Raya/Raaya | Imamother

amother

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 3:24 pm

Has anyone ever met someone recently with this name? It’s very popular in the secular world in recent years, but I haven’t met a young frum woman named this. I have ancestors with this name and always loved it but never encounter it.

amother

Snowflake

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 3:58 pm

I was in school with a beautiful raya with a gorgeous voice!

amother

Maple

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 4:39 pm

It sounds Indian, never heard of it used among secular white people.

amother

Seagreen

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 4:45 pm

I have a friend with a daughter Raya. I wouldn't use it as we only do biblical names, but it sounds beautiful to me.

etky

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 5:23 pm

It's quite a common name among DL here in Israel.
Ra'aya - not Raya.
It's biblilcal - the designation used for the female character in Shir Hashirim.

zaq

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 5:41 pm

רעיה means the female partner in a marriage, iow a wife. It's a more poetic word than ishah and has a more romantic and lover-like connotation. Many charedi wedding invitations that don't mention women's names will read "Horei hakallah Harav Soandso veRaayato" (Parents of the bride Rabbi Soandso and his wife." Beautiful name.

zaq

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 5:45 pm

כְּשֹֽׁושַׁנָּה֙ בֵּ֣ין הַחֹוחִ֔ים כֵּ֥ן רַעְיָתִ֖י בֵּ֥ין הַבָּנֹֽות׃
Shir Hashirim 2:2
The word "ra'ayati" is repeated many times in Shir Hashirim.

jerusalem90

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 6:05 pm

I've known a frum Raaya in Israel.

There is a Disney? Pixar? Dreamworks? Movie feom about 10ish years ago called Raya and the Last Dragon, and it's a good childrens movie, IMO

amother

Lightgreen

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 8:47 pm

I know a Raaya (American)
And it's common in Israel

amother

Quince

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 9:11 pm

I know a wonderful chareidi woman Raaya.
I think it’s such a poetic sounding name if pronounced correctly

amother

Maize

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 9:44 pm

Reminds me of the seminary machon raaya

salt

Tue, Dec 26 2023, 2:03 am

I've heard it also spelt with an alef - ראי"ה - a girls' name as an acronym for Rav Avraham Yitzhak Hakohen (Kook).

amother

Sienna

Tue, Dec 26 2023, 2:06 am

amother Seagreen wrote:

I have a friend with a daughter Raya. I wouldn't use it as we only do biblical names, but it sounds beautiful to me.

Same. We don't use words from tanach, only things that were used as names in tanach

amother

Lightgreen

Tue, Dec 26 2023, 2:11 am

salt wrote:

I've heard it also spelt with an alef - ראי"ה - a girls' name as an acronym for Rav Avraham Yitzhak Hakohen (Kook).

No no no
This is not a name for a person!! It's used as a name for a place (a campus for example)

amother

Hosta

Tue, Dec 26 2023, 3:11 am

"Reminds me of the seminary machon raaya"

Because Machon Raaya is named after someone who's name was raaya
I love the name!

Rachel Gefen

Tue, Dec 26 2023, 8:41 am

my daughter! great name!

amother

Hibiscus

Tue, Dec 26 2023, 9:07 am

I know two Jewish women from Russian families with the name Raya (one frum one not). I assumed it was a Russian version of a Jewish name. Anyone know?

Rabbit613

Tue, Dec 26 2023, 9:17 am

I know a few girls with this name.
All of them frum and in Israel.
It's very pretty.

etky

Tue, Dec 26 2023, 9:24 am

amother Hibiscus wrote:

I know two Jewish women from Russian families with the name Raya (one frum one not). I assumed it was a Russian version of a Jewish name. Anyone know?

I've also heard Raya as a Russian name but I don't know if there's any connection to Ra'aya.