Girl name ideas- please read

amother

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 6:28 am

mltjm wrote:

amother wrote:

mltjm wrote:

OP, I know naming your kids is a very personal privilege and decision, but it seems kind of pretentious to utterly reject names that are traditionally jewish, just because they don't have a Torah source. Also the idea that 'my kids can't be one of a million with the same name' is pretty non jewish. Most adults and children I know are proud of their 'common' names, especially if they know who they are named after and especially if that person was a tzaddekes or Rebbetzin or beloved relative.

Aside from all that, there are many great women from modern times who you could name after as well.

Did I ask you for your advice? It was uncalled for "mussar" and totally not relevant. You name your kids how you choose to, but I have my reasons for my criteria.
If I had relatives to name after, I'd name after them, regardless of these criteria. But since I'm just choosing names "out of a box", I want to put more thought into it and pick one my husband and I like for many reasons. Like if we'd say "We're calling you Shira because we liked it" I want my kid to be able to say "Wow, Shira is a meaningful name. Shira in the tanach or in Jewish history was... uh...." I want my kids to be able to know that the person they were named after was a tzadekes, a special person, and since I don't have any relatives to name after, I want it to be a name that is after a tzadekes in history.

As for one in a million with the same name... I grew up being the only one in my class and one of the 4 in my high school with my name. I appreciated that. Then I moved elsewhere, where my name was a popular name and I really didn't enjoy being one of the 10 people at a get together with my name. Your name identifies you as an individual, and I think its a nice feeling to have a name that is "just yours" and not one you share with many other people.

Wow. Chill. I said in the beginning that it's obviously personal. I was just trying to (gently-ish) point out another perspective.

I should chill? I am chilled, I was just saying your mussar was uncalled for. I didnt ask if you liked my criteria, I asked for ideas.

Quote:

What if between now and the baby is born some amazing Rebbitzen you've always admired passes away, but her name is Malka Shaina? Are you going to reject it bc its not a tanach name, bc one is a hebrew word, and one is a yiddish name? It seems crazy to limit yourself so much.

Absolutely not. I said if there was someone I wanted to name after, I wouldn't limit myself at all, so long as I didnt think the name was ugly/repulsive/mock-worthy. I've considered naming after some lady who meant a lot to me who had two yiddish names, but I've yet to convince my husband about that, but I'm working on it.
But if I'm not going to be naming after someone, I want to name after a tzadekes from the tanach or mishna or gemara, and not just pull a name out of a hat. That's all.

Quote:

As for being one in a million, I still stand by what I said. And I graduated from a class where more than half the girls had the same name.

That's fine. I assume you mean something like Chaya Mushka or Devora Leah, and if you want your kid to be one in a million with the name, thats your prerogative, but its something I personally want to avoid. My other kids arent moshe or dovid or whatever. That's how we do things. You do it differently, fine, but respect my choice that that is NOT what I want for my children.

amother

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 6:33 am

mltjm wrote:

Wow. Chill. I said in the beginning that it's obviously personal. I was just trying to (gently-ish) point out another perspective.

You did nothing of the sort. You called me pretentious and with a non jewish attitude, and when I tell you that I didn't ask you for advice, you tell me to chill? You don't see that what you wrote is totally offensive, even with your "Yea, I know its personal" caveat?

hadasa

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 7:01 am

amother wrote:

hadasa wrote:

Nitzevet (David's mother)
Shlomit / Shlomtziyon
Milka
Yiska
Bitya

Other than Shlomit, those are all a little too "out there" and rare for my taste. I dont want a run of the mill name, but I don't want them to be altogether rare either.

Shlomit is nice with a nice ring and nice meaning, but the only Shlomit that I know if in the tanach is shlomis bas divri, the loose woman who used to flirt with every man, had a child with a mitzri, and was the mother of the first ben sorer umorer...
Not exactly the role model I'd want to name my child after. I've also heard rabbanim say not to use the name Shlomit for that reason, but to give the name Shulamit/s instead, which is why shulamis/t is an option, but shlomit isn't.

Queen Shlomit Alexandra, aka Shlomtziyon Hamalka, was a queen of the Chashmonean dynasty. She was the sister of Rabi Shimon ben Shetach and a great woman.

amother

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 7:04 am

I did not know that Shlomit was another name of Shlomtzion Hamalka. Guess that puts that name back on the list of possible options. Thanks!

amother

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 7:32 am

I don't know if these fit the criteria (don't know if they have sources in tanach) but....

Shoshana
Riva
Brocha
Menucha
Zehava
Gila
Shalva

mltjm

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 7:57 am

amother wrote:

mltjm wrote:

Wow. Chill. I said in the beginning that it's obviously personal. I was just trying to (gently-ish) point out another perspective.

Wow I'm getting sick of imamother.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be offensive.

twerps

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 8:03 am

what about baila roshei tievos for baruch hashem leolam amen

penguin

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 8:14 am

Around what parsha or Yom Tov are you due? Sometimes that can provide inspiration!

shalhevet

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 8:20 am

twerps wrote:

what about baila roshei tievos for baruch hashem leolam amen

Hmm. I think OP said no Yiddish names. If we're into acronyms she could have Shilat (Shiviti Hashem lenegdi tamid) - I don't think that's what OP's looking for.

Mommy3.5

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 8:42 am

amother wrote:

I have an easy time with boys names. So many to choose from. So if its a boy, we already have it narrowed down to a few names that we absolutely love...
But as for girls names, my husband and I don't know where to start.

For boys names, we have a lot of criteria we want to meet, but because there are so many fewer options available for girls names, we'll be less picky.

