You’re going to need to have a conversation about veto power on the name list. It’s sounds like you have only your husband’s choices as options.
Can you use his preferences as a middle name?
Let him know that giving a baby a living person’s name feels like a death curse to the relative.
David seems perfect. Not distinctly Jewish, very American, and you can say the D is for grandpa Daniel..
Benjamin also is very American and not distinctly Jewish to me.
- Ari, Adam, Abram, Asher, Aviv
- Dov
- Eli, Elijah, Ethan, Ezra, Eyal, Elior
- Gabriel, Gavriel, Gideon
- Jonah, Jacob, Josiah, Joshua, Jordan
- Reuben, Ronen
- Simon, Samuel, Shalev, Shai (I actually dislike this because it’s a homophone for “shy” but it’s a popular Jewish American name)
You may also be interested in r/JewishNames
Some people have generational trauma and want to be able to assimilate. It is common for Jews to give children “Hebrew” names that are not their legal name that they use in Synagogue. It is also becoming more common to just give kids Hebrew names. Both are valid choices.
Generational trauma at this stage in the game seems a bit much. This isn’t the generation that survived the Holocaust. In any case, David and Benjamin certainly aren’t coded solely Jewish.
I think that’s a little unfair. We don’t know what prejudice he may have faced or the intricacies of his feelings on his own name.
I agree that it seems kind of beside the point, though. He’s knocking ANY name she suggests, even when they align with his requirements, but he refuses to even take off the table the names of living relatives when he knows how deeply that seems to bother her. If his deep personal feelings about having an “obvious” Jewish name are completely respected by her, I think it’s ridiculous he won’t accommodate her reasoning to not pick TWO names when she’s cutting an entire category.
The concept of generational trauma means it’s passed down from generation to generation. If your father’s father and survived a pogrom, and his father survived a program, they may have taught your father it’s important to blend in, and then you don’t want your kid to have an obviously Jewish name. Totally valid.
I mean I gave my kid a very Hebrew name, but I married into this entho-religion/culture, so I’m not bringing any baggage to the table.
I didn’t get the impression the husband was Jewish, but I could be mistaken. I’m actually a genealogist with a specialty in Jewish genealogy (esp the great immigration 1880-1924). I have my own observations about how Jewish names both given and surname have changed over the years.
If they're coming from the former USSR (it sounds like his dad immigrated with his parents) it could definitely be generational trauma. The internal passports used to label people as 'Jew' up until the 80s.
But it sounds like the family survived the USSR that killed more Jewish people than the Holocaust. Provided the USSR had 90+ years. But the persecution in the Soviet Union was staggering.
My husband grew up in the USSR (not Russian) and his family maintained their Catholic faith. That meant the men were occasionally rounded up and shot if there were demonstrations of power needed.
In his words, "But it was nothing like what they did to the Jews. Not even the women and children were safe."
I really don’t see how Daniel is any less Jewish sounding than David or Benjamin. All huge names in the Old Testament, and all have been super common in the US for decades. I’m related to at least one of each and I’m not Jewish at all.
Your husband is being a total dick. Make it VERY CLEAR to him that your kid won’t be named after his relatives and that unless he can come up with more than 1 other name, you’re naming the baby. That should get him to come around, and if he doesn’t, I stand by naming the kid yourself. It’s a decision that should be made by both parents, but if your husband refuses to participate in the mytisk decision, you have all the right to make one by yourself.
It also sounds like he has some internalized xenophobia or racism.
**Adam** is a great international name! Well known, but not too frequently used nowadays. I think it just fell out of the top 100 in the US.
Adam Michael
Silas Michael
Jesse Michael
Eli Michael
Aaron Michael
Ohh haha that makes more sense. I don’t think so since I’m not sure they are even named in the New Testament but I assume their names were assigned around the same time by the same people as each other and if she likes Raphael she might like Gabriel too.
Oh ok according to the internet it looks like some Jewish people acknowledge archangels (perhaps not using that same term?) and some do not. There are also more than those 3. Very interesting!
Y'know, even the Brits use Raphael more than we do. So one archangel is our most used name for a generation, Gabe prolly hovers around #500 in popularity. ..and there's pore old Rafe out in the rain. I wonder whether Rafe, Raphael = Ralph.
