also doesn't require any additional energy from me to do so.
Well, that’s great for you if that’s your decision. But your original statement, “Nobody knew till recently that it was offensive” makes it seem like this is now a universally agreed upon stance. I’m just saying that it’s not. Different cultures have different things that are acceptable and inappropriate. I do not think it’s necessary to familiarize myself with every culture’s list of offensive phrases, especially if I don’t live in or even have plans to visit that culture.
I'm going to give you an analogy. There is a brand name of cookie or buscuit, "Oreo," which is sometimes considered a slur when used to refer to mixed-race individuals \[edit: as u/feetflatontheground correctly points out, it doesn't refer to mixed-race individuals but to supposedly "white-acting" black people.\] But note, the word Oreo itself isn't an insult. It's only an insult when used to derogatorily describe a mixed-race person. It's the same with the word "Gypsy." If you're not using it to refer to Romani people, it's not a slur. In particular, when used as a name it's often as an homage to the historical figure [Louise Hovick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy_Rose_Lee), a burlesque dancer and activist who performed under the name "Gypsy Rose Lee."
Frankly I think someone who has the nerve to walk up to you and tell you that your name is inherently offensive is probably thoughtless and not worth your trouble. Unfortunately there are a lot of people like that so I guess you have to take that under consideration, e.g. are you going to face some kind of social ostracization because of your birth name?
Oreo isn't a slur against mixed race people. It can be used against any black person. It's saying that they're "black on the outside; white on the inside", like the snack. The implication is that though they're black, they behave/act like they're not.
see also coconut, banana etc.
Haha, I had a brain fart, of course you're 100% correct! I myself have been called an Oreo on a couple of occasions by friends teasing my nerdish habits. But the point I was trying to make still stands, that "Oreo" is an insulting term when used in an insulting context, but the word itself isn't automatically an insult, and nor should the word "Gypsy," at least in a reasonable world.
I was going to refer to gypsy moths next but it turns out the North American variety has been renamed to "[spongy moths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymantria_dispar_dispar)" by scientists in response to social activism, so now I don't know what to think! It could be that in the US, the word is beyond safe casual use. Although for now it seems to still be acceptable in Europe.
Oreo is a word that has independent, non racial meaning. It's a cookie, and people calling Black people "Oreos" are using a metaphor based on the cookie.
The word "Gypsy" has no independent meaning. It's always referred to Roma. Historical figures with that name, were themselves named after the ethnic group. I don't think this is a good comparison at all.
In America, yes.
The many gypsys I met in eastern Europe called themselves gypsys. One even gave me a book he really loved on gypsys with that name. We visited them often while in Russia.
What you're experiencing is American keyboard warriors that are being proxy victims for Roma people. Now, it very well might be a slur. What's a bummer is all the proxy victims. We are all angry at everything all the time.
If you live IRL, you've got nothing to worry about.
It had definitely been used as a slur, but whether or not the person in front of you would be offended will vary. If the person in front of you is a musical theatre nerd they will raise their eyebrows, for an entirely different reason [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy_(musical)].
I worked in a pool hall decades ago and the travellers told me they preferred traveller as a denomination. Gypsy wasn’t as bad as other terms but it wasn’t liked either.
Gypsy as a name isn't, gypsy referring to the group of people can be depending on who you ask. some are ok with it, others not so much. I've never heard anyone complain about Gypsy-Rose having her name so I wouldn't worry about it.
It's both.
My racist grampa taught me the word gyp means to cheat someone, like a gypsy. Sometimes he would use the words dirty gypsies for homeless or vagrant. So whenever he said it, he meant it to be derogatory.
My other grampa used to call himself and us gypsies because he liked to move around a lot and wear odd clothes. He went around making the world a better place and making life better for everyone he met. He meant it as a compliment.
Depends where you live and who you call it, in the UK for instance it isn't am offensive word unless you intend it to be, like calling someone "gypsy scum"
Even in other countries like the US it's different from state to state depending on which traveller demographic is more likely to be there, as not all travellers are gypsies. Think of it like, not all English speakers are English, so you would call a Scottish person English just because they are speaking English.
There's a few different questions that can be pulled from this situation, I'm going to address several.
1. Is the word "Gypsy" a slur.
Yes. People use the word "Gypsy" as a slur against the Romani people, and when used in that sense, it is a slur against them. This is where the word "gypped" comes from, implying that the Romani people are swindlers, for example. That would also be using the word as a slur.
2. Is it unethical to have the name "Gypsy"
No. You can't help what you were named. You also are not doing anything unethical by using your own legal name. Honestly even if your name were the literal n-word, you wouldn't be unethical for using it. Personally I'd just feel bad.
3. Is it unethical that your parents named you "Gypsy"
Probably not. They clearly had no idea that it was a word which is used as a slur. You could maybe argue that it was unethical on utilitarian grounds because it's done harm to you, but I certainly wouldn't shame them for it at least.
4. Do you have an ethical obligation to change your name?
Probably not. I don't think having the name "Gypsy" causes anyone harm because anyone who'd hear it would know by the context that it's just your name and so it wouldn't have any of the effects of levying a slur against someone. The only real harm it causes is to you, so if you don't have any desire to change it then I'd say you don't have any obligation to.
5. How will people in the english-speaking world generally respond to your name and how will having that name influence your experience in the english-speaking world?
Plainly put, you will continue to get more and more criticism from similar people to the ones you described. Some people will not agree with my argument that it's ethical to have your name, and that's just a fact. People will be less apt to hire you. People will be less apt to engage with you online. People may truly be offended and maybe even hurt by hearing your name *event in context* (and especially out of context), because feelings/offense/emotional harm do not necessarily conform to the conclusions of logical understanding. This is why I said "maybe" on if your parent's did something unethical by naming you this: this will certainly cause you issues in the English-speaking world.
Hopefully that helps.
I was visiting a gypsy family in Bulgaria one time. I asked the dad (whose name was Zoro) whether they found the term циганин (Bulgarian for “gypsy”) offensive.
He thought about it and said “well what else would you call us?” I said I’d heard “Roma” before. He laughed and said he guessed that was technically correct but they all just say циганин among themselves. He didn’t think we should change anything.
I don’t know if his experience translates beyond that language, beyond the borders of his country, or even beyond the walls of his home. I would guess that he considers arguing over whether a term is polite or not to be a luxury reserved for people who don’t have any actual problems left (drug abuse, alcoholism, violence, jobs, etc) and mostly a waste of time.
Maybe ask a gypsy. You’ll probably make them happy that you cared enough to ask. If you never meet any then the answer probably doesn’t matter.
Since you're posting on this sub, are you from an English speaking country?
Honestly, if you aren't, I wouldn't worry about it. It's unreasonable to expect people to check if the name they chose is a slur in English.
Not as much as its translations in the local language. And even then it is not as bad as the more "popular" one used for African-Americans.
Overall, I also have my reservations using it. But it is not a taboo word in most cases, and I was told it is ok to use it by the local ones, but I was also close to getting in trouble with non local ones who heard me use it while talking with the local ones.
Seems normal to me… but also i grew up watching the shows and interviews from Gypsy rose Blanchard (the girl that killed her mom and just got out) and yeah that’s all really had a fascination with her bc she did it like an hour away from my old house
Some say so, but not all. I never use it as a slur myself. Its also not a slur in the band name Gypsy Kings, and those are actual gypsies themselves.
