When you think of the name Eli,

[Anonymous]

Yes, Eli sounds like Jewish name to me.

[Anonymous]

I'm jewish and I think jewish when I hear Eli. Great name though - very strong.

[Anonymous]

To me it sounds Phoenician, Eli from Elissar, the Queen of Carthage. Loved the name, was considering it (Elissar) for my DD - but DH vetoed it

[Anonymous]

Yes, I'm from NY and know quite a few Jewish Elis. Also Iras, a close runner-up.

[Anonymous]

Eli sounds Jewish to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever crazies. People might think it a little weird if I named my Catholic, red-headed son Raj, or Wang, or any other ethnic name. BIG GIANT EYE ROLL at you. That's what I meant by weird.

I think this poster nailed it head on. I'm Chinese and lived in a predominantly Chinese neighborhood growing up. Trust me, I only now know that it is WEIRD that many of my Chinese friends were named "Eunice," "Daisy", "Chester" and "Melvin."

[Anonymous]

I am Jewish but I don't think of Eli as a Jewish name, especially now as its becoming more popular. FWIW, I am in a culturally mixed marriage and I understand the considerations involved in choosing a name that represents your culture, etc. Don't listen to the haters!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you care if someone thinks it's a Jewish name? I imagine you don't mean it this way, but that sounds anti-semitic, especially because you say you don't want to appear "weird" by naming your kid something Jewish. Just name him Jesus, so everyone is clear which part of the Bible you claim, ok?

Oh give me an Effing break. She does not sound anti-semitic. And, you're an oversensitive bitch. Sorry, but this post is WAY over the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whatever crazies. People might think it a little weird if I named my Catholic, red-headed son Raj, or Wang, or any other ethnic name. BIG GIANT EYE ROLL at you. That's what I meant by weird.

I think this poster nailed it head on. I'm Chinese and lived in a predominantly Chinese neighborhood growing up. Trust me, I only now know that it is WEIRD that many of my Chinese friends were named "Eunice," "Daisy", "Chester" and "Melvin."

Many Chinese have both traditional chinese and "american" names. So, no, it is not weird or even the same thing.

The "weird" (wrong choice of word) nature of it was covered by a PP. I won't repeat but I agree 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The first thing I think of when I hear the name Eli is that it is a Jewish name.

Ditto.

[Anonymous]

It definitely seems biblical, although I don't necessarily think Jewish (and I am Jewish) - maybe because of the NY Giants quarterback Eli Manning? The one thing I have figured out is that when it comes to baby names, all bets are off. Girl names used for boys, vice versa, vegetables used as first names....Personally, I love the name Eli!

[Anonymous]

I didn't know Eli was a Jewish name. I always think of Eli Whitney, who invented the light bulb. Great name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. Say what you want, I agree with PP--you sound like an anti-Semite. You said it would be "weird" if people thought you had chosen a Jewish name. Why the heck do you even care? The message that is coming through loud and clear is that, god forbid, you don't want someone thinking your kid is Jewish.

I don't think it's anti-Semitic to ask such a question. I'm Christian and my husband is Jewish and I'm raising our kids as Christians (this is our agreement). Since our kids' last name is Jewish, we purposely avoided Jewish-sounding first names (e.g. Ruth, Nathan) because we thought it would be confusing/"mis-branding" given that they self-identify as Christians, and participate in a Christian community.

To OP: I don't think Eli necessarily connotes Jewish.

WASP with a son named Nathan. I think of it as more of a biblical name than a Jewish name since we all share the Old Testament.

[Anonymous]

As a pp said, it's a name gaining in popularity. In 1989 it was at #365 and has climbed steadily to #100 in 2008. (Furthermore, Elijah is #22 and Elias is #157.)

Looking back, Eli was #700 in 1969! So based on the current stats, Eli is definitely a name becoming very mainstream.

[Anonymous]

I think biblical, not Jewish.