Thinking we love the name Leah

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Three pages in and NO ONE has actually recommended reading the actual BIBLICAL story of Leah and Rachel.

It's like naming your kid Khalesi (sp?!) or Scout without reading their origin stories, or naming your kid Toni (after Toni Morrison) without knowing that he given name was Chloe.

Leah is a beautiful, meaningful name and you are all completely missing the point.

Leah Emmeline? Are you hipster dummies kidding me?!

Hmmm I would not describe the story of Leah and Rachel as beautiful. Poignant maybe? Not tragic but also not sweet. Like a lot of biblical stories, it’s complicated and a bit hard.

With very old and common names, I personally don’t think it’s necessary to connect closely with the origin story. Like I think someone could use Rachel and not really give much thought to this same story. I am the sort of person who would never use a name without learning everything about it, but not everyone is. Most people probably have more associations from their own lives and families with a name like Leah or Rachel.

I also do t think there’s anything at all wrong with combining a Hebrew name with something from another tradition. Why would there be? I don’t understand the problem. OP even said she’d prefer a non-Hebrew name for the middle name. And she’s Jewish! No one is required to use names only from their ethnic or religious heritage.

I’ll also point out here that a lot of Hebrew names are very popular with Christian families because they also use the Old Testament.

I don’t like Leah Emmeline either, but that’s because I don’t like a first name that ends in a vowel followed by a middle name that ends in a vowel.

Most people Leah Rachel encounter will not be thinking of what you wrote.

[Anonymous]

Elizabeth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Three pages in and NO ONE has actually recommended reading the actual BIBLICAL story of Leah and Rachel.

It's like naming your kid Khalesi (sp?!) or Scout without reading their origin stories, or naming your kid Toni (after Toni Morrison) without knowing that he given name was Chloe.

Leah is a beautiful, meaningful name and you are all completely missing the point.

Leah Emmeline? Are you hipster dummies kidding me?!

Hmmm I would not describe the story of Leah and Rachel as beautiful. Poignant maybe? Not tragic but also not sweet. Like a lot of biblical stories, it’s complicated and a bit hard.

With very old and common names, I personally don’t think it’s necessary to connect closely with the origin story. Like I think someone could use Rachel and not really give much thought to this same story. I am the sort of person who would never use a name without learning everything about it, but not everyone is. Most people probably have more associations from their own lives and families with a name like Leah or Rachel.

I also do t think there’s anything at all wrong with combining a Hebrew name with something from another tradition. Why would there be? I don’t understand the problem. OP even said she’d prefer a non-Hebrew name for the middle name. And she’s Jewish! No one is required to use names only from their ethnic or religious heritage.

I’ll also point out here that a lot of Hebrew names are very popular with Christian families because they also use the Old Testament.

I don’t like Leah Emmeline either, but that’s because I don’t like a first name that ends in a vowel followed by a middle name that ends in a vowel.

Most people Leah Rachel encounter will not be thinking of what you wrote.

Based on this thread, most people do not associate the name Leah with the Old Testament story, so it’s really just whether OP is concerned about offending fellows Jews who consider it a strictly Jewish name and will be bothered to see it combined with a non-Hebrew name. I would go with a middle name that screamed Catholic (which OP has already said she won’t do) but I’d consider names from languages/cultures that are Catholic in origin as long as the name itself didn’t have heavy Catholic/Christian meaning (i.e. Evangeline, Angelina, Grace, Mary, and some of the others suggested on the thread).

OP has said she doesn’t want a Hebrew or family middle name which becomes rather limiting. She’s either go to non-Eurocentric (maybe something Arabic or Hindu in origin) or do a case by case analysis of European names to find one that is not at all overtly Christian and goes with Leah.

But all of this is mostly to satisfy her own parameters. It’s clear many people on here would happily name a child Leah Grace and not give it a second thought.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Penna and it was pronounced "Lay-uh."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Penna and it was pronounced "Lay-uh."

Ok but here we don't

[Anonymous]

Leah Pearl
Leah Skye
Leah Faye
Leah Sarah

[Anonymous]

Claire

[Anonymous]

Leah Lady

We are Filipino and this would not be an uncommon name

[Anonymous]

What about your maiden name or another surname from past generations of your family?

eg
Leah Mitchell Surname
Leah Rodham Surname
Leah Phelps Surname....

[Anonymous]

Leah Siobhan

[Anonymous]

Leah Margaret?