Baby naming dilemma

Posted: Thu, Jul 17 2008, 4:03 pm Post subject: Baby naming dilemma

Anon cuz I'm not 'out' yet.
I have a naming dilemma, which is very confusing- at least to me, so TIA for your patience;
Some background...
We have 2 grandmothers that have passed away in the last year and it will be war if one of them is named after and the other isn't (one of them is MIL's mother). There really aren't any other procreating couples in the near future, so we are getting heavy pressure.
I feel terrible saying it, but MIL's mom wasn't the most loveable person, but I do like her name, Hinda Leah. Other Gma was a Tzedakess, but I really don't like her name, Slova (sorry to any Slova's out there Embarassed

). Also, all our lives, we thought her name was just Slova - it's what she told us. Then after she passed, we saw her kesuba and found out her name was actually Chana Slova. DD was named after a Chana on the other side of the family 3 years ago! Shocked

So, I can't use that again.
My questions...
1. Can you name one child after 2 people?
2. Does it have to be the full name (Hinda Leah as opposed to just using Hinda, Slova instead of Chana Slova)?
3. With the name I don't like, can I use a Hebrew equivalent (Hadara instead of Slova)?
4. Regarding the character traits, should I really name after someone who wasn't the most wonderful person (she wasn't horrible, just unlikeable). Or risk offending MIL for life by not doing it? Does it help to have the name of the other Gma to offset the negative aspects of the first one's personality?
5. If all works out, how does Hinda Hadara sound?

Also, if it's a boy, we have a Max in the family that was a great man and lived a long life. He didn't have kids, so no one is named after him.
6. How do you handle a name like Max that isn't a hebrew name, but was actually his 'hebrew' name?
Thanks!

Gold Member Joined: Jan 25 2007 Posts: 1351

My responses are in red:

Posted: Thu, Jul 17 2008, 4:23 pm Post subject:

I named after two different people and call dd by one name. Maybe when she gets older then I will call her by both names. I am also named after two different people but I'm called by the second name.
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Diamond Member Joined: Aug 03 2007 Posts: 4449

I like "Hadara Lea", or if you want to be true to the original, Slova Lea, but I like hadara lea more.

Posted: Thu, Jul 17 2008, 5:16 pm Post subject: re: Baby naming dilemma

Thanks so much for the replies! I really wanted to be sure that the name would be 'kosher'
Chocoholic, I didn't even think about Hadara Lea, it is pretty!
Anyone else have comments on Hinda Hadara or Hadara Lea or anything else I may not have considered?

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 27 2005 Posts: 6797

Gold Member Joined: Nov 22 2006 Posts: 1733

I like Hadara Leah..

if you want you can also be like one of those ppl that give 3-4 names and name her hinda leah hadara or hinda hadara leah or hinda slava leah..

I think hinda hadara leah sounds good if you wanna give 3 names
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Senior Member Joined: Sep 20 2006 Posts: 155

I agree with what has been said before as far as *how* to name after both ppl. If you do name after both, I like Leah Hadara or Hadara Leah best (although Hinda Hadara is also nice).

Posted: Fri, Jul 18 2008, 1:00 pm Post subject: re: Baby naming dilemma

You say you like Hinda Lea... what about Hinda Lea Slova? you're still naming for the two grandmas and honouring the tzadekes, but the name you don't really like is not the first...

Hebrew equivalent is done by most people nowadays to avoid Yiddish, Ladino or Judeo-Arabic or... any "non mainstream" naming.

Max is most of the time Mordechai, it's a century old equivalent. Are you sure there is "Max" on the ketuba? if so, either use Max (after all maybe it ended up integrated into Yiddish, like Ber for Dov, Hersh for Zvi...or Slova!) or try to find for whom he was named!
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Posted: Fri, Jul 18 2008, 2:23 pm Post subject: re: Baby naming dilemma

DH nixed Hinda Lea Slova from the start. I brought up Hadara Lea, which I really like (DD's do too), but he likes Hinda better. He envisions himself, IY"H, calling her Hindi.
We're really not sure about Max, we haven't seen his kesuba but were told his hebrew name was Max. Unfortunately, this is coming from people who barely know their own hebrew names and no one who would know for sure is still alive.
I thought naming by using the first letter wasn't acceptable? Thats what all my family & DH's family almost always did. Then after becoming frum, I was told it wasn't right...

Posted: Fri, Jul 18 2008, 2:29 pm Post subject: re: Baby naming dilemma

Ask your rav. Mine says many things are ok but not first letter.