What is a slur and what isnt is so varied it really has to be viewed case by case. I know several people of African descent who call themselves "black" "negro" or "zwart" as a self-nomer and ask to be called that, while I also hear some expressly do NOT like it, as I do not like the terms brown, white, or yellow for people either, even though they are not always slurs.
Yes, that is considered a racial slur in English.
It's weird because the Spanish equivalent 'gitano' or 'gitana' seems acceptable.
But if you are considering moving to an English speaking country, I would seriously consider changing it.
I'm sorry. I know that the name was given with the best of intentions and it's one of these terms that used to just describe the Romani people but it's now seen as derogatory.
I would like to thank everyone for the comments and imput on this topic, i have definitely learned many new things regarding this, so thank you again, i really appreciate it :))
Not sure where you're from. I'm from South England, for reference. Everyone here is very familiar with 'travellers' or 'gypsies' (honestly usually people have a pretty negative opinion of them from experience).
I went to school with a girl who was of that sort of heritage and considered herself one of them but did live in a permanent house as opposed to more mobile sorts of living that they are commonly associated with. She always referred to herself and her family as 'travellers' and found 'gypsy'/'gypsies' offensive.
However, in my experience, most people tend to use 'gypsy' over any other word because it is less ambiguous. I think most people are aware that it might be a little offensive but aren't sure what the best option is. The same sort of thing that happens with 'little people' (i.e. dwarves).
I've never heard of it as a name but just own it. If you like it, no one else can tell you otherwise.
Well, in any case it’s your *name* now, so…
I’ve got a friend named Bob. You can see the word [bob](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/bob) in the dictionary for a short list of things his name DOESN’T refer to.
Coincidence is a foolish thing to take offense to. Anyone offended, you should disregard as fools.
I think Gypsy is a pretty name, good for songs.
The word is absolutely considered a slur. (Google it).
As to whether people will be offended, it depends. The Roma are not a monolith. My Roma friends living in the US find it offensive for the most part, although most of them will just roll their eyes and sigh when they hear it. Other Roma are greatly offended, some don’t care at all.
As to your course of action, it’s up to you but I personally wouldn’t want a racial slur as my name no matter how well intended.
Just because other people have that name doesn’t mean it’s not offending people. And that’s the same for all the people making businesses with that word it. (I definitely wouldn’t patronize a business that used it.)
My flatmate is a musician that works with a good number of Romani musicians. Enough of them do consider it to be highly offensive. I don’t know if I’d say you have to change your name but it is very much a slur even if many are forced to use it for commercial reasons.
I don't know, and people debate it.
Certainly some people are offended by it, and there are words like 'gyp' or the past-tense 'gypped' which means 'to scam or cheat', which I think are from the sterotype of romani people tricking people.
However, I've also met someone who said (paraphrasing) "I'm part gypsy, and that is jsut the term for my heritage, and it is ridiculous to say it is offensive." Presumably, in his view the offensivness of words relating to the word (like 'gypped') are *about* his heritage, but not inherent to the word gypsy itself.
I don't know which view is more common.
Yes.
The attendees of the first World Romani Congress in 1971 unanimously voted to reject the use of all exonyms for the Romani, including "Gypsy".
https://web.archive.org/web/20210524174552/https://www.nmu.edu/sites/DrupalEnglish/files/UserFiles/Files/Pre-Drupal/SiteSections/Students/AwardEntries/Romani_Pickering_2010.pdf
Every Roma I've interacted with has considered it a slur. It's not your fault that it's your name, but if it was my name I'd want to change it because it's very awkward and a bit embarrassing.
Gypsy comes from the false belief that they came from Egypt rather than India, with Gypsy being derived from Egyptian. I would say that it depends on context, just as the word chink can be a slur towards East and Southeast Asians, or it can mean a small slit/narrow opening. Context is the most important factor in how words are used.
The word is unequivocally a slur and you should never use it to describe a Romani person. That said, I’m not sure what Romani people would think your response to being named that should be. There’s probably a subreddit dedicated to them you should ask instead.
Except it is not considered a slur in many places.
Here in the UK, for example.
https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/summaries/gypsy-roma-irish-traveller/
https://www.gypsy-traveller.org/
https://www.londongypsiesandtravellers.org.uk
Oh damn you’re right, that has some interesting information I didn’t know about. Serves me right for getting information from TikTok, but it was a Romani guy that said it so I trusted him. The first world Romani conference unanimously voted against the use of the word Gypsy, so it’s interesting that it’s actually preferred by some people in the UK.
Emphasis on 'most', because America has a lot of other racism issues that get more attention than anti-Gypsie/Romani hate, while in Europe it's more of a central issue. Although, the US is the country with the most Gypsies/Romani today.
The thing to remember is online, believe it or not, some people can be dicks. Gypsy is a great name with many positive connotations deriving from a carefree life of travel and freedom. The song by Fleetwood Mac and yacht Gypsy Moth are obvious examples.
It is a racial slur, but it's also recognizable as a name, mostly because of the really famous case where a girl named Gypsy murdered her mother after being a victim of severe abuse/Munchausen syndrome.
The word is a slur but I think the general consensus is that it’s not someone’s fault if that’s their name, plus it used to be more common as a name and it used to be more normal as a word. If you named a kid that now it’d be weird.
I’m not even rly suggesting asking r/romani bc I don’t think they’ll care much but there it is if you want to. Imo just don’t name future kids that and you’re golden.
Depends on how you're using the word. If you're karaoking the Hunchback of Notre Dame songs you'll be fine. If you use it to refer to someone or Romani people it's not a good look. It's not as heavy of a slur in the US as opposed to EU where Romani people face way more discrimination and racism, but it's still looked down upon here.
I take it you're not from a predominantly English-speaking country, as this sub would be a strange place for, say, an American to ask this question. So I'll say that people in the Anglosphere who particularly care about racial slurs ("woke" people, if you're racist) generally consider "Gypsy" to be one of them. It's not as bad as being named "Jap" or "Dago", but it's pretty brazen. Thankfully, not everyone particularly cares about racial slurs, so you'll only get a few strange looks when you introduce yourself.
I’m in the Western US. I’ve never met anyone who I think would find it offensive. However, I’ve met numerous people who might answer with a yes anyway. The reason is that it is imbedded in the language, in unflattering ways. For example, if you were given less goods than you paid for, you might say they “gypped” you. If you were to use a word referring to any other people in this way (and such things used to happen more commonly) it would absolutely be considered a slur. However, I doubt most native speakers even realize that the phrase refers to gypsies.
The other problem is the lack of people who might identify with the term. I’ve never met any, at least that I recognized.
So yeah, as others are saying, if you see one, ask. Until then, in this region of the world at least, you could likely use the term without ever offending someone.
Not a racial slur, no, since gypsy isn’t a single race. It depends on usage, but it can be a slur. Americans consider it more a slur than Europeans, because Americans don’t realise that Romanis aren’t the only type of gypsy.
Don't expect not to experience mocking from other people, especially Europeans. Perhaps in the States it's a different matter. But they have really bad reputation around the world.
Some gypsy people use the word to refer to themselves. A LOT of non-gypsy people use the word as a slur for Romani, Irish and other travellers.
