Genesha (female Lubavitch name)

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Pregnancy & Childbirth -> Baby Names

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

bigsis144

Sun, Jan 29 2012, 6:55 pm

Calling all the name scholars!

I've only ever heard this name among Lubavitchers (as Neshe, Ganessa, G'nesha and other variations), and would like to know how on EARTH such a name became Jewish.

Is it related at all to the Hindu elephant-headed deity (in the way that some say Queen Esther's name is related to the goddess Ishtar), or completely different?

life'sgreat

Sun, Jan 29 2012, 7:05 pm

bigsis144 wrote:

There are quite a number of non chabad geneshas. I can rattle off a few right here in Monsey (admittedly, one large family has geneshas, but there are others as well. No clue about the source though.

Sudy

Sun, Jan 29 2012, 7:12 pm

Delete

Last edited by Sudy on Sun, Apr 07 2013, 3:35 pm; edited 1 time in total

Ruchel

Sun, Jan 29 2012, 7:23 pm

The name is from Gnendel and much older than chassidis.
Gnendel is a machlokes. From Gan Eden, gnadige (honoured), or Gnana (grandmother)

StrawberrySmoothie

Sun, Jan 29 2012, 8:10 pm

The Gnesha's in Monsey are all related. It's a family name and they do have Lubavitch roots, but not sure if thats where the name originates from.

sarahd

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 5:08 am

I know Geneshas not from Monsey, but they're all descended from the same Genesha as the Monsey ones.

DrMom

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 5:57 am

bigsis144 wrote:

This was my first thought.

Raizle

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 6:05 am

I'm Lubavitch and never heard of the name in Lubavitch. Actually I've barely heard of the name at all.

freidasima

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 6:05 am

We have genessa in the family. I was told that it comes not from Genendel but originally from something having to do with (I forget the greek term) love of G-d...anyhow it is translated into English as "grace" and into Hebrew often as "yedida" or "yedidya" for a boy.

Ruchel

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 8:35 am

It doesn't sound Greek, and I don't recognize the root for love or G-d...

freidasima

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 10:18 am

My mistake, asked Dh now and he said that from the German Genuesse (or something that sounds like that ) whose root is friend as in friend of the Lord, hence Yedida or Yedidya in Hebrew...

Ruchel

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 10:32 am

Interesting! can you ask him if it's an old German word? I also do not recognize it, but am losing my German by the day...

Sudy

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 10:37 am

freidasima wrote:

My mistake, asked Dh now and he said that from the German Genuesse (or something that sounds like that ) whose root is friend as in friend of the Lord, hence Yedida or Yedidya in Hebrew...

My family is Russian for generations back. Absolutly no connection to German Jews/German language.

I dont think this is the real meaning.

Ruchel

Mon, Jan 30 2012, 10:43 am

Aren't there Russian Ber, Shayna, Golda, Mushka, Mendel...?

Page 1 of 1