What do you think of this girl name? What will others think?

Dh and I are trying to decide on a baby girl name. We like the name "Carolina Elise" for her english name but worry about how it will be received. It has nothing in common with her Hebrew name. We are moving to a MO community and are not sure what people's reaction will be. Help...we don't have much time to decide.

What's the problem?

Op here, we're just worried that it's too non jewish My husband is a bal teshuva and I am a convert and we're wondering if naming her this screams that out.

Executive Member Joined: Jul 13 2010 Posts: 400

I do not like this name for a jewish girl - it seems non jewish to me - you can choose what you like maybe something that allows her to indentify as a yid.... It stands out to me when there are so many names that can go either way IMHO

Active Poster Joined: Apr 25 2006 Posts: 98

Posted: Fri, Jan 21 2011, 12:28 pm Post subject:

it's pretty non jewish...I think there are other names that are english but jewish or jewish-style, Hannah, Sofia (tzofia), Alyssa, Jessica...

just my opinion tho

Senior Member Joined: Aug 25 2009 Posts: 248

It does have a secular ring to it! Will you be calling her Carolina? Will she be going to a yeshiva? Is your circle very modern, with kids with modern English names?
I live in a MO community and there are kids with English names, but most are more common types of names, or are the English version of a Hebrew name. Elise, for example, is more that style.

Gold Member Joined: Jul 14 2008 Posts: 2107

It's your child and you can name her whatever you want!
People have different reasons for naming their children, and that's why you do find Orthodox families with kids with names like James, Heidi, Mimi and things like that. Maybe the parents named after a beloved relative or something like that.

Aside from the initial "gee, that's unexpected" reaction you may get from people, I think most people can deal with it.

And, this may be my personal bias, but I can't imagine wanting to associate with people who were SO narrow minded that they failed to recognize that Judaism is about a covenant with Hashem and a person's life behavior and actions, and NOT about whether they're named after someone from the Torah....or some random Yiddish name!
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Moderator Joined: Dec 26 2005 Age: 33 Posts: 11430

No offense, but the name Carolina seems a little red-neck to me.

Caroline as a secular name is nothing new. Get informed before calling it non jewish. Many very charidi people have the habit of secular names, sometimes totally secular and unlinked to the Jewish name.

That said Caroline is a classic secular for Chaya, Kayla, Kreindell...

Elise is from Elisheva. Very Jewish.

Its a lovely name. No one would blink an eye in my MO community. If anyone would, they're not worth the dirt that you scrape off your shoes.

It is trendy these days to give kids Hebrew names, but lots of kids still have and use English names. My son's Hebrew and English names are unrelated. Which I figure is fine, because the person he's named for had unrelated Hebrew and English names.

B'shaa tova.

op here...she will be going to yeshiva...Elise was my grandmothers name I really don't want her to stand out though... Sad

Gold Member Joined: Jul 14 2008 Posts: 2107

Platinum Member Joined: Apr 12 2010 Posts: 5764

I love Elise, nothing non jewish about it at all...in fact I know several Jewish girls called Elise/Elisa.
That said I also know Jewish ladies called Caroline. But to me it seems more secular.
Either way, may you have much nachas.
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Mary is a common seclar for Miriam or Miril. Very common. Nowadays it's so old fashioned it can only belong to a yid Wink

Diamond Member Joined: Aug 07 2006 Posts: 2556

Carolina is an unusual name in general. Caroline is much more common, if that is a concern for you. It doesn't sound particulary Jewish, but neither does it sound non-Jewish like "Christine," for example.

Elise, with all of its variations, is very very common in modern Jewish circles.

Gold Member Joined: Jun 24 2010 Posts: 1311

Diamond Member Joined: Feb 02 2006 Posts: 4767

I'm born and bred MO and I think the name Elise would fit in better in a MO community, but at the end of the day it's your kid and your choice as to what you name them.

In my community people tend to go with Hebrew names for girls (Tamar, Shira, etc) and "classic" Jewish English names for boys, like David, Daniel, etc or Hebrew names like Ari, Avi.

All my girls have Hebrew/Israeli first names.
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"G-d I trust will understand, I'm not so sure about the neighbors.." -Yentl

Moderator Joined: Dec 26 2005 Age: 33 Posts: 11430

Gold Member Joined: May 19 2006 Posts: 1682

hmm carolina is a pretty name. it kind of sounds russian in origin to me.

in the MO communities ive seen, kids who go by english names usually have anglicized hebrew ones like Jonah, Gabe, Zachary, or they have modern hebrew name like Ahava, Yehudit...

but if you wanted to name you kid carolina, the name is not totally crazy - like "Apple" is