Can I name my Jewish daughter Mary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meredith will give you the same nickname.

But then your name would be Meredith...not nearly as pretty as Mary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IT's a Catholic name. I would think it weird and I'm not even Jewish.

Mary was a Jew.

Duh. But all Catholic parents have to select a "Christian name" for the christening. It must be after a Saint or otherwise approved Catholic name. Ergo lots of Marys. Jews have many lovely names to select from. Why pick one that screams "Christian name"?

It’s called “baptism” in the Catholic Church, and the saint’s name or Biblical name requirement ended awhile back.

http://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2011/10/25/do-catholic-children-have-to-be-given-saints-names/

[Anonymous]

Just do it. It’s a beautiful name. So sweet to let your son choose the baby’s name. Don’t worry about what anyone thinks. They will all survive and choose their baby names without consulting you or worrying what you think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mary is the anglicized version of Miriam, no? Do you not like Miriam?

OP here: we prefer Mary to all other variants however w Miriam it’s especially problematic because it’s my BEST friend’s name and I couldn’t name d that without having it be assumed to be “after” her which is whole other naming dilema.

Had you not said this, I too would have suggested Miriam. I am Jewish, and I would never name a child Mary. Just like I would never name a child Christopher. If I met a little girl named Mary, I would assume she is not Jewish, or perhaps 1/2 Jewish, but I would never guess she was the child of two Jewish parents. I would pick a different name all together, or give Mary as middle name, or pick Meredith, Mira, Maya, etc. Personally, I don't even think Mary is pretty (I think it is an old lady name), and I hate the nickname Mair.

[Anonymous]

I knew a Jewish Meri (Meridith)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mary is the anglicized version of Miriam, no? Do you not like Miriam?

OP here: we prefer Mary to all other variants however w Miriam it’s especially problematic because it’s my BEST friend’s name and I couldn’t name d that without having it be assumed to be “after” her which is whole other naming dilema.

Had you not said this, I too would have suggested Miriam. I am Jewish, and I would never name a child Mary. Just like I would never name a child Christopher. If I met a little girl named Mary, I would assume she is not Jewish, or perhaps 1/2 Jewish, but I would never guess she was the child of two Jewish parents. I would pick a different name all together, or give Mary as middle name, or pick Meredith, Mira, Maya, etc. Personally, I don't even think Mary is pretty (I think it is an old lady name), and I hate the nickname Mair.

I too was going to suggest Miriam. Can't you just say it's not after your best friend, it's after so-and-so? Assuming of course that it is.

How about Rosemary -- same nickname -- still goyish but not quite as much?

I would never think a Mary was Jewish. That said, my name (Katherine, named in memory of a Katerina from the old country) is also not Jewish and I have survived. But I get a lot of questions about it. The rabbi who married me and my husband was very skeptical that I was born Jewish. (My last name is also very goyish which didn't help!) It's not the end of the world, but I will admit to being a bit sensitive about it, as everyone I meet -- Jewish and not -- is surprised I am Jewish. I chose names for my children that, while not super Jewish, in combination with my Jewish husband's last name would not be surprising to fellow Jews.

At the end of the day, though, you have to go with a name you can live with. If that's Mary, and you don't mind Jews giving you surprised looks and your daughter always having to explain that she really is Jewish, then go for it. No different really from American Aoifes explaining how to pronounce their names, or a June explaining that she was born in January but her parents just liked the name, etc. Mary is a lovely name on its own merits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mary was a common Jewish name for a long time. I have two great aunts with that name. It was often changed to Miriam or Malka.

This.
For all kinds of reasons, it has fallen out of fashion to do this in many pockets of the jewish community. but i know at least 2 multi-generational Jewish Marys. one has a hebrew name miriam and the other malka.
we forget, in the not so distant history (um, and even in other parts of the country currently) how important it is to be able to 'pass' as nonjewish.

It has fallen out of fashion precisely because it used to be necessary to hide. Now most people choose not to hide, or do something that has felt like hiding for generations.

