If your name is Rochel...

Emuna

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 1:32 pm

Our daughter's name is Rochel and we're finding it difficult when we introduce her to non-Jewish people who cannot pronounce the name. If your name is Rochel, what have you done when you're meeting people unfamiliar with the name? Do you say "Rachel" or another nickname easier to pronounce?

Thank you Very Happy

Last edited by Emuna on Wed, Nov 19 2014, 1:42 pm; edited 1 time in total

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 1:38 pm

My brother has a name where there is no way to shorten it or anything and it starts with a chet sound and it is a long name.
We never "did" anything but pronounce it a few times until people got it.

amother

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 1:51 pm

my daughter's English name on her birth certificate is Rachel.
I do introduce her as Rachel sometimes if it makes the situation easier.

chani8

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 1:55 pm

Ra-Kelle... just pronounce a hard chet.

amother

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 2:14 pm

My name is Chaya and everyone says Keiya or some other distortion so I gave up and went with Karen

Emuna

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 2:23 pm

Oh wow, I'd hate for our daughter to feel bad about her name. I'm almost considering "Rachie" or "Raquel" but DH only likes Rochie or Rochel'e and I'm torn Confused

amother

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 2:43 pm

My Hebrew name is Rachel and my parents wanted to call me that. They got so fed up with other people mangling my name or calling me by their own versions (Rochel, Ruchel, Rochella, etc.) that they gave up and started calling me by my English name Rachelle (pronounced ra-shell).

I've answered to all sorts of variations over the years. Rachel (ray-tchell) is the most common variation for non-Jews to use.

Emuna

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 2:58 pm

I personally love Rochelle (Ro-Shelle) but it might not suit her... I mentioned "Raquel" to someone and they said "Isn't that a Spanish name?"

amother

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 3:36 pm

My daughter is Racheli and I just tell people her name is Rachel. One coworker sees the way I spell it on facebook and thought her name is Rasheli which sounded so much more exotic. Totally wanna change it now after hearing that!

greenfire

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 3:42 pm

you tell them to clear their throat or try to scratch it and it makes a chhhhhhhhhhhhhh chhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

don't stop till they get it right Wink

amother

Wed, Nov 19 2014, 3:46 pm

I spell my daughters name Rachelle. We emphasize the second syllable with a ches sound but I just say her name with sh sound which people are familiar with.

amother

Thu, Nov 20 2014, 1:01 am

My niece is chane in her legal papers. She's been Chain, connie, honnie, honey, kana, hana, and hannah. And she has a middle name that anyone could've pronounced. Go figure. Rolling Eyes

Ruchel

Thu, Nov 20 2014, 5:24 am

I get Rashel, Rael... sigh.
Most foreign names can get butchered.

chani8

Thu, Nov 20 2014, 6:37 am

Rakelle like Raquel may sound spanish but I like it better than Ra-hell!

My english middle name was Rochelle pronounced Roshelle, but when I became BT it was changed to Rochel, pronounced in yeshivish as Rockle. Here in Israel if I say Rockle they fix it and say, Ra-chelle with a chet.

Ruchel

Thu, Nov 20 2014, 6:55 am

My parents wrote Rahel to avoid Rashel (how French say Rachel). In israel maybe they would just have had an easier time with this loool.

rachelbg

Thu, Nov 20 2014, 10:44 am

My cousin's name is Rachel, and her parents were so frustrated with everyone calling her different variations (Rachel, Rochel, Rochelle, Racheli, Rachie...) that they decided to call her by her middle name instead!

The girl hasn't been 'Rachel' since she's under a year old, and she's got kids of her own now!

Pity, it's such a nice name.

Ruchel

Thu, Nov 20 2014, 10:48 am

I've had frum ppl even struggling so much with the chet I said ok, Rashel it is! At worst I even told them use my French name. Some told me it sounded more normal "as you're not Israeli". LOL. I'm not tzioni but please.

Emuna

Thu, Nov 20 2014, 2:50 pm

Thanks so much for these posts Very Happy

Well, we've decided to call her Rochel and introduce her as "Rachel" to new people here in the U.S. I suppose as she gets older it could change, but for now that feels right.

Thanks again - your posts really helped!