Ava | Imamother

amother

Babyblue

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 10:38 am

I've heard the name Ava for a few baby girls recently and I think it is so pretty. Does anyone know if it's a Jewish name? Is it Yiddish? I thought maybe an English name or nickname for something else.
Thanks!

amother

Orchid

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 10:40 am

In Hebrew ava is an abomination. I wish more people were aware of that before they chose it for their kids.

icebreaker

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 10:46 am

It's very popular amongst non-Jews. In my son's school, there are 2 Avas in his class and they have to go by Ava and [first letter of last name] to not get mixed up with the other lol.

Ruchel

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 11:05 am

Ava isn't sounding like Ave #latinist

ah != eh != uh

Ava isn't Chava, basically.

Also, there are Jewish names that don't sound good in other languages. Or even in Hebrew. I was told Zlata isn't good, or Pesl, or Rasha, or Machla, or Tsipa. Don't ask me why.

etky

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 12:02 pm

amother wrote:

In Hebrew ava is an abomination. I wish more people were aware of that before they chose it for their kids.

Do you mean To'eyva?
Eyva means loathing. Also negative but not quite the same thing.

ra_mom

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 12:09 pm

amother wrote:

In Hebrew ava is an abomination. I wish more people were aware of that before they chose it for their kids.

The English name Eva comes from the root word evil. Whereas in Hebrew Chava means mother of mankind. I much prefer Ava over Eva.
Unless you're saying that the word Ava in contemporary Hebrew means something else?

amother

Babyblue

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 1:29 pm

Interesting. Seems like it isn't a Jewish name in and of itself. More like a different version or nickname?

amother

Bronze

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 4:23 pm

icebreaker wrote:

It's very popular amongst non-Jews. In my son's school, there are 2 Avas in his class and they have to go by Ava and [first letter of last name] to not get mixed up with the other lol.

Also popular as an English name amongst Jews too right now.

amother

Orchid

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 4:30 pm

etky wrote:

Do you mean To'eyva?
Eyva means loathing. Also negative but not quite the same thing.

You are right. Ava is loathed or hated. Toava (coming from the same shoresh) is an abomination. Either way, I wouldn't want that for my kid.

Brownies

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 4:36 pm

ra_mom wrote:

The English name Eva comes from the root word evil. Whereas in Hebrew Chava means mother of mankind. I much prefer Ava over Eva.

Eva=Eve=Chava.

Do you really think anyone would name their daughter something that means “evil”?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_(name)

ra_mom

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 4:56 pm

Brownies wrote:

Eva=Eve=Chava.

Do you really think anyone would name their daughter something that means “evil”?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_(name)

The Christian root for Eve is known to be "root of all evil".
No I don't believe that parents name their daughters evil. That's just the history of the name and therefore I don't like it.
I'd rather drop the ch of Chava and use the name Ava.

BetsyTacy

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 4:58 pm

How is this name spelled in Hebrew, with a vav or a veis? I know someone who has this name as her Hebrew name but have never asked how it is spelled.

etky

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 9:43 pm

BetsyTacy wrote:

How is this name spelled in Hebrew, with a vav or a veis? I know someone who has this name as her Hebrew name but have never asked how it is spelled.

It's an awkward name to spell in Hebrew. It's spelled with a vav because of the derivation from חווה.
I've seen it spelled אווה but can also be spelled איוה or אייוה
It can easily be confused with Iowa which in Hebrew is spelled איווה
It's never spelled with a vet because that would be איבה which means loathing (as we just read in parshat Bereishit (ואיבה אשית בינך ובין האישה

salt

Wed, Oct 18 2017, 10:25 pm

Ruchel wrote:

I can understand why some of these aren't good in Hebrew:

Pesl - pessel = idol

Rasha = evil

Machla = sounds a bit like machala = illness, (although she was one of the daughters of Tzelofchad)

Tsipa - duvet cover

Ruchel

Thu, Oct 19 2017, 12:23 am

It's strange to say Eva sounds like evil so it means evil or root of all evil https://www.behindthename.com/name/eva

BetsyTacy

Thu, Oct 19 2017, 4:10 am

Thanks, Etky. The fact that Ava in Hebrew can almost be read Iowa (if added a vav) is hilarious and definitely something I would never have considered.

etky

Thu, Oct 19 2017, 4:29 am

BetsyTacy wrote:

Thanks, Etky. The fact that Ava in Hebrew can almost be read Iowa (if added a vav) is hilarious and definitely something I would never have considered.

I know, right? Rolling Eyes