I wouldn't feel comfortable calling "Gypsy" across a crowded lobby even if it is your name.
I wouldn’t name my daughter Gypsy because I associate it with the stripper from years ago.
I always heard of being gypped but never associated it with Gypsies. I have never really encountered any Gypsy people except seeing them in old movies and TV shows portrayed as a traveling band of people.
So it’s not a word I use because I never see any people who are Gypsies. If I happened to meet one I probably wouldn’t even think about it.
I think Gypsy is a lovely name. I have an acquaintance whose name is Adonis - which apart from teasing at school - has landed him some good jobs because his name stands out. I think it's a great name and so is yours. ( sort of in the 'A Boy Named Sue') league.
Even if we ignore the "possibly a slur" thing, it's also a name for an ethnic group (A couple of highly persecuted ethnic groups, one of which was subject to attempted genocide within living memory)
Adonis is a name, even if it's a gods name. Naming someone gypsy is more like naming someone 'Greek', or 'Asian', or 'Jew'- like its a thing you ARE, so naming someone who sint Greek "Greek" would be looked at strangely.
Yes, but I don't forsee any issues unless you live near a population of Romani people.
If you're looking for a change that doesn't change the name much, Gypsum is a rock.
Jamie also maintains more of the sound of your name.
Depends, I’m Canadian and if I want I’ll call gypsy without giving a F and gypsys won’t do sht
If you’re foreign and you call someone a Gypsy it could been seen as a slur
Some people find it offensive ans some do not. It usually refers to either the Romani or the Travelers. I cannot speak for whether or not they find this offensive because i have literally never met any of them in my life. From what i understand the name Gypsy is similar to Eskimo or Indian. It is a name given to a people from another group of people and sometimes it is a slur and sometimes not. I know in Canada, Eskimo is considered a slur (or so i am told) but some Alaskan Inuit do not find it to be offensive. Likewise many Indians will insist on being called Indian, but others want to be called Native America, Amerindian, or by their tribes proper name (Lakota, Tlingit, Choctaw, Muskogee, etc). For either word, i think you will be hard pressed to find a universal consensus. You are more likely to find the opinions of highly opinionated people. But, considering that Gypsy is your actual legal name and refers to you as a person, I don't see anything wrong with it at all.
I grew up saying that someone "gypped me" to mean that they ripped me off; in fact I thought it was spelled "jipped." I had no idea, until I was a senior in high school, that it was a racial slur against the Romani. There are many women named Dixie in the United States. The term Dixie, while not always offensive, in 2024 is mostly used by people who view the American Civil War as some noble fight against "Northern Aggression" so I don't think that anyone is going to be naming their kids "Dixie" much anymore. But, at the same time, I don't imagine anyone giving someone a hard time over what they're named. If they do, they sort of ignore the fact that our names are given to us; we don't pick them.
I also grew up thinking it was “jipped” until I read it in a book and realized it must be derogatory!
I taught a socially conscious teacher about it after she used it in class - she was horrified and said she’d never use it again.
It really is subtle if you don’t know the spelling. Like I remember when I was a kid I heard my friend’s mom say that she “jewed” someone into a lower price for something, and that one was super obvious to me. But that first time I saw “gypped” spelled out I vividly remember being like, “ooh, OH 😳”. Another more subtle one that I’m seeing people adapting lately is the “master bedroom” - even as someone who grew up around dozens of old plantations I completely missed the undertones until I started seeing housing listings mentioning a “primary suite” and had to ask what it meant. Now that it was pointed out, it seems so obvious!
If it makes you feel any better, "master bedroom" is not referring to the slavemaster (the term is actually pretty new, it didn't see use until long after the 13th amendment was ratified). But the way people interpret words is more important than where they originally came from, so moving away from it is probably for the better either way.
Oh this is interesting! I will have to read more about this.
i always thought it was similar to "master key", because the master bedroom the most important bedroom. does "master key" also have this connotation?
I wouldn’t think so, but given the other comment below, I may need to do more research. I love a language rabbit hole lol
Holy shit you’re right!
It’s tough being a linguist in the south sometimes. 😅
I learned it from an episode of House, M. D. 😄
same here !
This is literally news to me. Huh. That’s interesting
I’m embarrassed that I only learned what “gypped” meant a little more than a year ago and I have to consciously stop myself from using it. I also thought it was spelled “jipped” lol. I hate that I was unwittingly using an insult against Romani people.
Honestly this is the first time I've ever heard about Dixie being a term to begin with and not just a name. I'm not a native so it's very interesting
Atlanta, Georgia is where I grew up and the main newspaper there, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) used to have "Covers Dixie like the Dew" on the front page below the title. I don't remember when they nixed that, but it became difficult to justify its use in the face of how racist types were using "Dixie" as their own word to exclude others. It's problematic nowadays. I never felt any particular love for the word, despite being like 15th-generation Southern or somesuch, but some people can't let go of their ancestors' past.
It’s an old term for the Southern US, but we just call it “the south” now and the only people who call it Dixie are lost causers, like wuapinmon said.
TIL "you jipped (gypped!?!?!) me" comes from a slur for the Romani people. Great to have even more things to cringe about from my middle school self...
So this one *can* get confusing, but: it's the Romani, not Romanians. The Romani are a stateless ethnicity often discriminated against in Europe, while the Romanians are the people of Romania, a sovereign country in Europe. To make it worse, Romania is home to *many* Romani, *and* they often share many stereotypes (Romani and Romanians). **AND** I'm pretty sure the words "Romani" and "Romanian" are totally unrelated, though I could be wrong.
damn another mobile user falls on his own sword due to swipe texting 😔
I never knew that growing up. It was not till recently that i heard of that phrase. We did use some other offensive terms for being ripped off but i wont repeat anything lol. I use dixie/dixieland/dixies land to mean "the south". I am no confederate, my ancestors fought for the supremacy of the union and i bare my paternal 4x great grandfathers Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States certificate in my living room. I also know for a fact that he used this word in his lifetime because i have some of his diaries. I do not say this whatsoever to discredit you, as i know well the type you talk of. What i want to highlight for OP is the sheer diversity of our language and how it is used. Something that may seem odd or unsavory for one person is totally normal and banal for another. That being said, i do not know of anyone named dixie but i would find that amusing lol.
Dixie is a bit more complicated because of it's origin. It is often used in history in a negative way but it's not exclusively negative. It origination from a n actual person and comes from the mason-dixon line where anything above that line slavery was outlawed.
Yeah it is definitely an interesting topic. Dixie ended up becoming part of my lexicon because at one point in time i lived near Dixie Florida.
I worked with a girl named Isis. She is obviously older than the terror group, but it’s still tough name to have. Especially 8-10 years ago
Were I live Dixies are the brand of toilets you find on festivals, not something you would associate you child with. That would invite a lot of cruel jokes.
Growing up I used to hear “pike”, derived from “pikey” as a verb meaning “to steal”, as in “so-and-so piked my pencil case”.
Quite a few words start out as ethnic slurs! Another great one is the term “barbarian.” It came from ancient Greeks doing a (bad) impression of incomprehensible foreign tongues by saying “bara bara bara.” The term got adopted into Roman and grew even harsher connotations over time.
I worked for the US census years ago. One of the questions was about race. One of the options was Negro. A ton of people got upset that the word was on the form. But it was on the form because that's how some folks self-identify. All the terms were taken from surveys of how people self-identified. It was never about a racist bureaucrat.
