Baby girl name help. Female equivalent of Shimmel?

Busybee5

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 5:05 am

Shira Zelda or Shira Zivia and call her Shira or Zivia? A nice normal girls name with the same beginning letters as your Grandfathers name. It's not really up to your mum what you call your baby. Up to you and your dh.

dena613

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 5:46 am

WhatFor wrote:

I know so many Elianas and never heard someone frum use it only as an English name and not their Hebrew name. It is, itself, a Hebrew name so using it only for English is odd. The meaning is also so similar to Shimon, and more popular. If you wanted that as her name, just use it instead of Shimon imo.

Also, consider that in future generations, if you use an English name that one would think is Hebrew, and someone was researching her, they might assume her Jewish name was Eliana and not look further.

I probably would do above, but if you're dead set on some other other name that sounds like Shimon, I think Simona is prettier than Shimona.

This. I really like what WhatFor said.
Shimon is because Hashem heard, Eliana is because Hashem answered. I like Eliana for Shimon. Eliana is a Hebrew name, not English.

ETA that Hadas is also a Hebrew name, not English

amother

Hyssop

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 6:10 am

Simcha is totally an ashkenazi girls name too

Simcha Zofia? Or vice versa

PinkFridge

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 6:17 am

amother Daphne wrote:

There is actually a female entertainer named Shimi. Apparently her given name is Shimrit.

She's Sefardi.

And the only Shlomtzion I know lives on Shikufitsky Street.

Busybee5

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 6:22 am

PinkFridge wrote:

She's Sefardi.

And the only Shlomtzion I know lives on Shikufitsky Street.

Same! I thought that's why they used it because it's not a regular name Can't Believe It

Bnei Berak 10

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 6:25 am

Trademark wrote:

Never heard Shimmel as a first name. Only as a last name and it means mold.

I was just going to say this. Would never use Shimmel as a first name because of then meaning.

amother

Watermelon

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 6:34 am

Shimmel is not the Yiddish name for Shimon. Never was.
Your grandfather may have been called that at certain points, the same way that you would call your daughter raizele or surella, just as a endearing diminutive. Although if he was a Yiddish speaker, they probably did not because of the meaning. Maybe his mother called him shimmele as a little kid.
Whatever the case may be, I will be the 42nd vote for- please give your child a nice normal name!!!
Don’t name after a male! Please!
If you absolutely must, I know many people named Shima, although almost all of them are descendants of r’ Moshe Feinstein, even though I know a couple who are not.
Just find a name that has meaning to you. If you want to connect to your grandfather, find a name that represents a trait he had that you would like your child to emulate. You’re obviously not giving his name to her anyways, so give a normal name that actually encompasses who he is.
Just as a side note, about the name Alexander. Jewish boys were given the name Alexander, in gratitude to Alexander the Great. The name has been passed down through the generations and is still a Yiddish name.
The name Alexandra, however, while beautiful, was never given and is not considered a Jewish name.
I’m going to ask you once again to think of your daughter and make her feel normal!

Ladybug1

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 6:44 am

Definitely not going to use Shimmel!!!! Thank you so much everyone. I don’t want a wierd name or anything negative but we will be naming for my grandfather and I’ve carefully looked into this and know it is the right person to name for. Actually it is the right person but I’m concerned after reading all the warnings from everyone here. Is there a reason we are forbidden or discouraged from naming a girl after male relatives?

I’m still tossing around many of the other suggestions. I like Shima, but haven’t heard it so I have to say it out loud many times to feel it. I also like Simcha (I’m fine with it for both or girl and like taht it will correspond with the Chag and the meaning). I am still considering Shimona,just because it is soooo close to my grandfathers real name and it’s a real female name, and I love the meaning. Listening and hearing is so important in life. However it still sounds not so pretty to me.

I would like to know more about Zofia. Is that spelled with צ or ז? We need a ז.
I have golda in my name so we can’t do zehava.
My husband is Israeli and chose Ziv which several girls in my family are also named. I’m flexible on it and originally liked Ziva a lot more but dh told me it means gonorrhea in Hebrew so unfortunately we can’t use that. Although ziva sounds beautiful and classic to me I don’t want others to have that image.

Thank you so much for your advice and suggestions. Also for your cautions about naming after a male. I am a bit nervous after reading all your strong reactions to naming for a male. However It is permitted and has been done before throughout history , and as I said this is the last baby in my family. After me, no one will know my grandfather or name for him because of our small family. I pray this baby exhibits the wisdom and middot that my grandfather had. And also that she inherits all the femininity and intuitive wisdom of her foremothers.

amother

Hyssop

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 7:12 am

Sounds like you are putting a lot of thought and pressure on yourself.

