Naming a "strong" boys name vs softer name

I have been having a very hard time picking out a boys name for my third child b"eh. I love the names Neriya, Matan, Shilo and I think my favorite might be Lavi. However, I am nervous giving a boy a "soft" name or non strong name such as Eitan, Nachshon, Gidon.. etc. Maybe the kid will have a harder time going thru life with a more feminine name.. I don't know. Is that a silly reason to not use a pretty name? Thanks Smile

OP here- Sorry, I'm not sure how to edit that post but I meant
"or a strong name like Eitan, Gidon.. Etc

sorry!

all those names are really lovely and very unique. I have a cousin named Neriya and he is not what you call a soft person Smile

My dh very good friend just named their baby Shiloh...a name I would not consider soft....it is one of the names listed in gemara of Moshiach

Gold Member Joined: Jul 07 2008 Posts: 1614

Lavi is a strong name to me !

OP here -Thank you so much! It is reassuring to hear what other people think before everyone hears it at the brit!

Lavi is becoming an increasingly popular boys name - the last two britot that we were at (and strangely enough both in the same hall) the name was Lavi - so I can't see why he would have a hard time going through life with that name.

Platinum Member Joined: May 07 2008 Posts: 8984

considering that Lavi means a young lion--not a cub, which is Gur Aryeh, but a young lion in its prime--it's hardly a "soft" name! Gur aryeh Yehuda..karah ravatz kearyeh uchelavi mi yekimenu--Bereshit 39:9

IOW, you don't mess with a Lavi...

Platinum Member Joined: May 07 2008 Posts: 8984

However, if the family name is Levi or Levine...Lavi Levi or Lavi Levine...don't go there.

OP here- I remember learning a perush that Lavi meant female lion in some references in the tanach. I might be mistaken but I felt strange naming a boy after a female animal!! (I would never name a boy ayala!) I definitely found some sources saying otherwise though so I hope that's good enough Smile

And last name's not a problem. Thanks so much for your help ladies!

OP here- in a nutshell- Unkelus holds that when the mikra writes lavi in reference to bilam harasha's prophesy it means female lion. Rav mordechai eliyahu zt"l quoted these two sources below:

עם ישראל קשורים על אדמתם כאריה וכלביאה

מצות יישוב ארץ ישראל גדולה ועצומה היא, ולומדים זאת גם מפרשתנו.

בלעם הרשע סיים את מסעו בברכה שעם ישראל יחזיקו בארצם, ואין שום כח בעולם שיוכל לנתקם מאדמותם באומרו "כָּרַע שָׁכַב כַּאֲרִי וּכְלָבִיא מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ מְבָרֲכֶיךָ בָרוּךְ וְאֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר" (שם, כד, ט) ופרש"י וז"ל: "כתרגומו, יתישבו בארצם בכח וגבורה". וכתוב בתרגום "לית מלכו דִתְזַעֲזְעִנֵה", כלומר אין שום מלכות בעולם שיכולה לזעזע את עם ישראל, שכל זמן שהם מקיימים את רצון בוראם ומחזיקים בארצם, הם כמו ארי ולביאה.

ומבאר בעל אור החיים הקדוש, שעם ישראל נמשלו לארי וללביאה, ללמדנו שכשהם נמצאים ביחד, אי אפשר לשום אומה ולשון להלחם נגדם כמו שאי אפשר לשום אדם בעולם לגבור על ארי ולביאה כשהם נמצאים יחדיו.

Still though there definitely are references in other places in tanach that are referring to male lion so it might not be an issue. Not sure how I feel about this one Smile

OP here- cont from R Mordechai Eliyahu ZT"L

הרב גם תמיד מזכיר את התרגום בברכות שבירך יעקב את בנו יהודה באותה לשון:
"כָּרַע רָבַץ כְּאַרְיֵה וּכְלָבִיא מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ" (בראשית מט, ט'). תרגם
אונקלוס: "ינוח ישרי בתקוף כאריא וכליתא ולית מלכא דתזעזעיניה". ינוח וישרה
בתוקף כאריה וכלביאה ואין מלכות שתוכל לזעזע אותו. "שאין מי שיוכל להטיל אימה
כדי שיקימנו ממקומו מחמת יראה". (עיין ספורנו ועיין לאבן עזרא).

Hmm... Confused

Platinum Member Joined: May 07 2008 Posts: 8984

What matters for a modern-day child is how the word is used **Today**. Today, lavi is a male lion and leviyah is a lioness.

Given the way modern Israeli names are going--and American ones as well--there is no guarantee that Lavi won't be used as a unisex name eventually. But that's true for all names (though it would be extremely surprising if names like Sarah, Rivka, Leah ever morphed that way!)

Executive Member Joined: Mar 14 2010 Posts: 487

Moderator Joined: Aug 14 2005 Posts: 4703 Location: Ohio

Love Lavi and Matan.

But wait and see until the baby is born. You may wind up feeling like the baby needs a very strong name. Dh and I totally disagreed with our son. We agreed on the middle name, but my first choice for the name was soft and DH's was strong. We went with the strong name in the end, and I'm really glad. It's just the right name for our child.
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Diamond Member Joined: Dec 21 2009 Posts: 3193

Thanks everyone Smile