S/o name Mazal | Imamother

amother

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 3:27 pm

I started a thread on the name Mazal. I noticed a few people made jokes about the name, clearly wasn't what I was looking for, but whatever. My question is, if I theoretically used the name, would my daughter get made fun of frequently?

amother

Mint

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 3:32 pm

The mazal's I know, aren't made fun of. Everyone is used to the name.

(As an aside, an adult that mocks a person's name, would mock them even if they had a different name. It's a display of poor middos. Don't take it to heart.)

amother

Lightblue

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 3:34 pm

Honestly, if I were you I would give it as a middle name. In Israel, it's more of an older ladies' name and outside of Israel it's just not that common and your child will probably have to deal with other kids poking fun.
There is nothing inherently be wrong with the name, but it is just not popular, fashionable or classic. Only you know how different you dare to be.

amother

Seablue

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 3:42 pm

I is was one of the inappropriate people. I apologize.

Mazel is a beautiful name. It is often stand alone. You can use it as an only name or with anything that doesn’t make a phrase or rhyme/alliteration. I would probably not call by a double name.
Have many friends with the name Mazel in Hebrew and Fortune in English.

Rivka Mazel or Mazel Rivka is fine, as is Sara, Rina, Esther, Tamar, Penina, Devorah, Leah, Adina, Dina……..

I think I would avoid Perel or anything that ends in an L.

Brit in Israel

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 4:15 pm

When I met a Mazal at the age of 8+- she wouldnt say her name to kids she didnt know. she seemed like a confident girl but was embarrased. it was her only or first name.
Its a very nice name but children tease when they find a weak point.

amother

Gold

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 4:23 pm

My daughter (17) is Mazal Yehudis. We are ashkenazim who live in Lakewood (we do have sefardish family, thus the name). As far as I know, she has never been made fun of, the worst that’s happened is that some people call her Mazel instead of Mazal (she finds it somewhat annoying but the people aren’t doing it to make fun). We did give her a second (more ‘mainstream’) name so that if she ever had an issue, she could just use that one. Currently, she insists on being called both names.

Btw when she was learning to read Hebrew, we spoke to her teacher & agreed to write her name with a pasach under the zayin so as not to confuse her (and her classmates).

amother

Peach

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 4:30 pm

I am chassidish and I know a few mazels there grandmother was sefardish and when she passed away she had many grandchildren named after her they did add a name but I never thought to make fun of it yes was a unique name

amother

Pistachio

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 5:36 pm

If you are ashkenaz you know its not common but I know quite a few kids with uncommon names who didn't add a name and just own their name, usually the rare Yiddish names. Kids you add a second name will use that one. But there are cute nicknames. In my 99% Ashkenazi upbringing I had a sefardi classmate Mazal. No one ever made fun of her name. Maizy & mali can be cute nicknames too.

LovesHashem

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 6:02 pm

[quote="amother Lightblue"]Honestly, if I were you I would give it as a middle name. In Israel, it's more of an older ladies' name and outside of Israel it's just not that common and your child will probably have to deal with other kids poking fun.
There is nothing inherently be wrong with the name, but it is just not popular, fashionable or classic. Only you know how different you dare to be.[/quote
Depends where. I know 5 Mazels around my age (late 20s). Definitely still popular in some circles. I've met kids with it too

amother

Oatmeal

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 9:32 pm

I’m just curious why you want to name your child
Mazal? Like is there any specific significance or meaning?
I think the name commonly given that has similar sentiments is Bracha - blessing. Not mazal, which is known to mean luck or fortune. Sounds less meaningful to me.

amother

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 9:43 pm

amother Oatmeal wrote:

To name after someone.

amother

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 9:43 pm

amother Seablue wrote:

Thank you!

amother

DarkOrange

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 10:02 pm

Hi, my family is Ashkenazi but my grandmothers parents were Sephardic. My great grandmothers name was Mazal. My aunt who is named for her rarely uses her name except for at work where she’s Morah Mazal. Otherwise she feels the name is strange and goes by her English name. Sephardim name after living relatives so my aunt was named after her grandma as an honor to her.
I strongly considered naming my child Mazal after my great grandmother who was an amazing person and I remember fondly. But for various reasons it didn’t work out. I would consider it again if I had another daughter. I do know of a Sephardi family who has an adorable little Mazal and I have a Sephardi neighbor named Mazal as well. It’s not a name used in Ashkenazic circles tho I would consider a nickname or perhaps add another name to it.