What do you think of the name "Ronen"?

We're having a boy, and trying to pick out a name for our son. We don't have anyone we need to name after, and while we settled on a girl's name shortly after finding out I was pregnant, we've been really stuck on boy's names.

One name my husband suggested recently is Ronen. At first I was hesitant, but now it's growing on me. What do you guys think? Love it? Hate it?

And, what names would it go well with, either as a first or middle name?

Gold Member Joined: Apr 19 2012 Posts: 1604

Moderator Joined: Aug 14 2005 Posts: 4546 Location: Ohio

Definitely a very Israeli or MO-Zionistic name.

I like the meaning.
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Gold Member Joined: Mar 04 2008 Posts: 1599

I love it and considered it myself.

Executive Member Joined: Feb 27 2012 Posts: 277

Never heard of it. What does it mean?

I know a ronen. he is a gem of a human being. a real mentch, ben torah, baal middos...
the name wouldnt fly in my community, but I cant help thinking its a beautiful name, just because of the person I know.

In Israel it's a secular name.
The only Ronens I know are either secular or BT's.
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Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20496

I don't know any young Ronens. I think it's a name whose time has come and gone. It's not a bad name, just not used very much any more. I don't think it's specifically irreligious, though I, like ChossidMom, don't know any FFB Ronens.
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Am I wrong that there is a Ronen Gross on Arutz Kol Chai???

Ronen Gross: http://www.93fm.co.il/radio/287/%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%9E%D7%A8/

Platinum Member Joined: Mar 12 2009 Posts: 13190

What does it mean? It sounds beautiful but if it will be marginalizing and not strongly connected to someone else (e.g. you had a favorite zeidy Ronen, or maybe one named Reuven but you can't use that name because it's your FIL's so you're using the reish type of thing)you might want to rethink it.
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OP here!

Thank you for all your responses! To answer all your questions, Ronen means joyful song.

We are MO, and our daughter has a more unique/modern Hebrew name as well, so we're not reluctant to use different names.

We'd love to find a name with personal significance to us, but are having a real challenge! If the baby was a girl, there's no question we'd name her after my grandmother who died recently, but fortunately we don't have anyone to name after for a boy. It's not really our style to name after a random tzaddik or rabbi who we don't have a personal connection to, so we're left looking at names that sound nice and have a nice meaning to them.

Any suggestions for names that would go nicely with Ronen? We're not set on its placement--ie, we'd be happy to use it as a middle name with a different first name.

I know an older FFB Ronen.
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Diamond Member Joined: Jun 29 2011 Posts: 3030

I can't help thinking it could be a bit type-casting for him. Kind of defining. We don't know what life decisions he will be making, or who he wants to be, or will end up being.

Ronen will be decidedly weird in English speaking circles, and among the Jews, may confine him to the moderns at least potentially.

Maybe you should give the kid more leeway to define himself. Giving him an old fashioned, been done a milliion times name from Torah, like Shmuel or Joshua, would give him more leeway.

Ronen will tell certain people his background before he ever opens his mouth, which may not always be pleasant for him, and, it is truly strange to a non-Jewish ear, and he will have to move among non-Jews sometimes. He will certainly spend a lifetime explaining how it's spelled. That can be tiresome. Every heartbeat spent that way could be spent on something else.

But I am no expert. Just my two cents, since you asked. I ask pardon if this offends.

Platinum Member Joined: May 07 2008 Posts: 8963

I don't think Ronen will be weird in English speaking circles. They'll pronounce it Row-nan, and assume it's vaguely Welsh-Celtic-Scottish-Angles-and-Saxons, like Rowan and Conan.

If you want protective coloration in more charedi circles, choose a traditional middle name so your ds can call himself that if he goes to a black-hat yeshiva. Really anything will go with it, but to be really cool you could choose a name that will express a complete thought in two words (Hebrew is such an economical language!)

Ronen Yitzchak: he who sings joyfully will laugh
Ronen Simcha: He joyfully sings happiness
Ronen Yair: he who sings joyfully will light up
Ronen Meir:he who sings joyfully lights up
Ronen Yehuda: He joyfully sings thankfulness
Ronen David: David being the sweet singer of Israel, what could be more apt?

You get the idea.

Nice name. I thought it must be Irish or Gaelic until I looked it up -- my first thought was that Ronen would be a good name for the lead character in a sci-fi adventure.

I have a son with a very unusual Hebrew name -- it's never been a problem for him.
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Gold Member Joined: Dec 17 2007 Posts: 1880

I have an mo friend in his 20s with that name. I love it and it doesn't cause any issues for him in the US or otherwise. He's sephardi, but it works. Maybe the perception is different in israel.
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Executive Member Joined: Jan 25 2009 Posts: 384

I like ronen yehuda. Joyful song of thanks.
Baruch Ronen?