We're expecting twin daughters. I have always liked the name Esther and my husband likes it as well. So that was an easy choice.

The second name has not been nearly as easy to find. We've been looking for a long time, and we think we like Lior.

We live in Australia, so Esther is well known and I've known several from different backgrounds. Lior however, it's not common at all, and only Jewish.

My concern is the treatment that she may have from that. Healthcare for example, that's been found as a very big problem. And I am worried that by giving one of them a name that will make them so identifiably Jewish, and the other, not at all, it will single one of them out in an unfair way. So even though we like both of the names, I'm not sure what we should do.

Hi!! Just wondering if anyone in Israel has some suggestions for really hot, trendy, new age baby names for girls. Only stipulation is some type of Hebrew origin.. aka not מילה bec that origin is non-Hebrew

Thanks !!

My sincerest apologies if this is out of place here.
Our good friends invited us to their daughter’s simchat bat in August.

My spouse and I are Christians with no prior exposure to a simchat bat and little (zero) knowledge of this celebration/custom.

Can you please advise on types of appropriate and meaningful gifts for the daughter and/or family?

Are gifts expected?
Should they be personalised for the child’s name?
Is jewellery for the child an expected gift?
Something else I haven’t considered?

Basically, I am entirely ignorant of this custom and it just dawned on me that I probably should not show up empty-handed to this event.

Thank you!

Debating between 5:

David

James

Leonardo

Christian

Thomas

Edit: secular Jewish if that makes a difference

My mom's Hebrew name is Leakh (lay-akh). I have never been able to find any reference to this name and when asking a local rabbi he looked at me confused and asked am I sure it wasn't Leah. I thought once I'd seen something about Ashkenazi spelling ending things in "khe" but it was very much in passing. I don't have any paperwork with it spelled in Hebrew (only bar mitzvahs, no bat) so I'm just going off what she says and I don't think she remembers the spelling. Can anyone point me anywhere? TIA

I was doing some research and found this site about the Rhodesli Jews (Jews from the Greek island of Rhodes) that contains names from their cemeteries and thought this sub would be interested as well. Rhodes Jewish Museum

these are some that stood out to me;

• Abdallah (m) עבדﭏה
• Batami (f) בתעמי
• Behora (f) בכורה
• Behor (m) בכור
• Bension (m) בן ציון
• Bienvenida (f) בינוינידה
• Boina/Buena (f) בואינה
• Bulissa (f) בוליסה
• Caden (f) קאדין
• Chilibi (m) גיליבי
• Chilibon (m) גיליבון
• Dezeada (f) דיזיאדה
• Dulsa (f) דולסה
• Esroga (f) איסרוגה
• Firena/Pirena (f) פירנה
• Gracia (f) גראסייא
• Hanula (f) הנולה
• Hasdai (m) הסדאיי
• Jamila/Jamilla/Jamilia (f) גאמילה
• Joya (f) גוייא
• Masliah (m) מצליח
• Mazaltov (f) מזל טוב
• Mercada (f) מירקאדה
• Mercado (m) מירקאדו
• Metatia (m) מתתיה
• Moreno (m) מורינו
• Orvida (f) אורבידה
• Paligoria (f) פאליגורייא
• Palomba (f) פאלונבה/פﭏומבה
• Perahia (m) פרחיה
• Reina (f) ריינה
• Rica (f) ריקה
• Risula/Rizula (f) ריזולה
• Sadik (m) צדיק
• Salvator (m)
• Sarota (f) שרותה
• Senyora/Sinyora (f) סיניורה
• Shemtov (m) שם טוב
• Sheshbona (f) שש בונה
• Vida (f) וידה/ודא/בידה
• Vidal (m) וידאל
• Yom-tov (m) יום טוב
• Zimbul (f) זימבול

We just found out we’re having boy girl twins! We live in the US but most of our circle is Jewish/plan to send our kids to Jewish school. I have always loved Israeli names, especially names with real meaning. However my husbands family is more American and he’s put off by super super Israeli names, so we may have to settle for something more English or at least something easy to pronounce. We also have a difficult last name so we would like something short.

