Matanya | Imamother

amother

Sun, Jan 19 2020, 9:23 pm

Finding it difficult to decide on a boys name this time.
For some reason I keep coming back to the name matanya. The problem I have with it though is that its a name that was changed to a totally different name in tanach- does that mean its a name that shouldnt be used? Eg wouldnt use avram..
Any other name suggestions of a similar type of name? Dh loves yedidya, im not so sure (esp as we're in israel with chutz relatives, and name is pronounced v differently I think..)

singleagain

Sun, Jan 19 2020, 9:44 pm

I know a matanya. From Israel. I think it's a lovely name. I didn't know it was changed... But if you keep coming back, there probably a reason.

mommyX2

Sun, Jan 19 2020, 10:41 pm

I never heard of the name matanya but I thought it was a girls name from the title. can you do matan to sound more boyish?

salt

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 1:28 am

I just looked it up, interesting it's was the king Tzidkiyahu's original name - I didn't know that.

But it was not Hashem that changed his name, it was Melech Bavel. So for what my opinion is worth, I think the original is also usable.
Also Tzidkiyahu had a hard life and "he did evil in the eyes of Hashem", so his name change was not necessarily for the best. Maybe he'd have been better to stick with Matanya.

By the way, people use Yaakov and Yisrael, although both those names are used in the Torah too, even after his name change, so maybe that's different.

salt

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 1:30 am

mommyX2 wrote:

I never heard of the name matanya but I thought it was a girls name from the title. can you do matan to sound more boyish?

Definitely a boys name.

American's might pronounce it with the emphasis on the 'tan' - ie. MaTANya which spoils it a bit and makes it sound like the town Netanya.
But in Israel it definitely goes.

amother

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 1:50 am

Thanks salt, that explanation definately makes it seem useable Smile

Its funny because not many people know it was tzidkiyahus original name, thats what was throwing me, that its a name that totally stopped being used (as opposed to say yaakov).
That it was someone other than HaShem that changed it changes things

amother

Cerulean

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 2:04 am

Thats our rav's first name (israeli yishuv rav)
I think its a beautiful name.

salt

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 5:01 am

For all of you who are saying that it sounds feminine. It's just because you haven't heard of it.
It's no more feminine sounding than Azarya, Yedidya, Amatzya, Chananya...

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 6:25 am

amother [ Crimson ] wrote:

I've never heard of matanya, it sounds quite feminine...

It literally means:
matan- gift
ya- hashem

gift from hashem.
Not feminine at all. Ive actually only heard of men with this name ever.

amother

Crimson

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 7:43 am

salt wrote:

For all of you who are saying that it sounds feminine. It's just because you haven't heard of it.
It's no more feminine sounding than Azarya, Yedidya, Amatzya, Chananya...

True that I've never heard of it but I personally still think it sounds feminine. The name Tanya is a girls name and that's the ending matanya

etky

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 7:59 am

It's a very popular boys name among DL circles and people who've studied Nach know that it was Tzidkiyahu's name - given to him by his very righteous father, Yoshiyahu - before Nebuchadnezer changed it for political reasons. The stress is on the last syllable.
Related and also very popular names are Matanel and Matan but you should know that Matan was a priest of Ba'al during the reigh of Atalya - so, not necessarily better than Matanya in terms of its origin.

etky

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 8:03 am

amother [ Crimson ] wrote:

True that I've never heard of it but I personally still think it sounds feminine. The name Tanya is a girls name and that's the ending matanya

It's used exclusively for boys in Israel and to the Israeli ear in no ways evokes Tanya which has the stress on the first syllable.
If OP is in the US she might feel differently.

amother

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 9:04 am

Thanks for all replies. Im in israel.
Never crossed my mind that it may sound feminine, because I know it as a male name it still doesnt sound feminine to me!

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Jan 20 2020, 9:09 am

amother [ Crimson ] wrote:

True that I've never heard of it but I personally still think it sounds feminine. The name Tanya is a girls name and that's the ending matanya

crimson amother, did you see what I wrote above?
Its matan - gift and ya - hashem
Nothing to do with tanya.