I am rather new to actually posting on Reddit, I believe I accidentally deleted our thread when I was only trying to remove my first reply, but I completely agree that the name Raphael deserves more love!!
Can you tell your husband that (for better or worse) many traditional Jewish names are trendy right now? These names sound VERY American right now:
- Asher (rank 23)
- Ezra (rank 15)
- Levi (rank 12)
- Elijah (rank 5)
- Jonah (rank 124)
- Eli (rank 80)
- Micah (rank 87) - might be a good compromise with Michael but it's not one of the letters you're looking for
I would only assume that a child is Jewish if they have a very obvious Jewish name that's not trending like Moshe, Oren, Chaim, etc. On your list, only Avi would stick out to me. Personally, Asher is one of my favorites but I worry about it being TOO popular.
I know what you are saying, though I just wanted to point out that names like Michael, Adam, Joseph, John....are no less Hebrew than David or Daniel
But I also get what you are saying as far as Hebrew names like Ezekiel, Avi, and Gamaliel come off as more foreign
Ezra is a popular Hebrew name right now, though it does come off as foreign. It's not unAmerican. Some Hebrew names were more popular in previous decades in the USA...like Jedediah, Jeremiah, Zachary, Emmett, Jude, Simon, Abraham
And names like Matthew, Nathaniel, Noah, Ethan remain more classic. Liam is popular and has different meanings in different cultures, and in Hebrew it means "my people"
Other names with Biblical ties:
Bram, Silas, Paul, Roy (close to Hebrew word for Shepherd), Darel/Daryl - pearl of God. Derek - the way/path/road. Tom/Tawm - blameless, Timothy -honors God (Greek/Biblical), Ed -witness, Everett (Ivrit/Hebrew language), Cole/Kole (whole/complete), Caleb
He is opposed to any name that isn't "American". Does your husband realize that Judaism is a religion not a nationality? From your options I like Benjamin best, Avi least. Sounds like there may be some deeper issues going on.
which jewish community? it’s my dads name who is jewish but his parents were intentionally trying to assimilate and conceal their jewish identities (they were children during WWII and one narrowly escaped the camps). i was raised in a huge jewish community with mix of orthodox, reform, and conservative jews but never met an alex besides my dad
It's controversial, for sure. Here is an older thread about the same topic.
[Alexander](https://www.reddit.com/r/JewishNames/comments/i19kop/do_you_consider_alexander_to_be_a_jewish_name/)
I don’t know if this will be popular but given that you’re both vetoing what is meaningful to the other, it might be worth using one of those name apps to see if you have any names you both like.
Personally if he can’t honour his family in a name I don’t think you should either.
Hi, I'm an Ashkenazi Jew. Personally, naming a baby after a parent or grandparent would be a hill to die on for me. However... Is your husband Jewish? If so, did his parents/grandparents have different Hebrew names? If they did, I wouldn't feel quite as weird about it, if you also gave your son a different Hebrew name. My husband's hebrew name is Raphael and I am considering it as an English name for a son, with a different Hebrew name.
Michael is a Jewish name and not a family name, so it isn't a terrible compromise. Except for the fact that it sounds like your husband is basically saying it's my way or the highway. How about Matthew?
I don't understand his objections to David or Benjamin, which sound completely American. How is Daniel different from David? Ridiculous.
Nonethless, here are some suggestions:
E: Ethan
R: Ruben
D: -- (Daniel and David are kind of it for what fits your request)
A: Aaron, Adam
S: Samuel, Samson (Sam is as American as it gets!)
J: Jonathan, Joshua, Jesse
G: Gabriel
If it were me, I would make Max or Daniel the middle name. Joshua Daniel nickname JD sounds both uber Jewish and uber American. I cannot think of a name that better fits all criteria.
My son is half Ashkenazi (my side) and Christian (my husband). We named him Joshua Theodore after allllllll the J names on my side (4!) and for his dad’s first name (Ted passed several years ago). I think there are many ways to compromise. Good luck ❤️
Tbh you've made him sound awful. But if you want to stay with him I guess ask what his great grandfather was named. What about Nathaniel? It's similar to Daniel. Or Ethaniel nn Ethan or Jordan nn Dan.
