What's the most Dominican name you've ever heard? At a recent “9AM Banger” party in New York City, attendees shared some of the most wild, hilarious, and unforgettable answers you might imagine.
At the Dominican-themed, early-morning event, content creator Jay Ramirez went around asking partygoers for their pick of the “most Dominican” name they’ve ever heard.
Some names seemingly leaned traditional, for example: Amparo, Calucho, Petrolina, Natividad, Geraldo. Others were unexpected, such as Disneyworld, La Fruta, Raimeri.
Then there were the names ending in "-lis," which apparently are non-negotiable. “It has to end with a ‘Lis,’" one attendee joked, citing her own name, Crisangelis, before naming “Belcalis.”
Several other attendees contributed Yosayra, Yafrani, Daljania, Yafani, Yafreisi, Yudelka, Yudelkys, Yuvidelka, and other “Yu-” names that roll off the tongue and feel unmistakably Dominican.
The video quickly went viral on Instagram, racking up 3.5 million views since being uploaded on Monday (March 9), and even caught the attention of Cardi B, who is Dominican herself and was born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar.
“Why she called my name out [weary face emoji] [grinning face with sweat emoji],” Cardi wrote in the comments.
Other commenters shared names like Altagracia, Bienvenida, Brugalis, Buenaventura, Confesora, Janelly, Juanifer, Markelis, Virusleidy, and Usnavy.
“My homegirl told me she knew a yonefkenedi [crying emoji],” wrote one user, seemingly inspired by the late John F. Kennedy.
“The Dominican urge to blend 2 names must be studied 😂,” one user wrote.
“Just putting letters together lmfao,” wrote another.
There’s a perfectly logical explanation behind these creative Dominicans names.
As explained by The Bronx Journal’s Hector Felix, some Dominicans opt for “unique names” for their children in one of several ways. Some parents name their children a combination of both of their names, misspelled versions of English names, and names that come from other African, Arabic, or Taino cultures.
In 2009, the Dominican Republic considered, but did not pass, a proposal which aimed to ban “odd” or “bizarre” names that could be confusing or give no indication of gender, per NBC News. A judge had called for the crackdown on unusual names after the country’s civil registry showed families were naming their children after cartoon characters, brands, or body parts.
Some examples cited at the time included Mazda Altagracia, Toshiba Fidelina, Winston Churchill de la Cruz, and others.
The country’s Central Electoral Commission ultimately rejected the proposal, saying it wasn’t appropriate for the government to decide what parents can name their children.