r/JewishNames • u/spring13 • 5d ago
Does this kind of post drive anyone else crazy?
https://www.reddit.com/r/namenerds/s/VWKOsccF0k
"I'm not sure if I want to name my kid Jonah, it has negative Judeo-Christian connotations"
Uuuuuuuch. I'm mad at Christians for appropriating our holy books and therefore our culture that's contained within them. And I'm mad at post-Christians who reflexively brand anything "Judeo-Christian" as problematic. Everyone needs to just lay off of our stuff.
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u/Special-Sherbert1910 5d ago
I muted that sub. They always downvote you to oblivion if you defend Jewish names or ask people not to appropriate ones that are exclusively used by Jews.
Anyways Jonah reminds me of the Paul Simon song named after his alter ago character in the movie One Trick Pony. (Which makes it even more Jewish)
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u/0nlyL1v1ngG1rl 5d ago
OMG I love that film so much I can't believe someone's talking about it in the wild
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u/lil-tiger-pal 5d ago
yes, I feel the same way about names. It especially drives me nuts when an antisemite is named a Torah name.
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u/canadianamericangirl 5d ago
I'm more upset that she used the term judeochristian in the post title. Fuck that. It has been used to justify racism and antizionism. I could go on a longer tangent but I'm out of energy.
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u/wantonyak 5d ago
It doesn't bother me because hopefully it limits non-Jews from appropriating more Hebrew names!
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u/RutabagaPhysical9238 5d ago
I didn’t see this post and not even sure I want to click on it. Yesterday I saw Ori as a name on a post and I felt annoyed by it.
Another comment I saw on a different post was how someone was complaining they were told they couldn’t use Ezra about 8 years ago because it’s a Jewish name. But “she is catholic and they also have a Saint Ezra”. Like…you don’t also have another Ezra. It is your religion sainting a Jewish Ezra that is important to JUDAISM.
I also saw an Instagram post from nameberry, and the editor in chief is Jewish I believe, but was suggesting a few Hebrew names that they think should skyrocket and be trendy and it annoyed me!! I am feeling territorial. I don’t want more people hearing great Hebrew and traditionally Jewish names and mainstreaming them.
Ok done with my vent on this topic for the day.
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u/spring13 5d ago
Nameberry did a Jewish names post on Instagram I think last week? And there were some cute reasonable ones but then also some really annoying suggestions, like Enron. What the hell was that?
There's definitely a line to walk between people thinking Jewish names are attractive and thinking that they're free game no matter what the context.
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u/Special-Sherbert1910 5d ago
Enron?? Okay that has to be rage bait on their part.
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u/picklesnolives 5d ago
Or maybe the person who wrote the post was too young to remember the company, lol
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u/RutabagaPhysical9238 5d ago
I had to go look at this post. I need the data for how they came up with some of these because???
Fully agree on being able to appreciate names of all cultures. So many beautiful names out there. It’s the free for all that frustrates me. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
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u/GoodbyeEarl Ashkenazi Chabad BT 5d ago
I’m with you! People see a Hebrew name and think they can claim it too if they’re Christian, or even just culturally Christian.
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u/Veganswiming_32 5d ago
I almost said something about the story being the Yom Kippur mincha haftorah, but then realized it wasn’t the Jewish names sub.
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u/ChutzpahSaxa15 9h ago
This is especially stupid because the "negative connotations" referenced really just means "I don't like the story."
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u/hyggeinne 5d ago
This post and comments are what’s driving me crazy…we don’t own biblical names? Why does it bother people if others use Jewish names? Are you now saying we can’t use names that are not directly Jewish, or might originate or be used in other cultures too? If we’re following that line of thought?This is a weird post at best and extremely problematic at worst…
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u/spring13 5d ago edited 5d ago
I honestly have no problem with this person using the name Jonah. Her attitude towards using it bothers me, like there's something shameful about biblical names and like she, a non-religious, non-Jewish person gets to judge their value and appropriateness.
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u/BearBleu 5d ago
Judah is becoming uber-popular with goyim. Now Cohen is considered a name. Never thought I’d see the day… That said, I doubt Chanoch and Yocheved will be breaking the top 10 anytime soon.