Criteria are:
Names with a source. Meaning either from tanach or the mishna/gemara. No yiddish names, no modern israeli names that are just words turned into names, or even more traditional names that are just words turned into names. (like no Shira, Malka, Tziona, Sima, Ilana, Hila, etc...)
Names that sound nice and have a pleasant ring to them.
Preferably names that have a nice meaning, but if the original person with the name was a good person/ a tzadekes, I don't mind so much if the meaning isn't something special.
I want a name that isn't very overused. I dont want my kid to be one of a million with the same name. No Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Esther.
Ideally a name that works in most/all circles, but ideally yeshivish circles. If a name I mention isn't used in yeshivish circles, please let me know.

Names we like:
Tzippora is definitely an option here.
Avital (does it work in yeshivish circles?)
Yehudis/t is nice but we can't use it.
Shulamis/t is an option.
Avigail (but not using for various reasons)
Hadassa I like but my husband doesn't.
Deena my husband likes (the sound, less the meaning) but I don't.
Devora I like, husband doesn't.
Avishag my husband likes, but I don't like how it sounds.
Michal is ok but not an option for various reasons.
Elisheva is nice but we can't use it.
Serach I like but I won't use because of social ramifications.
Osnat sound ok until you get the nicknames.
Na'ami is nice but I won't be using it because of bad connotations with certain people in my life, but it is a beautiful name.
Noa sounds nice but it is way too overused!
I love Chana but it is also soooooo overused.
Batya I like but won't be using for personal reasons, but its a great name and fits many of my requirements.

Bruria is not an option. (I don't find it easy on the ears or tongue)
Chulda is an absolute no no.
Machla is an absolute no no.
Batsheva I don't particularly care for. (No offense to any batshevas, its not personal.)
Rus/t isn't a name I particularly like, and even if I did, I can't use it for many reasons (including living grandparents with that name).

More ideas please? Because right now it looks like we have a list of 3 or 4 to pick from, and I'd like a few more options at least.

I have the solution. Don't have girls. Ever. your criteria is nuts.

imamama

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 9:03 am

I think any woman in Tanach who is mentioned in more than just passing has some kind of negative association. That's one thing that sets apart the Torah from the holy books of other religions. It portrays people as people, and not flawless gods.

Aviah (Which I think in Tanach is a boy, but I've only heard it for girls in Israel. I don't know if it's used at all in the US)
Achinoam
Bilha
Yael
Michal

shevi82

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 9:13 am

Here are a few more don't think all were mentioned:
Noa, Ada, Tirza, Milka-All Bnos Tzlofchad.
Yael
Chava-The first mother
Shifra, Puah or Yocheved and Miriam.
Zilpah
Bilha
Osnat
Ruth
Batsheva
Elisheva
Efrat (is mentioned in Divrei Hayamim as another name for Miriam)
Yiska (another name for Sara)

To the person who mentioned Miriam had Tzraas, Miriam was one of the greatest women Klal Yisrael ever had the Be'er in the midbar was in her zecus. I wouldn't worry about giving that name.

Shuly

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 9:47 am

Naama

Esther

Rus

imaima

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 10:14 am

shevi82 wrote:

Now you should persuade OP, because she obviously thinks that if she names after Miriam, everyone will think she named her child after a great sinner. Not only that, but she also expects other people to come up to her child and ask her obnoxious questions, like "Why are you XYZ?". So she wants her child to be prepared early on. I guess, if there was Yaffa Frumit in Tanach, that would be a good choice.

goodmorning

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 10:30 am

Rachav

some more of Dovid Hamelech's wives:
Chagit
Maakah
Eglah

Iyov's daughters (named for their beauty)
Yemima
Keziya

Yalta (daughter of Rabba bar Abahu and wife of R' Nachman bar Yaakov, known as a wise and important woman)

I don't think these are terribly accepted names in yeshivish circles, though (or others, for that matter).

amother

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 10:32 am

Wow, I can't believe how nasty some of you are being. If you don't have a suggestion, don't make one. How about that?

These things are important to me, important that most of these criteria are followed, and no, the option isn't "Don't have a girl because my criteria are impossible" because hello, I listed at least 5 names that absolutely are options. So maybe my selection will be narrower, but I definitely have options.

Why can't you respect that different people name their kids different ways?

amother

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 10:35 am

goodmorning wrote:

Of those, I don't think any of them are options other than Chagit, which is a great idea! I had no idea it was a tanachi name and a wife of dovid hamelech!

JAWSCIENCE

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 10:48 am

Mommy3.5 wrote:

I have the solution. Don't have girls. Ever. your criteria is nuts.

Wow, was that really necessary? People have all sorts of criteria. OP is entitled to hers. Without criteria how would anyone ever narrow it down? If she has no one to name after she's got to start somewhere. Should she just put every name on the planet in a hat and pick one out? Telling her not to have girls is not helpful and a little mean.

amother

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 10:53 am

imaima wrote:

OP does not want to name "Miriam" because it is a very common name not because Miriam had tzaras. Frankly if we could all limit our sins to one bout of lashon hara that we do full teshuvah for and merit the entire nation of klal yisrael waiting for us and praying we would be lucky. However as someone who is named "Miriam" I can tell you it was not fun being one of four Miriam-Miri's in my class of only about 50 girls. I can totally see why if OP has nobody to name for she wants to avoid giving a name that is very common in her area. There is nothing wrong with that and I am not insulted she nixed my name. I was named after an aunt and am proud of this, but if it was a random name choice I would be annoyed at my parents for naming the same name as so many other girls.

amother

Sun, Jul 17 2011, 10:56 am

JAWSCIENCE wrote:

Mommy3.5 wrote:

I have the solution. Don't have girls. Ever. your criteria is nuts.

Thank you. I appreciate that.