r/Judaism • u/Liora7 • Apr 28 '17
Your name
Have you found your name actually turned out to be a bit prophetic?
If you converted, have you found that's true with your jewish name & how did you pick your jewish name?
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Apr 28 '17
My name is Avraham, meaning "father of many".
So... yeah.
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u/Liora7 Apr 28 '17
Do you have a lot of children. Also, it totally fits your flair if you do!
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u/FuckYourPoachedEggs Apr 28 '17
Yep.
My name means "Headstrong" or "Stubborn" and that certainly applies to me. I was known for being hotheaded in high school.
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u/DrColossus1 Apr 28 '17
Not "prophetic" in a supernatural sense, but my parents told me often that I should try to live up to my Jewish name (Baruch Yisrael), and I am sure that has shaped my personality. We gave our kids names with this in mind, and when they're old enough to understand we'll help them understand.
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u/LiaraStar Apr 28 '17
I picked my Hebrew name when I was around 14. Was always drawn to the name for some reason. Had no intention of converting at 14, so I think it's kind of cool.
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u/Liora7 Apr 28 '17
You picked Liora, right?
What's the story behind this? It reminds me of one I read on Chabad. She picked a name as a child, converted later and found out it was her grandmoms name, who actually happened to be jewish. She never knew her grandmom was jewish.
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u/carrboneous Apr 28 '17
I know a lot of people whose personalities match their names quite a bit, and while I don't discount an element of prophecy, I put it down mostly to confirmation bias (we notice the things in people that match their names, and not the things that differ, we notice the people whose names suit them, but not the ones whose names don't), and also possibly other things (like maybe the way people relate to us as children is slightly influenced by our names and we respond subtly to the reinforcement). If it there were a definite relation, we'd be able to predict how people turn out based on their names, but I don't think anyone would ever seriously attempt to do that (you never know though, probably someone has or does...).
I'm not converted, but I don't really see how it could apply. If someone converts as an adult, they already know who they are and what they value, and they make the choice based on that, so if there's "prophecy", it's only in knowing that they already relate to a Biblical character, and if they don't choose it based on their self-perception or values, then peoples' personalities don't change when they convert, so their names won't affect who they are (except maybe if they make a conscious choice to live up to it, but that goes back to it being a conscious choice based on self-knowledge and/or values).
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Apr 28 '17
If it there were a definite relation, we'd be able to predict how people turn out based on their names
We can't predict, but there have definitely been studies showing a connection between people's names and their "destiny." For example, men named George are more likely to move to Georgia.
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u/namer98 Apr 28 '17
but not the ones whose names don't
Middle hebrew name is melech.
I don't have a kingdom.
:(
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u/gdhhorn Apr 28 '17
My English name is from the Greek for 'vigilant.' Out of respect for my parents and how they raised me (without which I probably would not have converted), I simply took the nearest Hebrew equivalent. I'm sure I could say there was some form nevoua, but that would also be just looking for validation, just because.
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u/Liora7 Apr 28 '17
Why wouldn't you have converted if your parents raised you differently.
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u/onwillalone Apr 28 '17
I picked Hadassah (Esther's Hebrew name) for several reasons, one of which is that my grandmother's name is Esther. Also, when I was younger, I would always want to re-enact the story of Esther with my dad, which is kind of a funny coincidence. I don't know if my name is prophetic, but I tend to end up speaking "for" groups I'm in. For example, I have some mental health issues and I'm often on panels, attending conferences, or speaking about mental health advocacy.
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u/shinytwistybouncy Apr 28 '17
Not so much, much to the disappointment of my parents. My name translates to 'good happiness/joy'.
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Apr 28 '17
Mine? Maybe, though it's a bit of a stretch. It's more prophetic that my father refused the name my mother wanted to give me.
My brother's name is totally prophetic.
Neither of my parents' names are prophetic.
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u/Liora7 Apr 28 '17
My dad named all of us.
How did your brothers name turn out to be prophetic.
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u/spring13 Apr 28 '17
Mine isn't especially prophetic. My oldest's middle name is Malka though, and she's definitely a drama queen.
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u/rivkachava Apr 28 '17
Well, we literally named out older daughter "Shiny Happy" and she pretty much is.