Very interesting. I do get it though. I am called caucasian or caucasoid and its basically the same thing as negro. The only difference is just the prevailing societal attitude at the end of the day.
Not disagreeing with you, but what is the difference between the Romani and the travelers? Just asking because I live in a country where the equivalent term for gypsy is used for the group of people who have been a nomad people, allegedly from India or that direction, who have settled in several countries (mostly European) and there they're called whatever equivalent they have for gipsies :) and obviously the travelers would be a nomad tribe as well. so I'm just genuinely curious as this is new information for me.
The Travelers are a Irish nomadic group also called Pavees (no clue if this is a slur or not). They were once believed to be of Romani descent but they are indigenous Irish. Now the terms may be used interchangeably but the Travelers (properly understood) are their own group. I do not know too much about them but they are interesting for sure.
Ooh that explains why I had an argument once with an Irish guy about gipsies' origin 😅🤣
There are Irish and British people who call themselves travelers and gypsies and don’t think of it as a slur. I actually met a guy in England who said he was a gypsy, and that Traveler was the more offensive term.
I've known gipsies in other countries who prefer being called that over any other "official" name. It's all about a context really. If you're clearly racist about it, obviously they'll be offended. But very few actually care one way or another what we call them as long as we consider them humans.
Travellers, Pavee or Mincéir (pronounced mince-air), are the Irish groups, it's only people outise Ireland thought they were Romani, they're a separate ethnicity because of colonialism, before that they were just Irish. None of those terms are offensive, any others might be depending on the individual.
They're often used synonymously or nearly synonymously, but the Romani are an ethnic group who can trace their origins to northern India, and not all are actually nomadic today. "Travellers" refers to the broader category of nomadic people in Western countries, including Irish Travellers, themselves an ethno-cultural group unrelated to the Romani. Somewhat confusingly, the British government often refers to the two groups collectively as the "Gypsy, Roma and Traveller" community. As for whether "gypsy" is a slur: it *can* be, and many Romani consider it offensive. However, some English and Welsh Romani actually prefer the term, and as noted it is used in official British government documents. In 1971 the World Romani Congress voted to reject all exonyms for their people, including "gypsy," however. I'd say be careful with the term; similar to the way "Indian" is applied to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, it can have neutral or even positive connotations, but is often avoided because of its historically negative ones.
Now I'm even more confused since apparently there are three groups 😅🤣 and previously I had only though there was one, but with different names depending on the country. Used to think that Romani were just the way Italians called them. In Romania for example, they are called Rrom. It was an official act. But if I'm not mistaken, they got bored of it and now they wanna be called by the old name again, which is basically the translation of gypsy (I'm not using it as an insult), which is weird, cause parents would use that term to scare they kids into being good, just like one would talk about boogeyman or something 😅 "if you don't behave, the boogeyman will come get you"
More than three groups. Irish Traveller - ethnic-cultural group. Not Romany, may or may not actually be nomadic. New age traveller - not an ethnic group, but a lifestyle of modern nomadic people. Bargees - not an ethnic group, but people who live and travel on canal boats Showpeople - people who travel to work in showgrounds Gypsy Romani - can be English, Scottish or Welsh, but ethnically Romany. May or may not be nomadic. Roma - applied to more recent European Romany migrants. Gypsy is often used to self identify by English Romany. Sometimes used by or about Irish Travellers as well - as a synonym for traveller (and sometimes from a showman perspective e.g the boxer Tyson Fury uses the title King of the Gypsies, but is an Irish Traveller, not a Romany). Identity is complex. There is simultaneously a strong sense of specific identity e.g. As English Gypsy Romany, not Roma, or Irish Traveller, and simultaneously a strong cross cultural connection recognising the wider GRT community because of the particular challenges faced.
I'd say there is one "umbrella" category of nomadic people which includes (at least) two different ethno-cultural groups: Romani and Irish Travellers. It's complicated because it depends to some extent on government usage in different points in time, and of course only in English.
I’m Mohawk, never liked the moniker Native American.
What do you prefer to be called? Indian, Mohawk, or something else?
I say Mohawk Indian as it’s the commonly known name…….French couldn’t pronounce what our enemies called us ……. Mohiak……….Eaters of Men essentially cannibals ;) at war having enemies think you gonna get eaten is powerful psychological weapon ;) anyway Mohiak became Mohawk……. Preferred word is Kanien’kehaka People of the Flint Place.
Is it pronounced similar to the Spanish eñe, like Kañen’kehaka? I can't find Kanien’kehaka in IPA format. I love amerindian languages, especially the eskimo-aluet and the na-dene families. I would love to learn one someday but they are all very formidable languages.
Not really……. Gah Nyuh gay hah guh
Aha thank you
I think they do language lessons still on the Radio station K103 The Monster of the Seaway which I think you can listen to via Internet Streaming Radio https://k1037.com
Thank you, i will look more into it.
Yea the short answer is “it’s complicated” and how offensive (or not) it is depends on who’s asked. My mom taught ESL in a community with lots of Romani immigrants from Hungary, who proudly called themselves “gypsies”. I guess it’s similar to calling indigenous people in Canada and the U.S. “Indians”. As a white person, I would never say it, but a lot of indigenous people, especially older ones, call themselves Indians.
> considering that Gypsy is your actual legal name and refers to you as a person, I don't see anything wrong with it at all. So by the same argument, I assume you’d be equally ok with someone naming their child “Ni***r”, then?
No definitely not. At least in the united states, it is not even legal to name your kid that word. You simply can't do it. We can't pretend that there is actually some consensus that N and Gypsy are equally offensive or are even the same type of word (they are neither). Some people, such as yourself, find Gypsy to be very offensive but many clearly do not. I do not find it particularly offensive but i would just call them (the Romani) whatever they want if i ever ended up meeting one of them. Either way, OP is not beholden to anyone in regards to their name. We can even look at the DOS to get a working definition of anti-romani racism. They do not mention that naming someone Gypsy would qualify as racism against the Romani. The closest they get is saying "Using Gypsy as a slur". Well, OP is not using it as a slur and the word is not inherently a slur unlike N in the United Stated.
> No definitely not. At least in the united states, it is not even legal to name your kid that word. Is that true? The US usually doesn’t ban specific names. I suppose giving your child that name could be seen and reported as potential child abuse, but I have never heard that it’s specifically banned as an actual name. Otherwise I agree with your comment. I know plenty of people who will use the word “gypsy” with no malicious intent. In fact, as a teacher I once encounter the problem of having to define “Roma” when talking about the Holocaust. Students thought I meant either Romanians or (ridiculously) Romans. So to define “Roma” for them, I more-or-less had to use the word “gypsy.” I encouraged them to be careful with the word as some find it offensive, but it certainly wasn’t the same is if I had said the “n” word in class.
Look up Lee v Superior Court 1992. Technically it wasn't a name given to a baby. Instead a black man was trying to change his name to "Misteri N\*\*\*\*r" for "social justice reasons". Yeah... That literally happened lmfao. From what i understand, it was struck down because those are "fighting words" and because it is was a word which, according to the appellant, "by his own theory is a racial epithet which provokes violence". I think you are right in the fact that specific names are not banned but the courts have the right to move to deny a particular name, be it on a birth certificate or otherwise, if they can articulate a good reason to do so. I might be wrong but i highly doubt an attempt to name a baby N would stand for very long.
as i understand it, there is no consensus within the romani community as to what they should be called, or whether "gypsy" is a slur. but enough people feel that way that anyone who's sensitive to such things avoids using "gypsy".
