english versions of Jewish names

amother

Sun, Aug 28 2011, 1:52 pm

My parents call me the english version of my name so that's what I got used to, but I find it annoying as none of my friends are known by their English name and it mis-represents who I am...new people I meet think I'm BT (which there is nothing wrong with AT ALL, its just inaccurate of me!) Hebrew speakers can't pronounce my name. I havnt got jobs in very frum places I am convinced my name didn't help! I could change to the Hebrew version (very similar) but then have even more of a complex! - as one of my friends from school put - oh, your so frum now, are u gonna change your name to 'x' now?
I didnt even bother responding. Also I live in the same area I grew up so everyone knows me by my English name.

I think it depends what circles your child is gonna mix in. I thinly its easier to go by Hebrew name and then if your child wants they can always use the English (if they were/wanted to work or go to college) it is also a geder to have an obviously 'foreign' name when mixing with the world.

I have given and call my children by their Jewish names, as have all of my siblings. (we all grew up known as the English version)

amother

Sun, Aug 28 2011, 2:01 pm

amother wrote:

would you name a child the english version of a hebrew name?

for example

Rebecca, instead of Rivka
Abigail, instead of Avigayil
Judith, instead of Yehudit
Jacob, instead of Yaacov
Joseph, instead of Yossi
and so on

what is the difference betweent the english/hebrew, it's the same name right?
just curious

I know many people who only give their kids names that have English equivalent. Some use this name, others only put it in birth certificate and use the Hebrew name. I personally have children whose names don't even need an English version (Like Sarah, Eli etc.).

nylon

Sun, Aug 28 2011, 2:46 pm

I've known people who did both and I don't think there's a right answer (even ones that are spelled the same are not 100% problem free: do you say it the English way, or the Hebrew one? David and Rachel are big ones for this. Especially Rachel because English speakers find it difficult.)

Certainly, putting the English version on the birth certificate is very common even today. There's also a sticking point for some people that some names sound old fashioned or "frummy" in Hebrew but have come back into style in English (and this can work both ways). And then it depends on the name. Some of these names just seem more popular in English than others--Joshua comes to mind, it's popular amongst MO parents as well as non-Orthodox. For boys, the basic Tanach names are very, very popular in English in general, and this seems to muddle things even more: do you use the Hebrew to be more distinctively Jewish, or accept that naming your son David or Jacob is just going to be fairly generic?

My DD has a name that is purely Hebrew. Baby #2 may have one of these dual names. I was completely unwilling to do what my (secular) parents did and give an English name that was unrelated to my Hebrew name (this actually caused a fight with my mother) but I was okay with using an Anglicized version. None of our relatives are frum so we do want to use a name that they can pronounce. If they find it easier to say Jacob than Yaakov (just an example) then that's okay, for us. If s/he wants to switch to the Hebrew version of their name when they get older, that's okay and it will be similar enough to be easy. School wise, if they want to use the Hebrew, that's fine too (heck, I had teachers do that in foreign language classes, and I got called by my Hebrew name at religious school).

amother

Sun, Aug 28 2011, 4:10 pm

it's the same name, no difference

I personally prefer the english version in some cases

yes Joshua is so common amongst Jewish orthodox families, and I have never heard a boy being called Yehoshua (sp?) in my experience

my grandmother was Rebecca so maybe I am biased but to me it's such a beautiful name. I prefer it to Rivka, though I don't really like Beccy.