[Anonymous]

Miriam. She was a pretty important woman. And it’s less common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is weird culturally because of the Catholic focus with the Virgin Mary, but it is biblically Jewish. No one questions Mark or Paul with Jewish boys, and there are a ton of Jewish men with those names...very New Testament. It really is just cultural.
Now, Christine, Christina, Chrissy...that is a Christian name.

Not entirely true. Jews are "Saul," which was Paul's Jewish name. Jewish "Paul"s again, are largely named after older relatives who picked an assimilated Christian version of the traditional Jewish name.

"Mark," like "Julius," are/were popular Jewish names because they are Roman names.

-- mom to a "Julius Saul," named after an Orthdox great uncle (deceased) and a great-grandmother and great-grandfather, Paul and Pauline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Miriam. She was a pretty important woman. And it’s less common.

But Miriam is a very ugly name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Miriam. She was a pretty important woman. And it’s less common.

But Miriam is a very ugly name.

q

It is? It has been one of my favorite names since I was a child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is weird culturally because of the Catholic focus with the Virgin Mary, but it is biblically Jewish. No one questions Mark or Paul with Jewish boys, and there are a ton of Jewish men with those names...very New Testament. It really is just cultural.
Now, Christine, Christina, Chrissy...that is a Christian name.

Not entirely true. Jews are "Saul," which was Paul's Jewish name. Jewish "Paul"s again, are largely named after older relatives who picked an assimilated Christian version of the traditional Jewish name.

"Mark," like "Julius," are/were popular Jewish names because they are Roman names.

-- mom to a "Julius Saul," named after an Orthdox great uncle (deceased) and a great-grandmother and great-grandfather, Paul and Pauline.

You are taking it away too far. St. Paul, St. Mark- My point is that these are Christan religious names and I can list 20 Jewish Marks and Pauls..while yo can list original sources, so can Mary...but it was culturally taken by Catholic culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IT's a Catholic name. I would think it weird and I'm not even Jewish.

Mary was a Jew.

Duh. But all Catholic parents have to select a "Christian name" for the christening. It must be after a Saint or otherwise approved Catholic name. Ergo lots of Marys. Jews have many lovely names to select from. Why pick one that screams "Christian name"?

Uh, no, you don’t have to select an approved “Christian name” for baptism. Which is what Catholics call it, not christening.

Read and learn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_name

[Anonymous]

The name Mary is very ancient and is Egyptian in origin. It means Beloved and we see it spelled Meri usually when reading about ancient Egypt. A first dynasty mother of a pharaoh was named Meri Neit (beloved of the goddess Night) circa 3000 BC.

It may be that the origin of the name Miriam, sister of Moses, is in Meri
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_(given_name)

The above link give several variants that are quite close to Mary and that OP may feel also honor her heritage and culture.

I love the name Mary. What an incredible history it has. I'd definitely use it, perhaps with a spelling variation. My grandmother was a Mary but preferred to be called Maria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is weird culturally because of the Catholic focus with the Virgin Mary, but it is biblically Jewish. No one questions Mark or Paul with Jewish boys, and there are a ton of Jewish men with those names...very New Testament. It really is just cultural.
Now, Christine, Christina, Chrissy...that is a Christian name.

Not entirely true. Jews are "Saul," which was Paul's Jewish name. Jewish "Paul"s again, are largely named after older relatives who picked an assimilated Christian version of the traditional Jewish name.

"Mark," like "Julius," are/were popular Jewish names because they are Roman names.

-- mom to a "Julius Saul," named after an Orthdox great uncle (deceased) and a great-grandmother and great-grandfather, Paul and Pauline.

You are taking it away too far. St. Paul, St. Mark- My point is that these are Christan religious names and I can list 20 Jewish Marks and Pauls..while yo can list original sources, so can Mary...but it was culturally taken by Catholic culture.

You know lots of Jewish Pauls? I don't think I have ever met one and I don't think that is common. Mark is less unusual, but I still wouldn't say it is wildly popular.