Jewish names?

[Pruzhany]

Originally Posted by PJ1252

Historically you name your child by using the first letter of the first name of a relative that lived a good life.

Sorry its not historically. Its common for the current generation or two. But historically is been a modernized version of a past relatives name.

[Tikva]

Its an Ashkenazi minhag (custom) to name after a deceased relative [usually by using a name sharing the first letter].

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by PJ1252

Historically you name your child by using the first letter of the first name of a relative that lived a good life.

Originally Posted by Pruzhany

Sorry its not historically. Its common for the current generation or two. But historically is been a modernized version of a past relatives name.

As far as I know that it is only common with American Jews.

[Pruzhany]

Originally Posted by Chava61

As far as I know that it is only common with American Jews.

And Canadian.

[ABQConvict]

I noticied the name 'Patricia' on the girl's names list. I'm pretty sure it is Latin and means a son (or daughter) of the fatherland; a periphrastic for nobleman/woman. About as Roman and non-Jewish as you can get, I would think.

Has this name truly been widely adopted by any but the most irreligious of the Reform jews?

The same for Laura, (also Roman) refering to the Roman admiration for the laurel bush as a representation of victory.

I am not saying that these names have not been adopted by some Jewish families, but they certainly don't connote Jewish cultural themes, either.

[Pruzhany]

Has these names truly been ... adopted by any but the most irreligious of the Reform jews?

Yes.


Patricia--> Batsheva (loosely) (Mostly used by Christians or American Jews who don't know any better)

Laura--> Lawrence (Mostly used by Christians or American Jews who don't know any better)

[manhattangirl]

I have one of the names on the list. I have three names- two are "Jewish-sounding" and the other is the one from the list.

[PJ1252]

Originally Posted by Pruzhany

Sorry its not historically. Its common for the current generation or two. But historically is been a modernized version of a past relatives name.

What ever

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Tikva

A very interesting question.

Names of Hebrew origin in your list:
Miriam (מרים)
Leah (לאה)
Rachel is the anglicized verison of Rahkhel (רחל)
Eva is the latinized version of Eve (Chava חוה) that is utilized in the "New Testament".
Rebecca is the anglicized version of Rivka (רבּקה)
Sarah (שרה)
Elizabeth is the Greek version of Elisheva (אלישבּע)

Jonathan (יונתנ)
Matthew is the greek version of the Hebrew name Matityahu (מתתיהו)
Isaac is the anglicized version of Yitzchak (יצחק)
Jacob is the anglicized version of Yaakov (יעקב)
Joseph is the latin form of the greek name Ioseph, which is derived from the Hebrew name Yosef (יוסף)
Adam (אדם)
Simon is the greek version of the Hebrew name Shimon (שמעון)
Daniel (דניאל)
Jeremy derives from the anglicized Jeremiah, which in Hebrew would be Yirmiyahu (ירמיהו)
Noah (נוח)
Moses is derived from the Hebrew name Moshe (משה)
Samuel is the anglicized version of the name Shmuel (שמואל)

Other names:
Mary -> derived from the latin translation of the New Testament (Greek). I would never name my child Mary or Maria due to its connection with Christendom.
Madeline
Martha -> derived from Aramaic (מרתא)
Laura
Linda
Patricia
Helen (connected with the Saint in Catholicism)
Diana
Alexandra
Samantha (some contest that it is a female form of Samuel (שמואל))

Peter (Greek)
Paul (original name was Saul [שאול]), the name Paul is very connected to Christendom.
Phillip (Greek)
Luke (Greek)
Timothy (Greek)
Thomas - greek form of the Aramaic name תאומא.
Arthur
Xavier
Dominic
Constantine
Ferdinand
Roger
Julius
George

Many of those names you listed that fell into "other" would not be acceptable to me due to their connection to Christianity.

I read an article last year that cautioned writers not to name their characters inappropriately, and gave as an example naming a Jewish character "Christine". LOL, you would think that would be obvious, but good advice.