Names I like: Maya, Lior, Gal, Orli, Eyal, Judah, Lielle, Nili, Amir, Oren
Names we can’t do because of other family having used them: Jonah, Elan, Shai, Ari, Levi, Talia, Avi, Abraham, Moses, Rafi, Yael

Help!

I love and feel connected to several names that I want to choose for my Hebrew name and thus I am unsure which one to pick! My chosen English name is Sage (which means “wise; healing herb”) & my birth English name was Megan (which means “pearl”) (even though I have legally changed my English name from Megan to Sage, I feel like I should include my birth English name). Also, I was raised in an interfaith household of mostly Catholic with some Judaism, so I didn’t get to have a bat mitzvah when I was younger. Hence why I’m choosing my Hebrew name as an adult which is exciting! I also tend to overthink things and I want to make sure the meanings of the names I’m considering are correct, hence why I’m asking y’all for assistance.

•Miriam - bitter; uplift (is sometimes interpreted as beloved, but I’m unsure how correct this is)
•Masha - beloved (this name is also used as a nickname for Miriam, so possibly also has the meanings of bitter; uplift)
•Margalit - pearl
•Marva - sage (unsure if this is actually a Hebrew name)
•Mushka - nutmeg
•Simcha - joy
•Sima - treasure; precious
•Zelda - happiness; blessings

EDIT: I goofed and forgot to specify that these names I’m considering are for the first part of my Hebrew name since I’m solidly sure about the second part, Yosefa, in honor of my late Poppy.
So I’ll put the names together for y’all:
•Miriam Yosefa
•Masha Yosefa
•Margalit Yosefa
•Marva Yosefa
•Mushka Yosefa
•Simcha Yosefa
•Sima Yosefa
•Zelda Yosefa

EDIT 2: To clarify, I’m of Russian Jewish descent which is why I’m considering Russian Jewish names for my Hebrew name.

EDIT 3: I took out Anya as an option since being given better information about that name not reading as Jewish or Hebrew!

Hi everyone,

My name is Krystal, and I came across the name Cohen on Pinterest and thought it would be a good character name for one of my stories. I have a Google Doc where I keep all of my character names and their origins, meanings, and pronunciations. While looking for the meaning of this name, I came across a Reddit post discussing why this name may be inappropriate to use as a first name. So, I thought I would come on here and see what you all thought.

\I am not actively writing this story, and I have no intention to do so in the near future. This story and this character are very underdeveloped and are simply an idea at this moment. But I would still like to have this discussion regardless. Also, I am not Jewish.*

Here is some background on the character and the story:

The Story:

Set in a dystopian future of our world where religion doesn't exist, science is everything, and governments cherry-pick information and history. The reader follows seven characters as religion is reintroduced, war threatens, and people start questioning everything.

The Character:

A monk/caretaker-type character whose family has spent centuries isolated (potentially on the top of a mountain - likely in the Himalayas, but this is subject to change), protecting and safeguarding texts and artifacts of religious, cultural, societal, and historical importance to the world from anyone who would want to destroy them. Cohen would be the member of this family that the story follows.

My question is, would using the name Cohen as a first name be culturally/religiously inappropriate or upsetting to people, within the context of the story and the character?

Thank you all so much for taking the time to respond,

Krystal

P.S. Here is the original post that I saw: https://www.reddit.com/r/namenerds/comments/1264gkk/cohen_the_dreaded_baby_name/

Edit: Hi everyone, thank you so much for replying and for your feedback.

I did originally post this question on another sub, and was suggested this sub in that post. I didn't see any harm in asking this question here, as it is a name-specific sub. I have taken into consideration the feedback from this post and my other post, and decided not to use the name Cohen for this character. I can see that it doesn't make a lot of sense from a worldbuilding perspective and that it would come across as disrespectful to the Jewish community.

I still have a lot to learn, both as a writer and a person, and all your feedback has given me something to reflect on. I would also like to apologise to anyone who thought this question was disrespectful or culturally insensitive. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry.

Is this a Hebrew and/or Israeli name? Will Israelis be able to recognize it or is there an equivalent in Hebrew that people will think makes more sense as a name?

