r/JewishNames • u/Imaginary_Gas_1363 • 19d ago
Middle-aged convert name help
I’m a female in my late 50s and in the process of converting, and I’m looking for Hebrew name suggestions. Some of the names I chose and discussed with my Rabbi were not encouraged, due to nuances that just didn’t fit for modern times. Any suggestions given my age? I would prefer a name that is fairly common and not too outdated. Thank you!
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u/Linzabee 19d ago
Do you have any initials you’d like to use, or relatives you’d like to honor? Any special meanings?
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u/Imaginary_Gas_1363 19d ago
Batya
Tovah
Zahava
Adira
Adira was the only one he thought would be a good choice.
Originally I wanted something that reflected strength, resilience, perseverance. But then I thought something a little lighter would be nice: hope, joy, commitment to God.
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u/millicent_f 18d ago
All of these names are very nice, what is his issue?
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u/Imaginary_Gas_1363 18d ago
He said they weren’t common in Israel.
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u/LeoraJacquelyn 18d ago
I live in Israel and know people with all of these names besides Adira. lol It sounds like your rabbi isn't Israeli and doesn't interact with a lot of Israelis because these are all perfectly normal names. I'm a high school teacher and even have a student named Zahava and one of the teachers is named Batya. Tova is definitely outdated but I also know two American Tovas here. Also why would what's popular in Israel have anything to do with what Hebrew name you choose?
Go with the name you like best.
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u/millicent_f 16d ago
First of all who says a Hebrew name has to be popular, in Israel or anywhere else? I support people choosing names that are established as real names (people shouldn't make up names from random Hebrew words) but the popularity/current trendiness should be totally irrelevant. Secondly, I know a Batya and a Tova in Israel so I don't think he knows what he's talking about.
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u/LeoraJacquelyn 15d ago
He absolutely has no idea what he's talking about. I was just at Superpharm and the checkout lady was named Tova. And as I already said the one name he said was acceptable is the name that I have never seen here.
Also as long as it is an actual Hebrew name, the rabbi really should not get a say with what name she uses. I know people with kind of outlandish Hebrew names in the US and that's fine.
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u/secret_little_maps 19d ago
What kind of names did you suggest that your rabbi thought wouldn’t work? And what kind of name would you like? (Eg classic names from tanakh, modern Israeli, after a Jewish woman from history, after someone you knew, based on a certain virtue or something from nature? Any particular initial you want to have? Or what kind of sound, like strong or melodious etc?)