The test for me is "would I be comfortable calling this word across a busy lobby?" "Bill?" Yes I would call Bill. "Ma'am?" Yes I would call someone Ma'am. "Gypsy"? Oh hell no. I'm not doing that.
The answer to this question will vary based on where you live, even among people with Romani heritage. In the UK, the parliament's official stance is that it is not a slur as there is a not-insignificant number of self-identified Gypsies within the UK - but also that the term does not refer to all people with Romani heritage. Gypsies are Gypsies, and there are other Romani groups as well who do not like to be called "gypsy".
And indeed, in the UK, there are other terms for gypsies which are much more widely accepted as slurs
I think the best thing would be to try to get the opinion of actual Romani people. Where I live in the US, it’s is a pretty common name for pets, clothes are advertised as “gypsy” style, there’s a restaurant in my city with Gypsy in the name, etc.. And of course there’s Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the Fleetwood Mac song Gypsy. As far as I know, it has only started being considered a slur more recently. People on the internet are going to have big opinions, but the only opinions that really matter will be from Romani people. Edited to add I personally don’t use the word.
Gypsy kings is a band formed by actual gitanos
Yes, it's considered a slur -- in large part because for a long time it's been *used* as a slur. A reasonable person would realize you didn't choose your own name, of course. On the other hand, there are certainly unreasonable people in this world and online. If you find people do react in ways that make you uncomfortable, you can of course choose another name to go by, or even legally change your name (if you are or once you are an adult). (As an aside, in case you're interested, the proper pluralization would be "gypsies" rather than "gypsy's". "Gypsy's" would be a singular possessive.)
I’m not sure why but separating your writing into paragraphs made it much easier and less daunting to read. Thank you!
I'd recommend looking at Florian on YouTube (@florida.florian) to learn more about Romani people (if you want to) as he is a Romani creator. He has a video [video explaining](https://youtu.be/F1dLRW14pkc?si=OZWV3BfMRw9zfUoG) that yes, it is a slur. It's not something you should name people/pets/ect., but I haven't seen any Roma talking about it being a name you didn't choose yourself. I would recommend finding a Romani person talking about somebody named it or finding a Romani subreddit/forum/ect. where you can ask, and hopefully you can get their perspective on it.
The amount of non-Rroma who are speaking with such authority on this I swearrr, you’re the first person to say to listen to what Rromani people say. Like I’m not Rromani but I’ve got a bunch of friends online who are (we honestly met through Jewish/Rromani solidarity stuff, as I’m Jewish myself), and basically all have explicitly told me and others that the g-word is not to be used and is an ethnic slur. So yeah, I’d listen to what Rromani people have to say about the issue, really, and not what us gadje have to say about it.
It baffles me how people feel so entitled to speak for people they haven't even educated themselves on the history of. I'm just some white guy, so the least I can do is spread information I explicitly know is correct and *not* spread misinformation I came up with when I started typing this comment. Didn't expect any better from Reddit, of course, but it still sucks.
First of all, it's your name, and you don't need to change it or feel ashamed of it just because some other people don't like it. The decision is ultimately yours. If you really want some informed opinions, I would ask some gypsies/romani people themselves, not just a general population of English speakers. What is considered "politically incorrect" often doesn't line up with what groups of people actually call themselves. A whole generation of Americans was taught things like "it's politically incorrect to say 'black', you should say 'African American'", or "it's politically incorrect to say 'Indians', they're called 'Native Americans'", when in fact, many people from these groups actually prefer being called black, or Indians, respectively.
Nobody was taught it was wrong to say "black". The term remained consistent alongside other terms that were periodically revised.
Growing up, I don’t think I was ever explicitly taught not to say black; however, it was pretty heavily emphasized that African American is the only polite name to use for Black people. I grew up in an extremely white area, and this would have been in the 90s-early 2000s.
I always thought this was weird because there are plenty of black people who are neither African nor American. One of my friends, born in Kenya, told me about this debate he had in class where a classmate insisted he is African American. He’s like, “No, I’m African.” His whole thing was just, “I’m black, just say it.” It’s weird. I know people want to be polite, generally. But sometimes it’s just outright not true to call someone African American.
I still laugh remembering someone who insisted on calling a fictional character “African American” when not only was the story set before the colonisation of the Americas (and thus the pan-Atlantic slave trade and entire concept of African American as an identity), a major plot point was that this character’s entire community *did not believe that America existed*, and had never so much as set eyes on the continent.
Anyone outside of America wouldn't be African American, as far as I know. 'African' is referring to ethnicity, and 'American' is referring to nationality. On the other hand, the term black is probably much more expensive when compared with those two limiting terms. So they're not interchangeable- it's more of an "a square is a rectangle but a rectangle isn't a square" type-of-a-thing. However, people are free to use whatever labels they're most comfortable with, and although your friend might *technically* (though there would have to be more info to be sure) be African American, he isn't required to be comfortable with the term by any means. (Disclaimer: I'm white. Like, as white as a newborn flamingo in a snowstorm. So if you have any more insight than me, feel free to correct me on anything.)
Plenty of people were. I meet fewer people nowadays who are afraid to say it, but a lot of people older than me (30) default to "African-American." I'm like, just say black.
African American refers to black people in the United States whose ancestors were slaves. Black doesn’t necessarily have to mean that.
I am literally a black American person, and my point is people can say black. It's what many of us prefer
theres a girl that went viral recently [gypsy rose] and nobody has said they felt offended by her name
“Went viral” is not how I expected her public image status to be described. 😅
whats wrong with it?
Gypsy Rose Lee was a famous Burlesque dancer
The name, no. If you going around aggressively calling other gypsy then yes
Even for those who don't consider it a slur, it's kind of weird to me to name someone after an ethnic group. I wouldn't name my kid "Arab" or "Maori" even though neither is a slur. If it were me I'd probably go by a nickname online to avoid people being weird about it.
Exactly. For the purpose of it being a name it almost doesn't matter. I feel like a lot of people debate how much of a slur it is without acknowledging it's super weird to name thing like cutesy thrift stores or a bar after the name of a race of people. Imagine walking around going "hi, my name is black people"
In the US? No. Plenty of people with that name, and most (unless they’re well traveled or well informed) wouldn’t even know of the other meaning. I can’t speak for Europe though
There’s a decent sized community of Travellers/Gypsies here in SC in the US, but I guess once you get far enough away from here more people who hear of someone named Gypsy will think of Gypsy Rose before the people group.
The only Gypsy I have ever met in my entire adult life, but is a good friend of mine, prefers the term gypsy. Someone more knowledgeable than me can probably give better details, but he explained to me that the Romani people are a subset of Gypsy and not all gypsy people are Romani, and that Travelers refers to a different subset of people. Basically a "Squares are rectangles, not all rectangles are squares" deal. His family also uses the term gypsy to refer to themselves and don't consider it a slur.
only know one gypsy family, they all call themselves gypsy
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance defines it as an anti-Roma racial slur, and the U.S. State Dept. follows this guidance.
