Naming a baby | Imamother

Seraph ↓

Tue, May 15 2007, 7:39 am

I didn't know what section this goes in, but I guess since people think about this during pregnancy...

Would you name a kid a name that:
In history, there are two famous people with that name, one a huuuuuuuuuuuuge tzaddik and talmid chochom, and the other a talmid chochom but a rasha?
Because if you name the kid davka after the tzaddik, how do people know who the baby is named after?

technic ↓

Tue, May 15 2007, 7:57 am

I was going 2 answer this but it mixed up my brain 2 much!!!

then I came up w....

1) is the tzaddik or the rasha better known?
or
2) how abt calling the baby (as an example) "chaimafterthetzaddiknottherasha"?....it would cost a fortune in name labels but at least thered b no confusion!!! 8)

↑ Seraph ↓

Tue, May 15 2007, 8:12 am

technic wrote:

I was going 2 answer this but it mixed up my brain 2 much!!!

then I came up w....

1) is the tzaddik or the rasha better known?

Well, I could think of a few examples of names like this: Yishmael- Rabbi Yishmael, a tanna (or was he a cohen gadol), or yishmael, avrahams son. In that case, Avraham's son is better known.
Or Elisha- the navi, or elisha ben avuya, aka Acher. -- in that case, does elisha make you think of the navi or of acher?

Quote:

or
2) how abt calling the baby (as an example) "chaimafterthetzaddiknottherasha"?....it would cost a fortune in name labels but at least thered b no confusion!!! 8)

But then the nickname would still be chaim and then people would wonder...

Crayon210 ↓

Tue, May 15 2007, 11:04 am

To deal with your examples, Yishmael (AFAIK) is not used today, and the association would be with Avraham's son (even though he did teshuva Confused

), but Elisha is used and associated with the Navi.

I think it depends on the names.

↑ Seraph ↓

Tue, May 15 2007, 11:26 am

But in terms of being named after... I know there's an inyan not to name after a rasha- if so, is there a problem to use a name that is both a rasha and a tzaddik?

↑ Crayon210 ↓

Tue, May 15 2007, 11:33 am

breslov wrote:

But in terms of being named after... I know there's an inyan not to name after a rasha- if so, is there a problem to use a name that is both a rasha and a tzaddik?

Like the example of Elisha? I don't think there's a problem, especially if the tzaddik is better known.

↑ Crayon210 ↓

Tue, May 15 2007, 11:35 am

Also, if you name the kid "Yaakov Aharon Shlomo", no one is going to assume you meant Yaakov the axe murderer, Aharon the bank robber, and Shlomo the mechalel Shabbos. They'll be "dan l'kaf zechus". :-D

stem

Tue, May 15 2007, 12:45 pm

Any name you pick may have a bad person with the same name somewhere in history. Just think of the Tzaddik when you're naming him, and that's who he'll be named for!

↑ Seraph

Tue, May 15 2007, 12:48 pm

Crayon210 wrote:

breslov wrote:

But in terms of being named after... I know there's an inyan not to name after a rasha- if so, is there a problem to use a name that is both a rasha and a tzaddik?

Like the example of Elisha? I don't think there's a problem, especially if the tzaddik is better known.

You're really saying people don't know who Acher is? He is very famous as far as I know.

↑ Crayon210

Tue, May 15 2007, 1:08 pm

Of course I know who Acher is. But when I meet a little boy named Elisha, I don't assume he was named for him. I automatically assume he was named for a relative, or for Elisha the navi.

chen

Tue, May 15 2007, 1:17 pm

NO ONE is going to think you named your son for Elisho ben Avuyo. They will assume you named him for your Great-Uncle or Great-Grandpa Elisho the Tzaddik. Or even your Great-Uncle Elisho the Regular Guy.

BTW I love the name Elisho. Smile

shalhevet

Tue, May 15 2007, 1:24 pm

stem wrote:

Any name you pick may have a bad person with the same name somewhere in history. Just think of the Tzaddik when you're naming him, and that's who he'll be named for!

It definitely goes after who you have in mind. Otherwise what could you call? Are there any names at all which have never been names of a rasha???

(Though I know someone who didn't want to name his son Yitzchok even though it was in the weekly parsha b/c of a certain Yitzchak who was killed here in Israel that same week and was a rasha merusha and he thought people might get the wrong idea, since he has/had many admirers.)

amother

Tue, May 15 2007, 2:11 pm

chen wrote:

BTW I love the name Elisho. Smile

So does my husband. I don't mind it, but don't love it so much.