Elul Baby Girl Name- Tzofia or Keren

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Which is more popular in the USA for girl name?

Keren

42%

[ 58 ]

Tzofia

16%

[ 22 ]

Never heard of either one

40%

[ 55 ]

Total Votes : 135

amother

Denim

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:01 pm

We are having a baby be-ezras Hash-em soon and can't really decide on a girls name. We are trying to connect to the time of the year, though open to other ideas as well.

My husband just wants to know the popularity or how common either of these names are. He doesn't love either one, but may be pursuaded if they are not exclusively Israeli names, as we live in the USA.

Please share your thoughts on if you've heard the name and specifically in the USA.

Thanks!

sequoia

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:09 pm

I know an American Keren and a Canadian Tzofia.

amother

Teal

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:11 pm

I know a Keren in the USA, but I think her parents are/were Israeli.

For other Elul related names:
- Malka (Melech Basadeh)
- Chava (created on Rosh Hashana)
- Tova (Shana Tova)
- Zeesa (sweet, as above)

amother

Ruby

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:15 pm

I live in america and have a Tsophia. I also have two friends keren.

amother

Maroon

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:15 pm

I live (born/raised) in the USA but love Israeli names. I love the names Tzofia and Keren. If my son would have been a girl, his Hebrew name would have been Tzofia and English name Sofia. Keren is also beautiful however that's the Hebrew spelling, in the USA Karen is the common form. I'll be following this discussion as I'm prego and need to start thinking about names. LOL

amother

Beige

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:15 pm

Both beautiful names. Neither heard Tzofia in the US (the pronunciation might be difficult for Americans). Have heard Keren.

yidisheh mama

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:33 pm

I've only heard of Tzofia here on imamother. But I do know 2 Kerens.

amother

Saddlebrown

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:38 pm

Sorry to b honest I personally dont like either and they not commen in u.s

spring13

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 8:45 pm

I know people with both names in the US, and I like them a lot. I know a few who named girls Tzofia in Hebrew but they say Sofia in English.

fiji

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 9:18 am

I feel like keren sounds like karen which is a very popular american name

amother

Periwinkle

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 9:22 am

[quote="amother"]I know a Keren in the USA, but I think her parents are/were Israeli.

For other Elul related names:
- Malka (Melech Basadeh)
- Chava (created on Rosh Hashana)
- Tova (Shana Tova)
- Zeesa (sweet, as above)[/quo

Dina

amother

Cerulean

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 9:52 am

I like Keren

amother

Purple

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 11:05 am

I know one of each (live in America).
2 beautiful choices!

Amarante

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 2:13 pm

In the US, Keren is always going to be spelled and pronounced as Karen. IMHO, yu might as well name Karen (not that I am recommending that name) uniess you have a very strong reason for Keren.

There was a prior thread on whether alternative spellings of Sophie should be used with no consensus. I dint see an issue as I think most reasonably literate people in the US are familiar with pronounciation if the Ts or Tz combination. I like the name as it is unusual without being wacky and mellifluent to my ears at least. It also has a somewhat nostalgic feel to me in terms of Pre War Jewish names as I know a lot of Sophie from that generation.

rnnr

Sun, Sep 04 2016, 8:34 am

As long as you are okay with Americans pronouncing Keren "Karen" and Tzophia "Sophia", they are both beautiful names with beautiful meanings. I know people of both names in the US, but more Kerens.

bigsis144

Sun, Sep 04 2016, 8:54 am

My American niece is Tsofiyah.

Sun, Sep 04 2016, 9:13 am

Have only heard "Keren" once in the US (Israeli parents), and never "Tzofia."

As noted already - to the secular English-speaker's ear, both names are very similar to other English names, so be prepared for constant misspellings and mispronunciations.

Scrabble123

Sun, Sep 04 2016, 5:59 pm

I have never met or heard of someone in the United States named Tzofia, but have definitely heard of Kerens (who were either Israeli or had Israeli parents). I also wanted to point out that in English the name is generally spelled Sophia even though as a Greek name it could definitely work as Sofia (probably more authentic to its roots) since a few amothers pointed out that in English they would spell the name Sophia. I don't think that the Hebrew Tzofia and Greek Sophia/Sofia are related so there is no need to go the English route if you are not into that. I think that both Tzofia and Keren are pretty equal on the "playing field" in terms of what I feel when I hear the name, and they would both make a great choice if you go for them. Good luck!

agreer

Mon, Sep 05 2016, 12:54 am

I like Karen and Sophia way better than Keren or Tzofiah, but probably because I am more familiar with those names.

To me, both of those names sound like you're trying too hard to hebrew-ize those non-Jewish names, even though they are popular israeli names.

Sorry.

ROFL

Mon, Sep 05 2016, 1:43 am

agreer wrote:

Keren is in Hebrew a ray. Like a ray of sunshine. Like Keren Or in the tanach

Tzoifia is also a Hebrew word that means ( I think ) to look towards. Like in the song hatikvah ( and I am sure somewhere in the tanach !
Kol od baleivav penimah
Nefesh yehudi homiyah,
Ulfa’atey mizrah kadim
Ayin letsiyon tsofiyah;

This has nothing to do with the English names Keren and Sofia !

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