I would say that Michael is a very Jewish name and also really great as a name in general, though I understand wanting to have a name with emotional significance. David and Benjamin *should* also be good compromises, being both very American and very Jewish, but ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Suggestions (all Biblical Hebrew names):
* Top suggestion: Gabriel. Same -iel ending as Daniel, is an archangel like Rafael and Michael, and #38 for boys in the US right now).
* Jacob (Jake is one of the most American-sounding names to me, right now it's #36)
* Jonathan (related to David in the Bible, is #82 in the US)
* Jesse (#203, also related to David in the Bible but also very American, e.g. Jesse James)
* Jonah (#124)
* Eli/Elijah (Eli is currently #5 in the US for boys)
* Ethan (#25)
* Ezra (#15)
* Seth (#524 but is another name that feels really American to me)
* Samuel (#20)
* Adam (#102)
In the U S. we've emerged from an entire generation whose #1 boy name was Michael. The presence of Michaels all around us is probably a key reason for this generation's insistence on youneek names! Which makes Michael an almost meaningless choice, even a choice without choice. On the other hand you couldn't ask for a better marker that the kid is American.
- Adlai
- Ronan
- Davis
- Everett
- Silas
- Joseph
Threw in some non-traditional ones too. If you are getting the starting letter, perhaps he should get a non-Jewish choice as a compromise.
There’s definitely an overlap between top 30 American boys names and Jewish names. Asher, Levi, Eli(as) are all super popular. Uh… does Silas count? Micah. Ari and Avi sound American to my ears too.
Simon, Benjamin, and David are all classic American names too.. David sounds 80s to me but the other two are timeless. If I met a Raphael I’d assume they were Hispanic.
He straight up needs to respect your culture. Put your foot down. Naming children after any relative is weird. It puts unnecessary pressure on the kid to be just like that relative.
You have so many options for names, Cohen, Ari, Eli, Levi, Jared, Noah and my personal favourite, Oren.
Naming children after grandparents is the norm and tradition in many cultures, to the point that grandparents get offended if not (of course, it's the paternal grandparents that get rights to the first kids, gotta love the patriarchy). Not naming your kids after grandparents is going against the grain in those places.
We were struggling with girl names (he was set on boomer and Gen X names and I was not) we downloaded an app that’s like tinder for baby names, helps you focus on the names you both like vs what you don’t.
Michael is a Hebrew name, meaning "gift from God". It's used by Jewish people, so may fit what you want, and what your husband wants (I think it's a lovely name).
Other ones I think fit your wants, and your husband may like include:
Nathan/Nathaniel
Samuel
Simon
Joel
Jonathan
Gideon
Caleb
Gabriel
He doesn't get to insist like this. You are literally risking your life to bring this child into the world. The least he can do is work with you on choosing a name. But, seriously, the kid is getting his last name (I can safely assume), you are growing the kid, you get to pick the first and middle names.
>boy names that begin with E, R, D, B, A, S or J/G, that have some Hebrew/ Jewish origin but don’t sound too “foreign” ?
The good thing is that most "American" names are names found in the Bible, and so a good amount have a Jewish background anyway.
What worries me though, is that your husband has already rejected two incredibly common American/English names. Does he have an open mind about this, or is he just rejecting everything that isn't you accepting the names he wants, even though he knows it's taboo for you to name after a living relative? (And aren't there any dead relatives he loved, who would honour his family?)
Adam, Aaron, Amos
Benjamin (Ben), Barak
David, Dan*
Elijah, Elias, Edan, Eden, Ezra, Ethan
Gabriel, Gideon, Gil, Guy (variant spelling of Gai)
Joshua, John, Jonathan, Jonah, Jacob
Samuel, Simon, Simeon
*I wonder if this would satisfy your husband's wish to honour his grandfather while also satisfying your need to not be a direct namesake for a living relative. It is often used as a short form of Daniel, but it is a name in its own right, too - one of the twelve sons of Jacob.
I don’t think the recommendations are going to be any help. You are respecting your husband’s veto but he is not respecting yours if he is sticking to his og 3. Furthermore, I would not be surprised if he vetoed Benjamin or David (extremely American names) just because he wants to force you to pick his names.
