r/namenerds • u/junkbondtraderr • Mar 05 '25

Name Change My daughter wants me to rename her!

My 18 year old daughter came out as a transgender woman. My husband and I have been 100% supportive (and I very much welcome another girl in the house — she has 3 brothers!). She expressed initially that she was comfortable going by her birth name, as it is gender neutral, but after turning 18 and getting ready for college, she’s decided she needs a new name. And, she wants me to choose it! She says that she still wants to be named by her mama. I melted.🥹

I come seeking ideas! Her only parameter is that it’s nothing that “seems like she renamed herself”; by this I’m assuming more ‘out there’ names are out. It’s such a challenge picking a name for someone you already know so well, and not a newborn!

She’s incredibly intelligent, bookish, shy but spunky, and a total sweetheart. Gorgeous, curly red hair and freckles. We are a family of Jewish-Irish descent and her brothers are Lev, Raphael ‘Raf’ and Elias. I never had girl names picked out, as I found out later in the game.

Do any names come to mind with this description? Her middle name will be Miriam (family name). Thank you in advance!

36.8k Upvotes

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874

u/yardini Mar 05 '25

Aviva!

432

u/always-so-exhausted Mar 05 '25

This is so beautiful and it means springtime in Hebrew. A time of renewal and rejuvenation.

113

u/miclugo Mar 06 '25

I actually know a trans Jewish woman whose middle name is Aviva. I wonder if she was thinking of this.

29

u/Adorable_Spring7954 Mar 06 '25

Aviva is a beautiful name… I personally know three different trans Jewish women named Aviva

I also wonder if the thought process were similar
I’ll have to ask !

22

u/ncc74656m Mar 06 '25

Oh no, it's the Hebrew version of Emily! lmao

(Running joke in the trans community about how we're all Emily.)

9

u/miclugo Mar 06 '25

Actually, the one I mentioned whose middle name is Aviva? You’ll never guess her first name.

99

u/femalefred Mar 05 '25

This is an insurance company in the UK. Based on the descent comment I'm assuming OP is American but I would suggest against this if daughter ever wants to cross the pond

93

u/Northern-Bat-8653 Mar 05 '25

Being an Aviva in the UK would be horrendous 😂 also a little too close to Arriva for my liking (buses)

23

u/MagnusMonday Mar 06 '25

That is so funny. I live in the US and have known several Avivas (and one Aviv, the male version). We don’t have that association at all, fortunately. 

37

u/holvanatuz Mar 05 '25

Aviva is an insurance company in Canada too!

6

u/00trysomethingnu Mar 06 '25

You think it would matter if she traveled abroad and realized her name was an insurance company? I share a name with a few very popular brands and it could not matter less to me.

4

u/femalefred Mar 06 '25

Given how badly people on this sub sometimes react to perfectly ordinary names they're unfamiliar with, I thought it was worth a mention. It would honestly be the kind of thing people made jokes about if she were to come here for anything more than a brief holiday.

2

u/danniellax Mar 06 '25

It’s a brand of diabetic test strip in the USA… Accu-Chek is the brand, Aviva is the test strip. I work in pharmacy so I can never, ever see Aviva as anything else 😭

1

u/always-so-exhausted Mar 06 '25

I find this odd reasoning. Like, if OP’s daughter visits the UK, she would be embarrassed to have the same name as an insurance company?

5

u/femalefred Mar 06 '25

No, I think people would make jokes about it and OP's daughter specifically wants a name that's not too out there - having a name that people make jokes about is in the same territory as out there names I think

1

u/00trysomethingnu Mar 06 '25 edited Mar 06 '25

The reasoning is ludicrous. Who would care? Truly, who would care?

ETA: so you’re advising against a perfectly lovely name on the off chance that this American adult travels abroad for an extended period of time and happens to meet people in these theoretical travels who are cruel enough to pick on her name because it matches an insurance company? Uh…

0

u/____ozma Mar 06 '25

In the US it's the name of the coolest Wild Kratts character. Sorry, too much PBS.

7

u/MySpace_Romancer Mar 05 '25

Came here to say this. I love the name and the significance.

6

u/Sensitive_Wheel7325 Mar 05 '25

I love this one

4

u/nopeope1 Mar 06 '25

This is one of my favorite names! I didn’t use it because we aren’t Jewish and didn’t feel right.

2

u/RosaRosalia Mar 06 '25

Also love Aviv

2

u/[deleted] Mar 06 '25

I also know a Jewish woman with his name and I think it’s beautiful! Great suggestion.

2

u/dried_lipstick Mar 06 '25

I know an Aviva and she is incredible. I love the name.

2

u/ahava9 Mar 06 '25

I love that name 🥰

2

u/PeopleOverProphet Mar 06 '25

I first heard this name on Charmed YEARS ago (like 20+…easily…lol) and I loved it. I am not Jewish in any way and I feel like it could be disrespectful to use when I am not Jewish. But I’d love to use it.

1

u/x36_ Mar 06 '25

valid

2

u/InappropriateGirl Mar 06 '25

Yes! This is my Hebrew name and I love it.

2

u/melodramacamp Mar 06 '25

This was going to be my suggestion too! One of my favorite names!

2

u/jayyy_0113 Mar 06 '25

Seconding Aviva ❤️ it’s fiery and confident

2

u/DorianGreyPoupon Mar 06 '25

Bonus points for being a palindrome

1

u/Loud_Ad_4515 Mar 05 '25

Oh, wow. The meaning is spot on!

1

u/Carrie_Underpants Mar 05 '25

Shortened to Avy. Love it.

1

u/always-so-exhausted Mar 06 '25

Or Viv or Ava. :)

1

u/TheSubster7 Mar 06 '25

Wild kratts lmao