I thought Shmuel but I feel thats more the Hebrew name for Samuel.

Thinking of naming our baby girl Liat. I know it is common in Israel. My only concern is will it be hard for people to pronounce in the US? I know Americans prefer familiar names. Wondering whether she will have a lifetime of having to correct people about pronouncing her name?

Hi,

I am Ashkenazi and reform, and always thought I’d adhere to the naming convention of using an honor name or letter after a person is deceased. My name and our daughters’ follow this convention. My husband is not Jewish, but we are raising our kids to be Jewish. He likes the tradition, but it’s not as important to him. I only love a few boy names, and for years, we have been set on two pairs of boy first/middle names.

Dilemma: Both name choices include reference to my father’s name. He is alive and the name is a diminutive of William (it’s Willie). His line is technically Sephardic. Out of the names we have chosen, William is actually the preferred first name we were going to use. My other name option uses a W name for the middle name.

After all this time, I did not make this connection to my father as I was thinking of my maternal grandfather. W first names are a family trend on my Ashkenazi mother’s side that I wanted to bring it back (skipped her generation).

To add, I am an only child and our children have my husband’s last name. If I did decide to use a W name, it could acknowledge carrying on my father’s line, and is the Sephardic way. I don’t believe in sharing names until after a baby is born, but I think my dad would like his (likely only) grandson being named similar to him.

Would you drop the W names all together? I switch back and forth - it’s maybe ok to use the W middle name as William is too similar to Willie, but I also kind of like the direct tribute. Then I think we need to start from square one.

Thoughts on the name Este (full name Este/Estie, not Esther)? This is our first and we were both raied conservative but my husband can’t seem to get behind Este because he doesn’t love Esther, feels like it’s more religious/observant. However I feel like Este is becoming its own, more secular name? Chrissy Teigen’s daughter is Esti and they’re not Jewish

I’m a female in my late 50s and in the process of converting, and I’m looking for Hebrew name suggestions. Some of the names I chose and discussed with my Rabbi were not encouraged, due to nuances that just didn’t fit for modern times. Any suggestions given my age? I would prefer a name that is fairly common and not too outdated. Thank you!

Hi, I feel like I’ve been searching high and low for MONTH to find a boys name with a connection to the name Shlomo.

My husband’s grandfather was Shlomo and I really prefer a more modern Hebrew name or a biblical name connected to someone with strong character. I would love for it to be a name starting with ש or be some kind of reference to the name Shlomo.

Also open to second names starting with a ח for my grandfather. Again looking for modern names.

Please help me think of names!

Edit: thanks everyone for the suggestions. I actually really like the name Shia, but of course my husband has a bad association with someone named Shai so that’s out. So close!!

I want the H and my husband does not. Please tell us what you think! It's his late Bubbe's name.

I just had my first baby this past week. My husband and I named her Liora, which was a name I had picked out pretty much since I got a positive pregnancy test. We both love her name, our families love her name, and everyone in our circle loves her name (or at least, they say they do!)

The problem is any time we get asked by someone non-Jewish what her name is, their reaction is always the same. “Oh, that’s unique”. The tone of voice always implies they have nothing else nice to say about it, which is crazy to me!! Is Liora really that out-there of a name?? I’m only 5 days PP so I know this is definitely bothering me more than it should, but I’d love to know if I’m crazy for thinking Liora sounds like a pretty “normal” name.

We’re in the US if that helps for context.

I used to be in nearly all of the name subreddits, but I didn't realise how sick I was of them until I actually don't have to see them anymore.

It's just the self-righteous nature so many of them seem to have, thinking that they have such good taste and they're so educated about names and so open minded to names from every culture.

Yet there's the constant whining about how it's apparently inappropriate and weird to give a white baby an Indian or Japanese name while suggesting names like Liora and Aviva to anyone under the sun. I just can't understand how they can't see the hypocrisy.

They practically have an aneurysm about the idea of someone using a Native American name and rant about how only Native Americans should have a say on whether it's appropriate and white people need to stop speaking for them, but for some reason they seem to think that they're all Jewish and can decide for Jews about how they should feel about someone using a Jewish name.