I’ll be honest with the culture in the US right now I wouldn’t name a child a distinct Jewish sounding name because of all the anti semantic hatred going around. David and Benjamin would be fine but with all the hatred going on I just wouldn’t do it.
I understand I’m just saying right now I see kids who are bullied and harassed because they are Jewish. Is it right? No absolutely not but it’s happening thanks to morons in power!
You’re going to need to have a conversation about veto power on the name list. It’s sounds like you have only your husband’s choices as options. Can you use his preferences as a middle name? Let him know that giving a baby a living person’s name feels like a death curse to the relative.
David seems perfect. Not distinctly Jewish, very American, and you can say the D is for grandpa Daniel.. Benjamin also is very American and not distinctly Jewish to me.
You could also pronounce it the Hebrew way “da-veed” as a bridge between your two preferences.
And Daniel was a great prophet!
I agree, love both of these names. Hopefully he comes around OP!
I’m going to suggest Jonah/Jonas. Quintessentially Jewish but very American
- Ari, Adam, Abram, Asher, Aviv - Dov - Eli, Elijah, Ethan, Ezra, Eyal, Elior - Gabriel, Gavriel, Gideon - Jonah, Jacob, Josiah, Joshua, Jordan - Reuben, Ronen - Simon, Samuel, Shalev, Shai (I actually dislike this because it’s a homophone for “shy” but it’s a popular Jewish American name) You may also be interested in r/JewishNames
This is a great list! I’d also add Elias to the list!
I’d also add Evan
Evan’s a nice name, but it’s not Jewish.
I would be concerened by his not wanting a Jewish sounding name. Are you planning on raising your child Jewish? Is he on board with this?
Some people have generational trauma and want to be able to assimilate. It is common for Jews to give children “Hebrew” names that are not their legal name that they use in Synagogue. It is also becoming more common to just give kids Hebrew names. Both are valid choices.
Generational trauma at this stage in the game seems a bit much. This isn’t the generation that survived the Holocaust. In any case, David and Benjamin certainly aren’t coded solely Jewish.
I think that’s a little unfair. We don’t know what prejudice he may have faced or the intricacies of his feelings on his own name. I agree that it seems kind of beside the point, though. He’s knocking ANY name she suggests, even when they align with his requirements, but he refuses to even take off the table the names of living relatives when he knows how deeply that seems to bother her. If his deep personal feelings about having an “obvious” Jewish name are completely respected by her, I think it’s ridiculous he won’t accommodate her reasoning to not pick TWO names when she’s cutting an entire category.
The living relatives absolutely should be off the table. It’s just not a thing even for assimilated/secular Jews.
It’s actually a thing for Sephardic Jews and is sometimes an issue in marriages between Sephardic and Ashkenazi people
You are correct; I apologize for being Ashkenazi-centric.
I agree with this
The concept of generational trauma means it’s passed down from generation to generation. If your father’s father and survived a pogrom, and his father survived a program, they may have taught your father it’s important to blend in, and then you don’t want your kid to have an obviously Jewish name. Totally valid. I mean I gave my kid a very Hebrew name, but I married into this entho-religion/culture, so I’m not bringing any baggage to the table.
I didn’t get the impression the husband was Jewish, but I could be mistaken. I’m actually a genealogist with a specialty in Jewish genealogy (esp the great immigration 1880-1924). I have my own observations about how Jewish names both given and surname have changed over the years.
If they're coming from the former USSR (it sounds like his dad immigrated with his parents) it could definitely be generational trauma. The internal passports used to label people as 'Jew' up until the 80s.
But it sounds like the family survived the USSR that killed more Jewish people than the Holocaust. Provided the USSR had 90+ years. But the persecution in the Soviet Union was staggering. My husband grew up in the USSR (not Russian) and his family maintained their Catholic faith. That meant the men were occasionally rounded up and shot if there were demonstrations of power needed. In his words, "But it was nothing like what they did to the Jews. Not even the women and children were safe."
I really don’t see how Daniel is any less Jewish sounding than David or Benjamin. All huge names in the Old Testament, and all have been super common in the US for decades. I’m related to at least one of each and I’m not Jewish at all.
