whats in a name | Imamother

micki

Sat, Nov 27 2004, 7:10 pm

do you think that a childs name defines a child? when we name a child do they become the name or does the name make them who they are. for example I have always found that shmuly's are happy people always laughing. wheras a shmuel conjures up a more serious person.
liba reminds me of sunlight and blond hair and baila more dark and mysterious. I have a daughter named liba and she has golden blonde curls. a sunny child. I had this image of liba before she was born and yet she grew to be my image. did my naming her cause her to be this way, the koach of a child named liba is this nature? or did she grow to be a fulfillment of this name?

its intersting- we were talking about this on shabbos, what if we named Liba- Rivka. would she be different?

Tefila

Sat, Nov 27 2004, 8:52 pm

About looking I'm not sure....however yes names definatley mean something e.g. all Chanas I know are domesticated. Twisted Evil

all Rivkas are bossy, all Leahs are kvetches, Twisted Evil

all Miriams (even though it means bitter) are kind, all Ari,s are strong in personality etc I think by giving a double name we can balance the personality.... however It is told when parents give a name Ruach Hakodesh descends tells them what to name their child.

Twisted Evil

Now that I have pulled people apart incl myself what do you say Question

rydys

Sat, Nov 27 2004, 9:49 pm

I definitely agree! When my second son was born my husband and I had already decided on a name for him before his birth. When I saw him right after he was born I knew that that was not his name. Hashem is the one who names our kids, and gives us the siyata dishmaya to know what the right name is. I know several stories where parents decided on a name for a child and when it came time to actually name the baby something happened and the name was changed.

micki

Sat, Nov 27 2004, 10:16 pm

hey freilich whats your name? but you are right- all those names that you mentioned, the ones I know are the same in nature! all levis are wild, all mendels are tough and menachems are more classy. even a mendy is different than a mendel. now my kids name is menachem mendel, and we call him menachem. he is not a tough kid at all. but if we called him mendel would he be a tough kid?

just makes us think a little - are we given this phenominal ruach hakodesh that allows us to shape a childs life or is this ruchhakodesh an amazing thing that we are giving them a name that matches what their true character is?

maybe we should make a list of names and wha we think they portray... Smile

Tefila

Sun, Nov 28 2004, 12:31 am

And for that matter ia"h I will try never to give my kid a name that b/4 they do anything it already talks for them e.g. 'yenta'-chatter box etc.
Atchually talking about mendys they are wild but they are also charismatic and controversial... don't you think. Twisted Evil

Micki my name .... can't you tell? I am always telling, showing others what to do, without even realizing sometimes..... and not that it is such a bad thing mind you! Wink

As for compiling names great idea, using chassidish, Hebrew and yiddish names aswell. Boys and Girls.Ok I will start
Girls- Shterna Sara Boys - Levi Yitzchok -

Ozmom

Sun, Nov 28 2004, 2:01 am

Freilich I was gonna guess your name but then I thought better not to if you are trying to remain anonymous, except you do have those pictures that I can't decipher.....

anyway what you are saying it true to an extent, they do say that a name reflects a persons personality and a name is Ruach Hakodesh, (how that works with the way you say it eg mendy versus mendel, I don't know)

However I know a yente who is a chatter box and I know a yente who is very carefull with what comes out of her mouth

with each example you bring I can bring you an example of the opposite.
None of the Leahs I know are kvetches. I know one who is very upbeat and has a very positive energy,

(Don't worry my name isn't Leah)

What about names that are after animals and insects
like areye, Devorah, Dov etc
do you think they have the characteristics of those animals

Micki I'm not sure how the way you say the name can have an effect, maybe its because people think of that person in such a way and relate as such so the person grows up to live up to their expectations,
Like if you tell a child often enough that they are naughty then they will be naughty.
But if you tell them they are good and smart then they will attempt to live up to your expectations.

micki

Sun, Nov 28 2004, 9:58 am

yes but do all those baby mendy's know that most mendy's are wild? yet they in infancy are not. I did not want my son called mendy. my hubby tried but I refused. partly because of the steryotype of the name, plus I liked menachem better.

I have a sis who has 2 names of animals we call her by the wild animal name where she mostly acts llike her softer nicer animal name.

for me shtrena sara conjures up a mousy intellectual tall skinny - shterny especially kinda nerdy. a quiter person who tries hard.

levi yitzchok a more strong minded quiet pious child where calling him only levi brings me a wild strong personality. yitzchak is a quiet good hearted person. I guess when you put the names together, it balances out.

ok try Chaya Rochel and Chayale and Rochie and Yossi . and then do Yosef.

somehow there is a big differece in a yossi vs. a yosef. don't know why...