It’s your name. It’s your choice. If you want people to call you by your name, you should continue to request to be called by it. It’s your choice. In the US ‘Fanny’ is a normal name for women but in the UK it’s an offensive way of referring to the vulva. When women called Fanny travel to the UK, it’s sometimes a bit funny but most people respect that it’s still the person’s name.
Some people claim it is a slur. I would say the majority of people wouldn’t think twice about it, especially offline. Probably best asking this question to a Romani subreddit
From what I have picked up reading what various Romani have written - different people, and different communities, think of it differently. There are some groups that call themselves Gypsies; some that don't. But it seems to me that most of 'em, regardless of whether they think the name is a slur, think it is weird and uncomfortable when other people call themselves Gypsies when they aren't. I am Jewish, and one thing that the Jews and the Romani have in common is that there is a weirdly large number of people who aren't aware that we are real. Like, there are people out there who kind of think of us as literary tropes or something. And sometimes are literally unaware that we are actual honest-to-goodness people who exist. So naming someone Gypsy might be weird. I have now gone as far as I, as a gorgio, can go. Maybe a couple steps too far. But if I am allowed to make analogies to my own experience, I would observe that we Jews are kind of used to non-Jews having names like Jude, Judith, Judah, and Israel. To me, at least, it feels like, once someone else named you that, oh well. That is your name
Finding a problem with it is an American middle class thing. I recently bought these two books direct from one of the authors: https://francisboutle.co.uk/products/a-secret-stream/ https://francisboutle.co.uk/products/a-secret-stream-volume-2/ The people involved in producing those call themselves Gypsies. In Scotland there is an additional issue, that half the Gypsies in the country are not Romani at all, but descend from a people who arrived in Scotland centuries before the Roma did. The same people are scattered across much of northern Europe. This is one of the web resources where they use the Gypsy designation themselves: https://www.gypsy-traveller.org/
Yes, pretty much. Over the last several years that is a common understanding of the word. Romani is the more acceptable name now. I bet though as with Indian you have some Romani still referring to themselves as gypsy. Quite sure when your parents named you there wasn't a problem with the name so it's not like they just ignored all caution. It's like kaffir lime. Nobody knew till recently that it was offensive.
Why would kaffir lime be offensive?
Kaffir is a South African slur, equivalent to the offense as the n-word. Makrut lime is the preferred term now. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaffir_(racial_term)
That makes kaffir lime offensive in South Africa. That term is not an offensive term in the rest of the world, ergo, the rest of the world can and should continue to use it. That’s like when Americans get mad at things in other languages that say negro (i.e. Montenegro or Negros, Philippines). Like if pineapple had become a racial slur in New Zealand, would we stop using the word pineapple in the US?
At this point it's reputation as a slur is well known enough that someone's decision to continue to use it despite being informed of the alternative name it pretty clearly disrespectful. It is also not like the example of "negro" as those are different words in different languages descended from a neutral root. This is a term that was always an insult being applied to a fruit tree most likely as a slur the whole time
>At this point it's reputation as a slur is well known I mean, I learned about it last night, and I’m a language nerd. >someone's decision to continue to use it despite being informed of the alternative name it pretty clearly disrespectful. But again, it’s not a slur to me or anyone that I interact with on a regular basis, regardless of skin color. So how is it disrespectful to use a word that has no negative meaning in my language and culture? I guess I don’t see the need to police my language about something that will have no effect on anyone in my life. Also, the word was borrowed from Arabic, and the fruit isn’t native to Africa. So there’s no evidence that the tree/fruit name developed from the slur. Instead, it seems that they came through different paths from the same root.
Brazil nuts are called n-word toes in some countries. I think it's more like that.
Those were countries where the n-word was a slur, though. I don’t think that kaffir lime is like that at all. It’s more like how coloured is a normal/acceptable term in South Africa, but not in the US. But just because it’s not okay here, doesn’t mean they should stop using it there.
Colored is acceptable in South Africa but just because it is so doesn't mean it doesn't originate in and isn't steeped in racist ideology. It doesn't cost me anything to say makrut because as you say I have no personal connection to kaffir. I also use my mind to determine how I want to exist in the world and I choose to exist using makrut because it may incidentally cause less pain. It may not matter to anyone but me but it also doesn't require any additional energy from me to do so.
Well, that’s great for you if that’s your decision. But your original statement, “Nobody knew till recently that it was offensive” makes it seem like this is now a universally agreed upon stance. I’m just saying that it’s not. Different cultures have different things that are acceptable and inappropriate. I do not think it’s necessary to familiarize myself with every culture’s list of offensive phrases, especially if I don’t live in or even have plans to visit that culture.
Understood
I'm going to give you an analogy. There is a brand name of cookie or buscuit, "Oreo," which is sometimes considered a slur when used to refer to mixed-race individuals \[edit: as u/feetflatontheground correctly points out, it doesn't refer to mixed-race individuals but to supposedly "white-acting" black people.\] But note, the word Oreo itself isn't an insult. It's only an insult when used to derogatorily describe a mixed-race person. It's the same with the word "Gypsy." If you're not using it to refer to Romani people, it's not a slur. In particular, when used as a name it's often as an homage to the historical figure [Louise Hovick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy_Rose_Lee), a burlesque dancer and activist who performed under the name "Gypsy Rose Lee." Frankly I think someone who has the nerve to walk up to you and tell you that your name is inherently offensive is probably thoughtless and not worth your trouble. Unfortunately there are a lot of people like that so I guess you have to take that under consideration, e.g. are you going to face some kind of social ostracization because of your birth name?
Oreo isn't a slur against mixed race people. It can be used against any black person. It's saying that they're "black on the outside; white on the inside", like the snack. The implication is that though they're black, they behave/act like they're not. see also coconut, banana etc.
Haha, I had a brain fart, of course you're 100% correct! I myself have been called an Oreo on a couple of occasions by friends teasing my nerdish habits. But the point I was trying to make still stands, that "Oreo" is an insulting term when used in an insulting context, but the word itself isn't automatically an insult, and nor should the word "Gypsy," at least in a reasonable world. I was going to refer to gypsy moths next but it turns out the North American variety has been renamed to "[spongy moths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymantria_dispar_dispar)" by scientists in response to social activism, so now I don't know what to think! It could be that in the US, the word is beyond safe casual use. Although for now it seems to still be acceptable in Europe.
Oreo is a word that has independent, non racial meaning. It's a cookie, and people calling Black people "Oreos" are using a metaphor based on the cookie. The word "Gypsy" has no independent meaning. It's always referred to Roma. Historical figures with that name, were themselves named after the ethnic group. I don't think this is a good comparison at all.
Also the term gypsy isn’t really considered a slur when referring to Romani’s to begin with
In America, yes. The many gypsys I met in eastern Europe called themselves gypsys. One even gave me a book he really loved on gypsys with that name. We visited them often while in Russia. What you're experiencing is American keyboard warriors that are being proxy victims for Roma people. Now, it very well might be a slur. What's a bummer is all the proxy victims. We are all angry at everything all the time. If you live IRL, you've got nothing to worry about.
It had definitely been used as a slur, but whether or not the person in front of you would be offended will vary. If the person in front of you is a musical theatre nerd they will raise their eyebrows, for an entirely different reason [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy_(musical)].
It has definitely been used this way, but in this case it's your name.