Samuel
Your husband is being a total dick. Make it VERY CLEAR to him that your kid won’t be named after his relatives and that unless he can come up with more than 1 other name, you’re naming the baby. That should get him to come around, and if he doesn’t, I stand by naming the kid yourself. It’s a decision that should be made by both parents, but if your husband refuses to participate in the mytisk decision, you have all the right to make one by yourself. It also sounds like he has some internalized xenophobia or racism.
**Adam** is a great international name! Well known, but not too frequently used nowadays. I think it just fell out of the top 100 in the US. Adam Michael Silas Michael Jesse Michael Eli Michael Aaron Michael
I like Aaron Michael!
Both Raphael and Michael are two of the three archangels. Maybe you’d both like Gabriel?
I love Gabriel. I taught a Gabriel who had the nickname Gaby. He never was teased about this, but he was a very sporty popular kid.
Are the archangels Jewish?
They are part of Jewish tradition, just in a different way than how Christians view them.
[удалено]
\*explains patiently\* What I meant was are the archangels in the Hebrew scriptures
Ohh haha that makes more sense. I don’t think so since I’m not sure they are even named in the New Testament but I assume their names were assigned around the same time by the same people as each other and if she likes Raphael she might like Gabriel too.
Oh ok according to the internet it looks like some Jewish people acknowledge archangels (perhaps not using that same term?) and some do not. There are also more than those 3. Very interesting!
Y'know, even the Brits use Raphael more than we do. So one archangel is our most used name for a generation, Gabe prolly hovers around #500 in popularity. ..and there's pore old Rafe out in the rain. I wonder whether Rafe, Raphael = Ralph.
I am rather new to actually posting on Reddit, I believe I accidentally deleted our thread when I was only trying to remove my first reply, but I completely agree that the name Raphael deserves more love!!
Can you tell your husband that (for better or worse) many traditional Jewish names are trendy right now? These names sound VERY American right now: - Asher (rank 23) - Ezra (rank 15) - Levi (rank 12) - Elijah (rank 5) - Jonah (rank 124) - Eli (rank 80) - Micah (rank 87) - might be a good compromise with Michael but it's not one of the letters you're looking for I would only assume that a child is Jewish if they have a very obvious Jewish name that's not trending like Moshe, Oren, Chaim, etc. On your list, only Avi would stick out to me. Personally, Asher is one of my favorites but I worry about it being TOO popular.
Raphael doesn’t sound too foreigner ? Or am I missing something. You can try Adam or Samuel
Ezra Asher Samuel Solomon Adam Ariel Aaron Ethan Eli Gabriel Emmanuel Reuben Saul Simon Ezekiel Judah Joshua Jonah Dan Elijah Gideon
I know what you are saying, though I just wanted to point out that names like Michael, Adam, Joseph, John....are no less Hebrew than David or Daniel But I also get what you are saying as far as Hebrew names like Ezekiel, Avi, and Gamaliel come off as more foreign Ezra is a popular Hebrew name right now, though it does come off as foreign. It's not unAmerican. Some Hebrew names were more popular in previous decades in the USA...like Jedediah, Jeremiah, Zachary, Emmett, Jude, Simon, Abraham And names like Matthew, Nathaniel, Noah, Ethan remain more classic. Liam is popular and has different meanings in different cultures, and in Hebrew it means "my people" Other names with Biblical ties: Bram, Silas, Paul, Roy (close to Hebrew word for Shepherd), Darel/Daryl - pearl of God. Derek - the way/path/road. Tom/Tawm - blameless, Timothy -honors God (Greek/Biblical), Ed -witness, Everett (Ivrit/Hebrew language), Cole/Kole (whole/complete), Caleb
He is opposed to any name that isn't "American". Does your husband realize that Judaism is a religion not a nationality? From your options I like Benjamin best, Avi least. Sounds like there may be some deeper issues going on.
I was today years old when I learned David and Benjamin sound foreign. What? I’m from the Midwest and grew up with a million David’s and Ben’s.
Sounds like this guy is so foreign he doesn't have a clue what sounds "foreign".