Rochel Leah

Sun, Nov 28 2004, 10:00 am

alot of times you associate a name with someone you know who has that name. I have a friend who named her daughter a certain name because she had a friend with that name and her friend was a special person and she wanted her daugter to be like her friend.

Ozmom

Sun, Nov 28 2004, 7:46 pm

Sorry but I really think its a wild generalisation.
Don't forget there are other things that define a person, their postition in the family for example. A Rivka who is the eldest, yeah sure she could be bossy and a Chana domesticated but take them and place them as youngest or middle you may get a whole different personality.

Last edited by Ozmom on Sun, Aug 07 2005, 7:58 am; edited 1 time in total

micki

Mon, Nov 29 2004, 8:35 am

all right oz- so I know one mendy that shows the qualities of a menachem. but othre wise the rule stands. hey freilich are you a rivkah?
does this mean that before we nickname or even name our next child I gotta go thru the list? but the truth is that I stay away from names that I don't like based on what they mean to me! like I can't stand the name yossi- bad mental image. yosef is just as bad wheras yosef pronounced yaysef is fine!!!
funny no?

Motek

Mon, Nov 29 2004, 1:03 pm

Quote:

For the person's name is the conduit through which the G-dly force descends from above downwards and gives life to the individual.

it is said that the Jewish people, after pogroms and Shabsi Tzvi were at a very low spiritual level, in a "spiritual coma," and that's when Yisrael Baal Shem Tov came and revived them

because when you whisper a person's (Jewish) name into his ear, when he is in a coma, this can help arouse him

Tefila

Mon, Nov 29 2004, 1:18 pm

And for that matter that is why it is important to try and call anyone be it relatives, friends etc by their Jewish name even if it means going out of ones way to do so... that is if, they don't offer it voluntarily.
Motek, interesting that thing about Yenta.... I never knew!

Ozmom

Mon, Nov 29 2004, 7:26 pm

Proud what about if they have really long mouthfull of names.

Motek is it that the name shapes the person or that the parents had ruach Hakodesh that that is the name suited to this child.
Because thats the way I always understood it.

Micki
Its the negative implications that bothers me.
I don't think its fair.
I believe the the name can affect the persons personality but I guess I'm hopefull that only in the positive.
Rivkah is Rivkah Imeinu, so I would tell my child if that was her name that she has a great person to attempt to live up to her name and I would tell her all about Rivka's qaulities.

The issue is that a personality is shaped by so many things that you can't just put it down to the name when you don't like a person.

The person you don't like may have gone through a hard life, lots of trauma etc etc, so does that mean everytime you meet someone with that name you will think of them like the person you don't like.
I just think its excessive.
I understand the concept of not wanting to use a name assosiated with someone who bothers you, thats understandable but to go ahead and say that people with those names behave in a certain way doesn't sit well with me. Unless you are focusing on the positive then that can have no harm.

On the other hand there In E"Y people use all kinds on names and I've even heard the name Nimrod or in the secular world the name Cain.
That I can't understand,
but a Jewish name? names that come from Tzadikkim?

Tefila

Mon, Nov 29 2004, 8:04 pm

Quote:

but a Jewish name? names that come from Tzadikkim?

Ok, I do not mean wild like behaimas or bossy like never mind. But Rivka Imeinu must've had quite a personality to convince Yakov to 'decieve' his father 'so to speak'... Ari's and Mendys are strong natured so as kids can seem difficult but as adults.... conquer the world with their spiritual strength. So I don't mean it bad but yes names do influence personality,

Rivka

Mon, Nov 29 2004, 8:16 pm

I think names have an impact on people, but as said the name is given to you by Hashem to call your child. I had a name for a boy and when my son was born I couldn't see him being called that name and then a name came into my head and that was it.
What is this that Rivkas are bossy...I dunno if I am bossy or not...don't really think about it, I think I can be judgmental though which is not a good thing so I try not to be.
People say that people with those names are like a certain character I think it's just the people who they know. I don't like certain names only because I know people who are called those names and I don't like them.
I prefer Shmuel to Shmuly, coz shmuly sounds like shalshuly.
All depends, also you wouldn't call your child a name that would have negative conotations in the country you live in.