Most Uncommon Frum Baby Names

Angiepymytu is lurking on a three-year-old forum topic called "Most Uncommon Frum Names", on a website called Yeshiva World News. Not sure what more there is to say here...

1. 
   A600KiloBear
   Inactive, per member request
   BS"D

   But are the Bahiyas named Batya for kodesh the way an American Batya might be known as Beth on paper, or has Bahiya become a kodesh name the way the French names have in Morocco?

   Annette is Chana, but there are granddaughters of Annettes who was born at the time the Alliance started in Morocco is called Annette and only Annette even if her parents are very haredi. Especially in EY, people do not even know that the name was French but think it is an authentic Moroccan Jewish first name - which I guess it is once the name is given in memory of someone. My friend's mother by now probably has (great)grandchildren named Annette for their (great)grandmother as per Sefardi custom. If you saw Rabbanit Annette shopping in Boro Park, the only way you would know she is not a local haimishe bubbe is if you heard her speak French or Arabic, or tried to speak to her in Yiddish.

   POSTED 3 YEARS AGO #
2. oomis
   Member
   "Really? Well the name Nicole Its veryy common in my community (yes orthodox!) Maybe you should be careful how you say things. Because is NOT uncommon "

   Don't get bent out of shape. I AM careful how I say things, and meant no insult. Nicole comes from Nicholas which is the REAL name of the "sainted" jolly man in the red suit. Any Jew who knows that would not b'davka seek to name a child nicole or nicholas (would a frum parent name a son christopher or a daughter christine?) It just shows that the people who do so, really are not thinking about the name at all, or its origins. Perhaps your Orthodox community is unaware of the significance of that name. Otherwise why would anyone frum would want to call their child by a name, no matter how pretty, that is SO strongly sociated with both christianity and paganism?
   If it is out of a genuine and innocent lack of awareness, then it is GOOD for it to be called to their attention. I truly did not intend to offend. My apologies.

   POSTED 3 YEARS AGO #
3. dunno
   Better Late than Never!
   There was a Jewish family (not frum) who wanted to give their son a biblical name. They came up with Bilaam and call him Bill!

   POSTED 3 YEARS AGO #
4. Mayan_Dvash
   Member
   How about Elmo, as a contraction of Eli(ezer/ahu etc.) Mo(she/rdechai etc.)

   POSTED 3 YEARS AGO #
5. A600KiloBear
   Inactive, per member request
   BS"D

   The Sefardi community does not have any connection with the old Lipa impersonator (well, more like Michoel Schnitzler as far as weight and age are concerned but the clothing is pure Lipa) who wears a red bekeshe. Even I, living in a part of the world where the Lipa impersonator is called Father Frost, did not make the connection between the name Nicole and this season.

   The real problematic French name common among Jews is Nathalie which is a reference to krachtzmas and comes from the same Latin root as nitel - again these names entered via communities in the Islamic world where no one thinks of these things.

   The Lubavitcher Rebbe ZYA did encourage French speaking BT's to change their names (he himself lived in France and was aware of the origins of these names). However, naming for a relative is very powerful and it is very understandable why these names are not changed.

   POSTED 3 YEARS AGO #
6. passion4music
   Member
   Kilo: I guess the was the the french names became kodesh (if I understand correctley u mean like the name sophia right) but that was our parents and grandparents generations, now the behiyas have became batya...in the old country they were called bahiya.

   Oomis: all the nicoles I know are named only after grandmothers.

   POSTED 3 YEARS AGO #
7. oomis
   Member
   "Nathalie "

   YEP! Most people are unaware of that. "Natale" means "The Birth." It specifically refers to "his" birth, which is why the name came into usage by christians.

   Naming for a relative is powerful, but it is far better to name in Loshon Kodesh, IMO.
   When a name has very specific goyishe implications, it is no kovod to the person for whom the child is named, especially if the deceased was named that name through innocent lack of awareness of its implications.

   MAYAN- DVASH -- in my household we LOVE Elmo. I never thought of it as Jewish name. Now I must get a kippah for my granddaughter's favorite little friend.

   POSTED 3 YEARS AGO #
8. A600KiloBear
   Inactive, per member request
   BS"D

   I know of an Algerian Jew named C---istian. In this case the name, not very innocently suggested by Catholic mission hospital nurses who duped his parents, had a very bad effect on his neshomo. He owns or owned a treyf lemehadrin seafood restaurant in Yafo :(.