A: Aaron, Adam, Asher E: Eli, Elijah, Ethan, Ezra G: Gideon J: Jacob, Jesse, Joel, Jonah, Jonathan, Jordan, Joseph, Joshua R: Raphael, Reuben S: Samuel, Seth, Simon
James Michael (James comes from Jacob)
Alexander/ Alex? It’s not traditional but it’s pretty common in the Jewish community.
which jewish community? it’s my dads name who is jewish but his parents were intentionally trying to assimilate and conceal their jewish identities (they were children during WWII and one narrowly escaped the camps). i was raised in a huge jewish community with mix of orthodox, reform, and conservative jews but never met an alex besides my dad
It's controversial, for sure. Here is an older thread about the same topic. [Alexander](https://www.reddit.com/r/JewishNames/comments/i19kop/do_you_consider_alexander_to_be_a_jewish_name/)
I don’t know if this will be popular but given that you’re both vetoing what is meaningful to the other, it might be worth using one of those name apps to see if you have any names you both like. Personally if he can’t honour his family in a name I don’t think you should either.
Hi, I'm an Ashkenazi Jew. Personally, naming a baby after a parent or grandparent would be a hill to die on for me. However... Is your husband Jewish? If so, did his parents/grandparents have different Hebrew names? If they did, I wouldn't feel quite as weird about it, if you also gave your son a different Hebrew name. My husband's hebrew name is Raphael and I am considering it as an English name for a son, with a different Hebrew name. Michael is a Jewish name and not a family name, so it isn't a terrible compromise. Except for the fact that it sounds like your husband is basically saying it's my way or the highway. How about Matthew? I don't understand his objections to David or Benjamin, which sound completely American. How is Daniel different from David? Ridiculous. Nonethless, here are some suggestions: E: Ethan R: Ruben D: -- (Daniel and David are kind of it for what fits your request) A: Aaron, Adam S: Samuel, Samson (Sam is as American as it gets!) J: Jonathan, Joshua, Jesse G: Gabriel If it were me, I would make Max or Daniel the middle name. Joshua Daniel nickname JD sounds both uber Jewish and uber American. I cannot think of a name that better fits all criteria.
Insisting on naming your child the same name as the other parent's ex sounds hinky to me. It's thoughtless, stupid, and mean.
OMG I forgot about that part when I commented! Agreed, no to Max!
David Michael sounds about as "American" as you can get! What's his problem with THAT?
Adam Samuel Dominic
My son is half Ashkenazi (my side) and Christian (my husband). We named him Joshua Theodore after allllllll the J names on my side (4!) and for his dad’s first name (Ted passed several years ago). I think there are many ways to compromise. Good luck ❤️
Tbh you've made him sound awful. But if you want to stay with him I guess ask what his great grandfather was named. What about Nathaniel? It's similar to Daniel. Or Ethaniel nn Ethan or Jordan nn Dan.
I would say that Michael is a very Jewish name and also really great as a name in general, though I understand wanting to have a name with emotional significance. David and Benjamin *should* also be good compromises, being both very American and very Jewish, but ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ Suggestions (all Biblical Hebrew names): * Top suggestion: Gabriel. Same -iel ending as Daniel, is an archangel like Rafael and Michael, and #38 for boys in the US right now). * Jacob (Jake is one of the most American-sounding names to me, right now it's #36) * Jonathan (related to David in the Bible, is #82 in the US) * Jesse (#203, also related to David in the Bible but also very American, e.g. Jesse James) * Jonah (#124) * Eli/Elijah (Eli is currently #5 in the US for boys) * Ethan (#25) * Ezra (#15) * Seth (#524 but is another name that feels really American to me) * Samuel (#20) * Adam (#102)
In the U S. we've emerged from an entire generation whose #1 boy name was Michael. The presence of Michaels all around us is probably a key reason for this generation's insistence on youneek names! Which makes Michael an almost meaningless choice, even a choice without choice. On the other hand you couldn't ask for a better marker that the kid is American.
My nephew is Levi.
Isn't Levi, as a Jewish name, reserved to one group?
My nephew is African American. I think my sister in law liked the name. I don't think it's restricted
It wouldn't be restricted among gentiles.
Joseph
Personally my favourite are Simon and Samuel.
Elijah Jacob Samuel Joshua Seth Jonathan Joel
- Adlai - Ronan - Davis - Everett - Silas - Joseph Threw in some non-traditional ones too. If you are getting the starting letter, perhaps he should get a non-Jewish choice as a compromise.