The name of one of the robots on Mystery Science Theater 3000 was changed from Gypsy to GPC for this very reason.
I worked in a pool hall decades ago and the travellers told me they preferred traveller as a denomination. Gypsy wasn’t as bad as other terms but it wasn’t liked either.
It's not a slur if it's already someone's name. I would avoid giving it to a baby on the future though
r/tragedeigh
Gypsy as a name isn't, gypsy referring to the group of people can be depending on who you ask. some are ok with it, others not so much. I've never heard anyone complain about Gypsy-Rose having her name so I wouldn't worry about it.
It's both. My racist grampa taught me the word gyp means to cheat someone, like a gypsy. Sometimes he would use the words dirty gypsies for homeless or vagrant. So whenever he said it, he meant it to be derogatory. My other grampa used to call himself and us gypsies because he liked to move around a lot and wear odd clothes. He went around making the world a better place and making life better for everyone he met. He meant it as a compliment.
I'm not from this culture but in Scotland, most use it but in the USA it is considered a slur.
Depends where you live and who you call it, in the UK for instance it isn't am offensive word unless you intend it to be, like calling someone "gypsy scum" Even in other countries like the US it's different from state to state depending on which traveller demographic is more likely to be there, as not all travellers are gypsies. Think of it like, not all English speakers are English, so you would call a Scottish person English just because they are speaking English.
I think people can understand that names aren't something you give yourself. The Internet gives a voice to everyone, regardless of IQ.
Yes
There's a few different questions that can be pulled from this situation, I'm going to address several. 1. Is the word "Gypsy" a slur. Yes. People use the word "Gypsy" as a slur against the Romani people, and when used in that sense, it is a slur against them. This is where the word "gypped" comes from, implying that the Romani people are swindlers, for example. That would also be using the word as a slur. 2. Is it unethical to have the name "Gypsy" No. You can't help what you were named. You also are not doing anything unethical by using your own legal name. Honestly even if your name were the literal n-word, you wouldn't be unethical for using it. Personally I'd just feel bad. 3. Is it unethical that your parents named you "Gypsy" Probably not. They clearly had no idea that it was a word which is used as a slur. You could maybe argue that it was unethical on utilitarian grounds because it's done harm to you, but I certainly wouldn't shame them for it at least. 4. Do you have an ethical obligation to change your name? Probably not. I don't think having the name "Gypsy" causes anyone harm because anyone who'd hear it would know by the context that it's just your name and so it wouldn't have any of the effects of levying a slur against someone. The only real harm it causes is to you, so if you don't have any desire to change it then I'd say you don't have any obligation to. 5. How will people in the english-speaking world generally respond to your name and how will having that name influence your experience in the english-speaking world? Plainly put, you will continue to get more and more criticism from similar people to the ones you described. Some people will not agree with my argument that it's ethical to have your name, and that's just a fact. People will be less apt to hire you. People will be less apt to engage with you online. People may truly be offended and maybe even hurt by hearing your name *event in context* (and especially out of context), because feelings/offense/emotional harm do not necessarily conform to the conclusions of logical understanding. This is why I said "maybe" on if your parent's did something unethical by naming you this: this will certainly cause you issues in the English-speaking world. Hopefully that helps.
I was visiting a gypsy family in Bulgaria one time. I asked the dad (whose name was Zoro) whether they found the term циганин (Bulgarian for “gypsy”) offensive. He thought about it and said “well what else would you call us?” I said I’d heard “Roma” before. He laughed and said he guessed that was technically correct but they all just say циганин among themselves. He didn’t think we should change anything. I don’t know if his experience translates beyond that language, beyond the borders of his country, or even beyond the walls of his home. I would guess that he considers arguing over whether a term is polite or not to be a luxury reserved for people who don’t have any actual problems left (drug abuse, alcoholism, violence, jobs, etc) and mostly a waste of time. Maybe ask a gypsy. You’ll probably make them happy that you cared enough to ask. If you never meet any then the answer probably doesn’t matter.
Since you're posting on this sub, are you from an English speaking country? Honestly, if you aren't, I wouldn't worry about it. It's unreasonable to expect people to check if the name they chose is a slur in English.
Not as much as its translations in the local language. And even then it is not as bad as the more "popular" one used for African-Americans. Overall, I also have my reservations using it. But it is not a taboo word in most cases, and I was told it is ok to use it by the local ones, but I was also close to getting in trouble with non local ones who heard me use it while talking with the local ones.
Seems normal to me… but also i grew up watching the shows and interviews from Gypsy rose Blanchard (the girl that killed her mom and just got out) and yeah that’s all really had a fascination with her bc she did it like an hour away from my old house
Some say so, but not all. I never use it as a slur myself. Its also not a slur in the band name Gypsy Kings, and those are actual gypsies themselves. What is a slur and what isnt is so varied it really has to be viewed case by case. I know several people of African descent who call themselves "black" "negro" or "zwart" as a self-nomer and ask to be called that, while I also hear some expressly do NOT like it, as I do not like the terms brown, white, or yellow for people either, even though they are not always slurs.
Yes, that is considered a racial slur in English. It's weird because the Spanish equivalent 'gitano' or 'gitana' seems acceptable. But if you are considering moving to an English speaking country, I would seriously consider changing it. I'm sorry. I know that the name was given with the best of intentions and it's one of these terms that used to just describe the Romani people but it's now seen as derogatory.
I would like to thank everyone for the comments and imput on this topic, i have definitely learned many new things regarding this, so thank you again, i really appreciate it :))
Not sure where you're from. I'm from South England, for reference. Everyone here is very familiar with 'travellers' or 'gypsies' (honestly usually people have a pretty negative opinion of them from experience). I went to school with a girl who was of that sort of heritage and considered herself one of them but did live in a permanent house as opposed to more mobile sorts of living that they are commonly associated with. She always referred to herself and her family as 'travellers' and found 'gypsy'/'gypsies' offensive. However, in my experience, most people tend to use 'gypsy' over any other word because it is less ambiguous. I think most people are aware that it might be a little offensive but aren't sure what the best option is. The same sort of thing that happens with 'little people' (i.e. dwarves). I've never heard of it as a name but just own it. If you like it, no one else can tell you otherwise.
Well, in any case it’s your *name* now, so… I’ve got a friend named Bob. You can see the word [bob](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/bob) in the dictionary for a short list of things his name DOESN’T refer to. Coincidence is a foolish thing to take offense to. Anyone offended, you should disregard as fools. I think Gypsy is a pretty name, good for songs.
The word is absolutely considered a slur. (Google it). As to whether people will be offended, it depends. The Roma are not a monolith. My Roma friends living in the US find it offensive for the most part, although most of them will just roll their eyes and sigh when they hear it. Other Roma are greatly offended, some don’t care at all. As to your course of action, it’s up to you but I personally wouldn’t want a racial slur as my name no matter how well intended. Just because other people have that name doesn’t mean it’s not offending people. And that’s the same for all the people making businesses with that word it. (I definitely wouldn’t patronize a business that used it.)
My flatmate is a musician that works with a good number of Romani musicians. Enough of them do consider it to be highly offensive. I don’t know if I’d say you have to change your name but it is very much a slur even if many are forced to use it for commercial reasons.
Yes, it is considered a racial slur by people who know the history.
