WASP Name (aka waspnym) is a term used to describe names which look like a common name used by people from a WASPy (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant) background.
For example, "Jillian Meadowes" or "Andrew Johnson" are WASP Names, while "Mohammed Yusuf", "Rajesh Singh", or "Rainbow Firestorm" aren't.
WASP pseudonym/"Starbucks name"
Some people without WASP names may adopt one—sometimes reluctantly—for some contexts. For example:
- websites that tend to flag non-WASP names as banned pseudonyms
- brief business interactions where one does not want to have to spell one's preferred name or hear it mispronounced or answer questions about its origin (thus, "Starbucks name", for the name written on your coffee order)
- online interactions in general, if their preferred name triggers spam filters (Thai women, whose names often contains the syllable "porn", often need to do this)
See also
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