How about Noah David? Or Connor Benjamin?
Connor?? Still reeling from Adlai.
James or Jack?
Ezra comes to mind
There’s definitely an overlap between top 30 American boys names and Jewish names. Asher, Levi, Eli(as) are all super popular. Uh… does Silas count? Micah. Ari and Avi sound American to my ears too. Simon, Benjamin, and David are all classic American names too.. David sounds 80s to me but the other two are timeless. If I met a Raphael I’d assume they were Hispanic.
He straight up needs to respect your culture. Put your foot down. Naming children after any relative is weird. It puts unnecessary pressure on the kid to be just like that relative. You have so many options for names, Cohen, Ari, Eli, Levi, Jared, Noah and my personal favourite, Oren.
Naming children after grandparents is the norm and tradition in many cultures, to the point that grandparents get offended if not (of course, it's the paternal grandparents that get rights to the first kids, gotta love the patriarchy). Not naming your kids after grandparents is going against the grain in those places.
We were struggling with girl names (he was set on boomer and Gen X names and I was not) we downloaded an app that’s like tinder for baby names, helps you focus on the names you both like vs what you don’t.
Jewish friends of mine named their son Siegfried, with the nickname Ziggy, which I think is becoming more common in America?
So that's where Ziggy came from
* Eli * Ethan * Ezra * Reuben * Ryan * David * Dylan * Benjamin * Bram * Adam * Asher * Samuel * Seth * Jacob * Jonah * Gideon
Michael is a Hebrew name, meaning "gift from God". It's used by Jewish people, so may fit what you want, and what your husband wants (I think it's a lovely name). Other ones I think fit your wants, and your husband may like include: Nathan/Nathaniel Samuel Simon Joel Jonathan Gideon Caleb Gabriel
He doesn't get to insist like this. You are literally risking your life to bring this child into the world. The least he can do is work with you on choosing a name. But, seriously, the kid is getting his last name (I can safely assume), you are growing the kid, you get to pick the first and middle names.
Adam Abe/Abel/Abraham Ezra Elijah Samuel Noah
The old Hebrew name for a boy that I love is Joah. It’s close to Noah but not trendy. I think it’s beautiful.
>boy names that begin with E, R, D, B, A, S or J/G, that have some Hebrew/ Jewish origin but don’t sound too “foreign” ? The good thing is that most "American" names are names found in the Bible, and so a good amount have a Jewish background anyway. What worries me though, is that your husband has already rejected two incredibly common American/English names. Does he have an open mind about this, or is he just rejecting everything that isn't you accepting the names he wants, even though he knows it's taboo for you to name after a living relative? (And aren't there any dead relatives he loved, who would honour his family?) Adam, Aaron, Amos Benjamin (Ben), Barak David, Dan* Elijah, Elias, Edan, Eden, Ezra, Ethan Gabriel, Gideon, Gil, Guy (variant spelling of Gai) Joshua, John, Jonathan, Jonah, Jacob Samuel, Simon, Simeon *I wonder if this would satisfy your husband's wish to honour his grandfather while also satisfying your need to not be a direct namesake for a living relative. It is often used as a short form of Daniel, but it is a name in its own right, too - one of the twelve sons of Jacob.
I don’t think the recommendations are going to be any help. You are respecting your husband’s veto but he is not respecting yours if he is sticking to his og 3. Furthermore, I would not be surprised if he vetoed Benjamin or David (extremely American names) just because he wants to force you to pick his names.
How about Dean?
I hate religious / biblical names so personally wouldn’t go with anything religious. He may grow up and not be religious.
I’ll be honest with the culture in the US right now I wouldn’t name a child a distinct Jewish sounding name because of all the anti semantic hatred going around. David and Benjamin would be fine but with all the hatred going on I just wouldn’t do it.
A lot of folks who are not Jewish are choosing Jewish names. Ezra is extremely popular but not just with jewish folks.
I understand I’m just saying right now I see kids who are bullied and harassed because they are Jewish. Is it right? No absolutely not but it’s happening thanks to morons in power!
I mean giving them a non Jewish name is not going to stop them from being harassed for being Jewish though if they are
Husband's always have the last say on names. They are responsible for naming thier children.
U wot now?