Where do Yiddish names come from?

amother

↑ Linen ↓

Today at 7:13 am

amother Dimgray wrote:

There are halachik opinions that names that are in tanach are superior.
I happen to hold this and won’t name a Yiddish name or a Hebrew name that isn’t in tanach.( like Shira)
It isn’t her opinion it is a real shita

Yes, but that poster was talking about Aliza and Shoshana, which are not halachik names.

amother

Gold

Today at 7:17 am

singleagain wrote:

Sure the name came first, but the way culture perceives the name is key. How many baby girls do you think have gotten the name Karen in the last nearly 7 or so years since the meme exploded?

I have this with the name Aidel. It runs in my family and there is definitely an expectation that we will name this, but I just can't.

I can just imagine a girl going her whole life being called "aidel maidel".

I don't mean to offend anyone with this name! I just feel that the way society perceives a name makes a difference, even if back in the alter heim it was a beautiful name.

I also would not name a boy Gimple bc of "gimple pimple", along these lines.

amother

↑ Linen

Today at 7:24 am

amother Gold wrote:

I think this is a very valid concern. I'm pretty sure Rabbi ,Paysach Krohn mentions this in his sefer Bris Milah, that parents should take heed not to name their children strange or unusual names, or names that will cause the child pain. I don't know of this is his own thought or if he brings it down from someone.

Another examples would be Yenta, which has a negative connotation.
And somehow, whenever someone wants to give an example of a random name, they use Shprintzy...

amother

Aqua ↓

Today at 7:26 am

amother Gold wrote:

You can give the name if you have to and call her Adèle (like the French name) with a short e (let, get) after the e and the emphasis on the second syllable. If you’re in Israel it’s not uncommon. There’s a girls name Adi, ayin daled, yod, emphasis on di. It means jewel or jewelry. Also a pretty name you can call her if you give the name Aidel.

↑ Ruchel ↓

Today at 7:27 am

amother Gold wrote:

My Aydel ♥️ has never been called so by strangers. Sometimes I call her so because it's cute. I LOVE this name. I've only had compliments. I've had a couple copycat I suspect... And when I gave birth the midwives told me there is a midwife called the same with another spelling! I knew her! I love Adina but Aydel is much cuter.

↑ Ruchel ↓

Today at 7:34 am

A really out there name can be a second name you use at bris/naming/Torah etc, and not daily. I'm not thinking of Shprintza even, but of names people really couldn't pronounce or that nowadays people wouldnt really take as Jewish. I don't want to give examples.

I personally LOVE names like Breindel, Dreizel, etc. But we chose to name for family
also stuff like this https://www.s-gabriel.org/name......html Dolceamori, Delisia,

amother

↑ Whitesmoke ↓

Today at 7:52 am

amother Denim wrote:

It's really community dependent.

I specifically said in non-chassidish communities. For ppl that don't speak yiddish, a yiddish name has no special meaning and can be considered strange. It's becoming more and more common for people to choose the hebrew version of a name over the yiddish one, even when naming after a relative.

amother

↑ Whitesmoke ↓

Today at 7:53 am

amother Tangerine wrote:

Aidel wouldn’t get a second thought from me. These things are so community specific .

Yup. In my community, the Aidels are being replaced by Adinas.

amother

↑ Whitesmoke

Today at 7:54 am

amother Linen wrote:

Yes, but that poster was talking about Aliza and Shoshana, which are not halachik names.

This is a very minority opinion that almost no one holds by, at least in my yeshivish community, including the RY and rabbonim. Incidentally, if you hold that any name that does not appear in tanach is not a "halachik" name, then Reb Chaim himself had a non-halachik name!

↑ Ruchel ↓

Today at 7:54 am

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

For most people, most people don't have meaning if they don't know latin or greek. Did you know Melanie is black/dark? It's strange, no? If she's white? Many people don't even research meaning anymore. I hope we Jews do. Or at least name for family (and still research meaning...)
If people can name Mohammed or what, I can name for my culture.

amother

↑ Glitter ↓

Today at 8:14 am

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

I specifically said in non-chassidish communities. For ppl that don't speak yiddish, a yiddish name has no special meaning and can be considered strange.

This is true but not universally so. My husband’s family is not frum and don’t speak Yiddish and his sister was given Chashke for her Hebrew name because she was named for a beloved great aunt. (I realize Chashke comes from Chasiah which is Hebrew origin.) a non frum work colleague just named her baby Golde. I’ve met secular Jews my age with Hebrew names like Masha Mindel. Many Jews find beauty and value in the Yiddish-origin names of their ancestors, even if they don’t speak the language.

It’s also fine to choose to adapt a Yiddish name to fit with your values. But don’t project it on everyone or assume it’s better.

↑ imaima ↓

Today at 8:14 am

amother Dimgray wrote:

It is A shita.
One of many

amother

↑ Glitter

Today at 8:18 am

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

Yup. In my community, the Aidels are being replaced by Adinas.

And at some point, in all likelihood, the name Adina might sound as old fashioned or out of place as Aidel sounds today. Names generally go through styles. The Tanach names will always be around— Yosef, Rachel, Moshe, etc.— but other Jewish names are connected to time/place/culture.

↑ Ruchel ↓

Today at 8:20 am

amother Glitter wrote:

My cousin's niece told her Moshe is old. She wanted to use Nevo

CHISHKE: In the Beider I find various forms, Khiske, Chiese.... definitely from Chana according to him

Last edited by Ruchel on Thu, Dec 12 2024, 8:59 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Mustard

Today at 8:23 am

amother Glitter wrote:

Oh my gosh, my middle name is Chishke after my great-grandmother and I have never met or heard of anyone with a similar name.

We wondered if Chishke came from “cheshek”, like “desire”, but if it’s Chashke/Chasya, that actually makes a lot of sense! So “Hashem’s mercy/protection”.

Thank you!

↑ imaima

Today at 8:34 am

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

If it only be considered strange if these people were raised with the idea that the world has started with their birth only and that anything they haven’t learned or heard yet is strange or wrong. And if they believe that whatever they know is normal and everything else is not.
Exposure and education are amazing things that do wonders for prevention of mockery

↑ singleagain

Today at 8:44 am

amother Glitter wrote:

Names are totally cyclical. Just look at this

amother

↑ Tangerine

Today at 8:48 am

amother Glitter wrote:

My nonfrum relatives have the most Yiddish names of anyone I know. But the difference is they don’t go by it.

↑ Ruchel ↓

Today at 8:50 am

French and I've seen named on babies that to me are grandparents because they're back. To me it's super strange to hear "Oh Alphonse nursed so well!" seriously??

"Un bond en arrière de plus d’un siècle en France où le phénomène est encore plus criant : Eugène, Léon, Léonie, Marcel, Auguste… On assiste à un boum de ces prénoms qui ont en commun d’avoir été très populaires dans les années 1910-1920 soit il y a plus de cent ans. "
Soooo how were people called in those times ? Wink

https://www.lunion.fr/id396504.....rface (this article says great grandparent!)

Also I've seen some French names being trendy in USA that people here see as not trendy at all, from Monique to Jacqueline.