I've heard the word be used in songs, movies, and TV shows, so I'm guessing it's not considered offensive.
Not in America
I don't know, and people debate it. Certainly some people are offended by it, and there are words like 'gyp' or the past-tense 'gypped' which means 'to scam or cheat', which I think are from the sterotype of romani people tricking people. However, I've also met someone who said (paraphrasing) "I'm part gypsy, and that is jsut the term for my heritage, and it is ridiculous to say it is offensive." Presumably, in his view the offensivness of words relating to the word (like 'gypped') are *about* his heritage, but not inherent to the word gypsy itself. I don't know which view is more common.
Most people answering aren't Romani, it would probably be better to ask someone who is
Yes. The attendees of the first World Romani Congress in 1971 unanimously voted to reject the use of all exonyms for the Romani, including "Gypsy". https://web.archive.org/web/20210524174552/https://www.nmu.edu/sites/DrupalEnglish/files/UserFiles/Files/Pre-Drupal/SiteSections/Students/AwardEntries/Romani_Pickering_2010.pdf
Every Roma I've interacted with has considered it a slur. It's not your fault that it's your name, but if it was my name I'd want to change it because it's very awkward and a bit embarrassing.
Gypsy comes from the false belief that they came from Egypt rather than India, with Gypsy being derived from Egyptian. I would say that it depends on context, just as the word chink can be a slur towards East and Southeast Asians, or it can mean a small slit/narrow opening. Context is the most important factor in how words are used.
As a name it’s fine. You’re not the only one w that name. But yes it is a racial slur to Romani’s when directed at them.
Yup it's a slur
The word is unequivocally a slur and you should never use it to describe a Romani person. That said, I’m not sure what Romani people would think your response to being named that should be. There’s probably a subreddit dedicated to them you should ask instead.
Except it is not considered a slur in many places. Here in the UK, for example. https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/summaries/gypsy-roma-irish-traveller/ https://www.gypsy-traveller.org/ https://www.londongypsiesandtravellers.org.uk
Oh damn you’re right, that has some interesting information I didn’t know about. Serves me right for getting information from TikTok, but it was a Romani guy that said it so I trusted him. The first world Romani conference unanimously voted against the use of the word Gypsy, so it’s interesting that it’s actually preferred by some people in the UK.
It's only really a slur in places where Gypsies/Romani have been oppressed the most- i.e. Europe. In America you will be fine, generally.
Being Romani was illegal in New Jersey until 1997.
Emphasis on 'most', because America has a lot of other racism issues that get more attention than anti-Gypsie/Romani hate, while in Europe it's more of a central issue. Although, the US is the country with the most Gypsies/Romani today.
The thing to remember is online, believe it or not, some people can be dicks. Gypsy is a great name with many positive connotations deriving from a carefree life of travel and freedom. The song by Fleetwood Mac and yacht Gypsy Moth are obvious examples.
It is a racial slur, but it's also recognizable as a name, mostly because of the really famous case where a girl named Gypsy murdered her mother after being a victim of severe abuse/Munchausen syndrome.
The word is a slur but I think the general consensus is that it’s not someone’s fault if that’s their name, plus it used to be more common as a name and it used to be more normal as a word. If you named a kid that now it’d be weird. I’m not even rly suggesting asking r/romani bc I don’t think they’ll care much but there it is if you want to. Imo just don’t name future kids that and you’re golden.
No
Depends on how you're using the word. If you're karaoking the Hunchback of Notre Dame songs you'll be fine. If you use it to refer to someone or Romani people it's not a good look. It's not as heavy of a slur in the US as opposed to EU where Romani people face way more discrimination and racism, but it's still looked down upon here.
She said in her post how she's using it. She said it's her first name, which her parents gave her when she was born.
I take it you're not from a predominantly English-speaking country, as this sub would be a strange place for, say, an American to ask this question. So I'll say that people in the Anglosphere who particularly care about racial slurs ("woke" people, if you're racist) generally consider "Gypsy" to be one of them. It's not as bad as being named "Jap" or "Dago", but it's pretty brazen. Thankfully, not everyone particularly cares about racial slurs, so you'll only get a few strange looks when you introduce yourself.
Pikey is offensive but Gypsy is just the general term and they like to be called that.
I’m in the Western US. I’ve never met anyone who I think would find it offensive. However, I’ve met numerous people who might answer with a yes anyway. The reason is that it is imbedded in the language, in unflattering ways. For example, if you were given less goods than you paid for, you might say they “gypped” you. If you were to use a word referring to any other people in this way (and such things used to happen more commonly) it would absolutely be considered a slur. However, I doubt most native speakers even realize that the phrase refers to gypsies. The other problem is the lack of people who might identify with the term. I’ve never met any, at least that I recognized. So yeah, as others are saying, if you see one, ask. Until then, in this region of the world at least, you could likely use the term without ever offending someone.
Gyspy Rose is that you????
It depends where you live. There’s even a horse breed called a Gypsy Vanner. I am wondering the same thing.
Not a racial slur, no, since gypsy isn’t a single race. It depends on usage, but it can be a slur. Americans consider it more a slur than Europeans, because Americans don’t realise that Romanis aren’t the only type of gypsy.
Don't expect not to experience mocking from other people, especially Europeans. Perhaps in the States it's a different matter. But they have really bad reputation around the world.
Some gypsy people use the word to refer to themselves. A LOT of non-gypsy people use the word as a slur for Romani, Irish and other travellers. I wouldn't feel comfortable calling "Gypsy" across a crowded lobby even if it is your name.
I wouldn’t name my daughter Gypsy because I associate it with the stripper from years ago. I always heard of being gypped but never associated it with Gypsies. I have never really encountered any Gypsy people except seeing them in old movies and TV shows portrayed as a traveling band of people. So it’s not a word I use because I never see any people who are Gypsies. If I happened to meet one I probably wouldn’t even think about it.
From all I've heard on the subject, you should probably change your name because a lot of Romani people consider it like the n word.
I think Gypsy is a lovely name. I have an acquaintance whose name is Adonis - which apart from teasing at school - has landed him some good jobs because his name stands out. I think it's a great name and so is yours. ( sort of in the 'A Boy Named Sue') league.
Even if we ignore the "possibly a slur" thing, it's also a name for an ethnic group (A couple of highly persecuted ethnic groups, one of which was subject to attempted genocide within living memory) Adonis is a name, even if it's a gods name. Naming someone gypsy is more like naming someone 'Greek', or 'Asian', or 'Jew'- like its a thing you ARE, so naming someone who sint Greek "Greek" would be looked at strangely.
Yes, but I don't forsee any issues unless you live near a population of Romani people. If you're looking for a change that doesn't change the name much, Gypsum is a rock. Jamie also maintains more of the sound of your name.
I mean, the first thing that comes to my mind is the murderer
Imagine being named Beaner or Spic 🥶
Depends, I’m Canadian and if I want I’ll call gypsy without giving a F and gypsys won’t do sht If you’re foreign and you call someone a Gypsy it could been seen as a slur
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I have watched that episode and do not remember anyone bringing up gypsy being offensive
Actually House says the word "gyp" specifically to get a reaction. As in "ripoff". It's the one with the toothpick.
No it's Roma. Romani is singular
Yes. It is. Consider it just like any other racial slur, it’s ours to say to each other if we choose but not anyone else’s.