Does your child have an unusual name?

Chayalle

Mon, Sep 12 2016, 4:22 pm

My mother A"H had two uncommon names. My brother named his daughter after her but she is being called a very common nickname (Riki) that is similar to one of my mother's names.

I think there's going to be alot of Rikis in my family B"EH. My mother A"H told us, many times, that she was mocked as a child and she doesn't want us to name anyone after her, or to use a nickname, so that no one should be poked fun at the way she was.

I think it's important to take the child and his/her environment into consideration when bestowing a name. If it's not likely to be well-received, then you are possibly subjecting your child to bullying and teasing.

flyinghigh

Mon, Sep 12 2016, 4:29 pm

I have a brother with an unusual name that I really don't like. It was my grandfathers name so there are a few in the family so I'm used to it. not sure would give my son that name so far got only girls

Rubber Ducky

Mon, Sep 12 2016, 4:42 pm

Both my sons have unusual names, one an off-the-charts unusual name. Neither has ever complained about it, or at least not to their mother! We have a common surname.

My married son's son has a very unusual first name but is called by a common nickname. His daughters have names that are not that common but not very unusual either.

amother

Pumpkin

Mon, Sep 12 2016, 6:36 pm

Sake wrote:

We wanted very badly to name a son for my father but his name is Sake pronounced (shacky) it's Dutch for Jacques but nobody would ever know how to say it. So ended up calling our last baby James. Dad's middle name is Zachariah but I didn't feel it was the same to name a middle name.

we had an uncle shacky also nickname for Jacques but the Hebrew name is Yaakov.

anony

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 12:15 pm

I don't have any kids yet and not sure dh would ever approve of this name, but I love the name Shiloh, totally uncommon in my circles (I once met an Israeli family that had a little boy named Shiloh and thought it was so cute!)

amother

Floralwhite

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 12:29 pm

amother wrote:

Just curious. My son is Sinai, which is pretty unusual for our circles, and I love hearing slightly different (but not too "out there") names.
Please share!

I have a cousin yenta (which mean gentle in French & became more common), a cousin Hitzel & a cousin Vishka. But they all have a second name. Sinai is like a Halberstam name-Sanz name. Its such a cute name.

Roots

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 3:25 pm

my grandmother who I am very close to is named Yeshua, salvation.
she pines for someone to name after her (we name even if they are alive)
but my dh says we cant name her a name that she will be embarrased when she is older.
we also wont give a middle name.
and I cant think of a good nickname, if I do have a girl. shuey - thats a boys name

Tzutzie

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 3:28 pm

OOTBubby wrote:

I have a daughter names Tirtza. She was never bothered by it, but realized it became helpful to have an unusual first name when she married someone with a very common last name. With a common first name, there would have been lnoots of people around with the same name; with an unusual first name she doesn't have that problem.

My first name (that I usually go by) isn't very common. But common enough. In highschool, out of 9 classes and approximately 35 -40 kids per class theee were two more girls with my first name. One a very far cousin. The grandmothers we were named after were both named after the same great-great---- grandmother.
The other was a second cousin and we had the same (uncommon) last name too! It was kewl.
Funniest thing. All throughout school there were only 5 girls with my last name (my sister. Two first cousins and a second cousin) and this was a HUGE school. Think hundreds of kids in a grade.
Its fun being different. The same is boring.

amother

Ruby

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 3:32 pm

amother wrote:

I have a sister yenta - yenty. Sje is a very gentle soul. I didnt know this was the origin. Ill give her a call Smile

.

I also have a sister Hencha - called Henchy. Anyone knows what that means?

amother

Denim

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 3:34 pm

I named my DD a name that I always thought was beautiful and now we live in Israel and it's extremely uncommon and she complains about having a name that nobody else has Sad

I'm surprised it's not a more common name here...

boysrus

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 3:38 pm

amother wrote:

I named my DD a name that I always thought was beautiful and now we live in Israel and it's extremely uncommon and she complains about having a name that nobody else has Sad

I'm surprised it's not a more common name here...

would you share what her name is? I'd love to hear.

amother

Floralwhite

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 3:43 pm

amother wrote:

I have a sister yenta - yenty. Sje is a very gentle soul. I didnt know this was the origin. Ill give her a call Smile

.

I also have a sister Hencha - called Henchy. Anyone knows what that means?

Hencha is same as Hinda, Henya, Henny. All basicly mean rooster, chicken.
Yes Yenta means gentle just like aidel & adina.

amother

Lilac

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 3:46 pm

My son's name is Shimshon. He says he doesnt know anyone else with his name, and doesnt like that he stands out as being different. He often says 'I wish you could have named me Yakov or moshe or something normal like that'.

amother

Goldenrod

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 3:49 pm

anony wrote:

I have a daughter called like this! I love this name so much!
It's very unusual here, she is the first in the whole town and her name is even more unusual because we added a second name from a totally different background (chassidish).
But I love the contrast!

amother

Khaki

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 4:42 pm

amother wrote:

Hencha is same as Hinda, Henya, Henny. All basicly mean rooster, chicken.
Yes Yenta means gentle just like aidel & adina.

My name is Hinda, and it means deer.

thunderstorm

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 5:11 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks everyone! Sinai is a family name and we live in a pretty yeshivish community in the US, so most people have never heard of it. I personally only know one other person with it outside of the family.
He doesn't mind it, in fact for a long time we called him by his more common name but he wanted to be called Sinai!

I always loved that name . I know two adults with that name. One is Chassidish and Rebbish and one is Iranian turned Chasidish.

amother

Turquoise

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 5:26 pm

I have one very uncommon name. My fathers mother insisted/totured my mother on calling me both names. I was always teased with that uncommon name in school and between my neighbors. My gm is many yrs not alive anymore and I still didnt forgive her. Shes the next girl name I have to give and I dunno how Im gonna do it (although its a pretty name). My father will never forgive me if I dont give after "HIS" mother who tnx to her I have to be called my this horrible disgusting name. One thing I learned that when giving names to my kids to be extra sensitive

amother

Powderblue

Mon, Dec 19 2016, 5:28 pm

My math tutor during my school years was a Henchy. She was a lovely, patient woman for a student who struggled miserably.

Growing up I was the only person I knew with my name (think: what is normally a boys name used for a girl). Then when I got to upper high school all of a sudden I started hearing of other girls with my name. I was the type of kid who actually liked her unique name. We literally had 5 Rachels and 6 different Sara/Sarah's in our class and I knew nobody would confuse me for someone else.