Ella for a girl

Beginner Joined: Sep 05 2010 Posts: 10

What is the meaning of the name ella? I think its so pretty , dont know if its a hebrew/jewish name and I dont know the meaning either...

Platinum Member Joined: May 06 2007 Posts: 8518

I know 2 4 yo Ella's. One is named Esther Leah, and they call her Ella. The other is my Rav's daughter whose greatgrandmother was named Ella in Europe. And the Yichus in that family on both sides, say that it is a Jewish name.
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Platinum Member Joined: Nov 04 2008 Posts: 7930

It's a beautiful name.
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Executive Member Joined: Jun 26 2009 Posts: 436

it's a beautiful name...it was my grandmothers name

Diamond Member Joined: Aug 07 2006 Posts: 2556

To me it immediately brings to mind "All of A Kind Family!" It sounds old-fashioned in a good way; I'd have no problem using Ella for a baby, but would draw the line at "Gertie" or "Henny."

Gold Member Joined: Dec 30 2008 Posts: 1154

Ella is an oak tree in Hebrew.
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Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 2:12 am Post subject: re: Ella for a girl

Ella was a great great grandmother in our family tree. Definitely a Jewish name.

Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 7:42 am Post subject: re: Ella for a girl

Just because a name was used by Jews doesn't make it a Jewish name. I'm not commenting on whether Ella is Hebrew or not, I'm commenting on the logic that "my great grandmother was called Ella" doesn't mean much. There are plenty of names that were used by Jews which are really just names taken from the cultures they lived within and then they 'become' Jewish names 'because that was my great grandfather's name and I am naming after him'. In reality there are many names that are no more Jewish than Deshawn and Shaniqua except that through the passage of time and change of locations and cultures they are perpetuated through the generations and somehow take on some sort of religious status that really never existed.

Again, I repeat that I am not commenting on Ella specifically because I just don't know much about it.

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 22 2004 Posts: 9754

Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 7:58 am Post subject: re: Ella for a girl

We wanted to call our daughter Ella and asked our Rav about it - he said to not call her Ella as a first name, but rather to use it as a nickname or as a second name because it is the feminine form of G-d, so basically G-ddess and he said that it would be better to not use it. We named her with a name that has "ella" in it and call her Ella. All that being said I know lots of girls whose proper names are Ella - everyone has different thoughts on it I guess. My friend wanted to call her son the same name as my son's name - her Rav told her it was better not to use the name where our Rav said it was totally fine.

Platinum Member Joined: May 06 2007 Posts: 8518

Platinum Member Joined: May 06 2007 Posts: 8518

Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 10:41 am Post subject: re: Ella for a girl

Yes it is a jewish name. My grandmother was Rebbitzen Ella Soloveichik A"H a very special and great woman, who came from a family of many generations of Rabbonim along with marrying my grandfather who himself was a great rav.
Ella does mean oak tree in hebrew. It come somewhere from tanach I cannot remember the exact quote. My daughter is named Ella, which no rabbanim had any rejections.
For a Rav to see say that Ella is not a real name and therefore should not be used as a first name seems kind of arrogant to me. WHo decides what is a "real" name. What makes Shaina a real name, or Goldie, they are all translations of hebrew name not even tanach name, so who is determain what is "Real".

Gold Member Joined: Dec 30 2008 Posts: 1154

Cassandra, you're right. Embarassed

Ella is a pistachio tree.

Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 12:01 pm Post subject:

My niece is ariella but they call her ella.
I had a frum classmate growing up called ella

Diamond Member Joined: Jan 19 2006 Posts: 4428

Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 1:19 pm Post subject: re: Ella for a girl

I'm not 100% sure but I think there was a post about this topic before!!!!ella is an avoida zorah and that's why people/rabbonim say that you should not call your child this name UNLESS it's named after a grandmother/rebbetzin....I'm not going down the subject of why granparent yes and stum because I like it no? maybe because of zechus ovos????
but either way each person should ask their rov as opinions vary.

Platinum Member Joined: Nov 17 2008 Posts: 5050

Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 3:20 pm Post subject: Re: re: Ella for a girl

Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 3:56 pm Post subject: re: Ella for a girl

Ella is a terebinth (pistachio tree). It is mentioned in Yeshayahu perek vav passuk yud gimmel.

Basically, the passuk states that while much of Klal Yisrael will be destroyed, there will remain a base, like the trunk of the ella and the alon remain after felling - the zera kodesh (holy descendents) are Klal Yisrael's remaining trunk.

I could find only non Jewish translations, and I used one to piece together the beautiful limud about this passuk that I learned from my Navi teacher Mrs. Marcy Stern. When studying one summer under scholar Mrs. Nehama Leibowitz, she heard a man relate this passuk to post Holocaust resurgance of Yiddishkeit. (They may have been visiting Holocaust sites.) Sorry I'm fuzzy on the details; I was told this when I was 17 or so.
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