To me, the major problem with Kruz is that K! Not klassy. And Ramos and Ramses do seem pretty outlandish and tough to wear – even by my liberal standards. Kaia is so common that I’m less inclined to think about its origins. After all, I know little girls called Emma Rodriguez and Katelyn Castillo.

But overall, you raise a good point. I wouldn’t choose a given name like Kimiko or Kiet, because we haven’t a drop of Japanese or Thai blood. While I don’t think it’s wise to weight meaning too highly, it *is* a good idea to think about history and usage – and whether it is reasonable to see your child as a Tuesday, a Tallulah, a Caspian or a Cruz. It’s one thing to hear a name on TV and do some research … but to hear it on TV, guess at a reasonable spelling and slap it on your kiddo forever and ever, amen? Not a great plan.

Of course, funny things happen. A half-Japanese and very exotic-looking friend of mine named her daughter Midori. While her husband is of European descent, he’s fairly dark, too, so it was a safe bet that the name would fit.

As luck would have it, her daughter inherited her paternal grandmother’s red hair.

At the same time, I think the reasons you’ve presented make a lot of sense, I don’t hate the idea at all. I just associate Cruz so strongly with the Kruz I knew, so it seems a bit flimsy to me personally.