And so many of them don't even have a clue about Hebrew names, Yiddish names, where they come from, what they mean, and they'll just spew incorrect information like they're some kind of expert. And they don't seem to have a clue about antisemitism either. Probably because a lot of them often seem quite antisemitic themselves.

I'm really glad this subreddit exists, because it seems like the only place you can actually talk about Jewish names without people calling them weird or making snarky comments about them. And you can actually learn things as well! I've heard about names on here I haven't even heard. I think it's a shame that this kind of environment can't exist on a wider scale so that people could actually discuss names from other cultures and learn about them.

And if you feel the same way as I did, I really would suggest just leaving them. You can never change their ignorance and their mindset, so it's better just not having to see it at all. It's never-ending otherwise.

My great great grandfather lived in present day Lithuania and was named Nissim-Chaim.

I've read that the name Nissim is associated with Jews of Sephardic and Arab origins. How true is this, and if so what are some good informational resources to verify this and learn more?

We’re narrowing down our list for a baby boy and need your help debating between these six names. Which one is your favorite, and how would you rank them?

Ori

Lior

Yarden

Yuval

Shai

Eden

Would love to hear your thoughts, vibes, and any pros/cons on pronunciation or style. Thanks!

We are expecting our third child in the fall and both love the name Oren.

The problem is that both of our other children have names that A) are figures from the Torah and B) have a first letter honoring a deceased relative. Oren has neither of those characteristics and I’m worried our future child will feel slighted. We do plan to give him a middle name that is honoring a deceased relative like his older siblings.

There’s nothing we can do about the biblical significance, but is there a way to connect Oren to any of these names:

English: Marianne, Gerald, Harold, Ursula, Richard, Jennifer
Hebrew: shoshanna, Ruth, Ari, gadol (I’ve never heard of this as word as a name but apparently it was my grandfather’s Hebrew name)

Or is this not an issue and I’m overthinking? We are pretty set on Oren so other name suggestions are not really what I’m looking for here.

My wife and I are discussing first names, my wife really likes Noah but my mom's name starts with an N so I feel hesitant in the Ashkenazi tradition. I'm considering Avi as an alternative, I kind of wanted people's thoughts on if I should be hesitant and thoughts on the name Avi.

Considering Iri as a middle name and honor name for our next kiddo. It sounds really lovely with the first name we chose and our last name. But I found it on some pretty obscure looking websites for Hebrew names and not sure if this is actually a name people use or if it would be weird to use for our child. Was hoping some folks would have more ideas/information on if this is actually a name people use or if its just a very biblical/historic name? Thank you!

Hello! Lurker of this sub for a while, now here with my own post. My husband and I are expecting a baby girl and I’d love some name input. Our son is named Yehuda, and we decided on his name pretty much immediately— it clicked instantly and we knew. We’ve always been able to find more boy names we like than girls, and we haven’t had that same lightening bolt moment with a girls name (so far)— I’m ok with not necessarily having that same feeling again but it makes me second guess our choice.

Things that are important to us/things that might be helpful to know about us:
- we are traditional/maybe modern orthodox leaning? We go to an orthodox shul and our children will be going to Jewish schools.
- same name (including pronunciation) in Hebrew and English. Like how Yehuda is just Yehuda, as opposed to Judah in English and Yehuda in Hebrew.
- we want a name that sounds Jewish
- we want to love the meaning of the name, not just the way it sounds
- we don’t like nicknames— we want the name we choose to be the name the child goes by (I know we don’t have 100% control over this)
- we also don’t do middle names

Our top choice right now is Eliana. I had a miscarriage prior to this pregnancy so we love the meaning, and I think it sounds pretty. I don’t love how it’s rising in popularity but overall I think it’s not too popular?

Other names we like:
- Adina (I like this one, husband doesn’t)
- Yael (like the sound but don’t love the meaning)
- Esther
- Avigail (I like, husband doesn’t)

I guess I’m just looking for thoughts on Yehuda + Eliana together, or any other suggestions/feedback. Thank you!