Any name you choose either way will not be shimon or zeev so matching letters and exact configurations won't really help or have any real jewish connection to his name. Maybe have in mind that you are naming after him and that she should inherit his good qualities and tell everyone that's what you are doing but you will not get an exact match. Which is fine! Give a name you love, just as you loved your grandfather. A name he will be proud of for his great granddaughter namesake.

In regards to Zofia, it is spelt צופיה, as in אשת חיל.
A beautiful name with deep meaning beyond its literal translation.

Bshaar tova!

amother

Watermelon

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 7:22 am

amother Hyssop wrote:

Agree with this very much.
Ask a rav whether keeping some letters from his name actually means anything. I would be very surprised if it does. Naming in Yiddishkeit is not the same as the secular world. Just keeping certain letters doesn’t really transfer the name.
If you can’t name the actual name, then middos from your grandfather is a very common way to carry on who he is

amother

Buttercup

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 8:20 am

Busybee5 wrote:

What's Zivia? Do you mean Ziva?

amother

NeonBlue

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 8:23 am

amother Buttercup wrote:

What's Zivia? Do you mean Ziva?

Ive heard of zivia before.

OP im sorry but alot of the names you gave are really out there and quite strange. Switching around letters isnt the same in yiddishkeit as in the secular world. And naming a girl after a man isnt so simple either. Have you spoken this out with a rav?
It seems like youre quite set on choosing a specific name with specific reasons so maybe try to narrow down your choices because your list is long.

Choose a midda your grandfather had and name after that. Where do you live that these names are mainstreamed?

amother

Aubergine

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 10:16 am

In the Dati Leumi world in Israel, it's common to take a few letters from the original name and use that for the new name. They still consider it naming after the person even if the new name has a totally different meaning.

For שמעון they might do:
נועה
נעמה
נעמי
מעיין

They may add another name to use more letters, and do something like: שירה נועה

זאב is a mountain animal, so you can do אילה or יעל which are also mountain animals.

I don't think you should do three names, but pick two nice ones. I'm sure your grandfather will be happy for his granddaughter to have a beautiful name.

Here is a good source for name ideas:
https://aish.com/hebrew-and-je.....irls/

scintilla

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 10:26 am

I may be the dissenting voice here but I like Shimona...

I do know also that there is an idea of naming for a person's characteristics. Ie someone who was kind, you can give the name Rivka. So maybe Shimona with a second name of a strong characteristic of your grandfather and then you can call by that second name. I know people who have done exactly this and they feel it honors their beloved relative!

amother

Buttercup

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 10:28 am

amother NeonBlue wrote:

Interesting
How would it be spelled in Hebrew?

amother

Jean

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 10:42 am

amother NeonBlue wrote:

I've heard of both Zivia and Ziva, as well as Shimona.
I also know several girls who were given feminine versions of male names to be named after a grandfather. My own grandmother was named after her grandfather back in Europe, so it's not something new, either.
I think a lot depends on op's circles, and what is acceptable and considered normal there. I assume in her circles, it is.

Shuly

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 2:20 pm

amother Buttercup wrote:

Interesting
How would it be spelled in Hebrew?

Ziva is זיוה
Zivia (Tzivia) is צביה

WhatFor

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 4:11 pm

Ladybug1 wrote:

I think some people hold not to name after the opposite zx but for many it's also a matter of thinking about your child, and what it's like to go through life with a name like that. I can't see myself naming my child a name that's both very unusual and also doesn't sound pretty. I wouldn't want my child being mocked or to suffer for it.

I also learned that for Jews once we change the name (or combine names, or add a name) it's no longer the same energy as the original - not that it's forbidden but that you're no longer carrying on the name of that person. It's a completely different name. At which point you may as well go for something that carries on a similar meaning or something that sounds nice to you.

Shimon is about God hearing Leah's prayers, to my understanding. It's not as much about the middah of listening in a person, although anyone can choose to learn from it. But that's why I was saying Eliana has a similar meaning. It means my God answers.

Ziv is a beautiful name that means radiance or radiant light. Zev means wolf. They are two completely different names. I believe Tzofia is a צ. I've never heard of Zofia. Same with Tzivia.

Just my personal opinion, but ideally your child's Hebrew name is something you love enough to call them regularly, not just a name that's used for davening and on their wedding invitation.

Finally, just one more thing on using Eliana as a secular name only: ask your rabbi, but I've also heard of a concept that the name that a baby is called for a few months (I forget the exact amount of time) after they're born becomes their name. I assume that doesn't necessarily apply with secular names but Eliana is not a secular name. So maybe ask your Rabbi if calling her that makes it her actual name.

Busybee5

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 6:30 pm

amother Buttercup wrote:

What's Zivia? Do you mean Ziva?

No it's usually spelt Tzivia but I started it with a Z for op here.

WhatFor

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 6:32 pm

Busybee5 wrote:

No it's usually spelt Tzivia but I started it with a Z for op here.

In that case we can also suggest Zara, Zivka, Zachel, or Zeah.