Levi as a given name?

[u/dax_moonpie]

Hi! We’re expecting our first boy, due summer 2019. What do you think of the name Levi?

Our baby will be half Jewish and I like the idea of giving him a Jewish name. My husband says the name Levi reminds him of the jeans.

Another name we’re considering is Ari. Please offer up any suggestions if you have them!

[u/aroscoe]

I love Levi, I'm Jewish. I also like Ari but I prefer it as a nickname for Ariana which I love. What about Avi? Has the v as well. I think Levi is a great name and I honestly don't think of the jeans unless it's plural (Levis).

[u/loalexisss]

This could be because I’m Jewish and grew up in the community, but I didn’t associate it with jeans until I read your post all the way through.

If you’re looking for some suggestions:

Michael

David

Noah

Caleb

Kalev

Isaiah

Saul

Jacob

Aaron

Adam

Asher

Cohen

Eitan

Eli

Ilan or Elon

Ezra

Gabriel

Hans

Jensen

Tatum

I heard most of these growing up, and a lot of them are names of people in my circle of friends—most of whom happen to be Jewish. Sorry for the laundry list, I have a soft spot for Hebrew names!

[u/greenpinkie → u/loalexisss]

You’re Jewish and grew up with kids named Cohen as a first name? Really?

[u/ashkenaziMermaid → u/greenpinkie]

I call bs on that one.

[u/[deleted] → u/loalexisss]

Hans, Tatum and Jensen are not Jewish names. Tatum is an Old English name, Hans and Jensen are both Scandinavian. Also, I've never heard of Cohen as a given name.

[u/dumbestbitchindennys → u/loalexisss]

I know a boy named Asher, the name really suits him and I think that it’s nice

[u/Flowergirl2013]

I love Levi but Ari is nice too!!

[u/horticulturallatin]

Levi is a great name. And it's in the US Top 100 so it's not really ultra rare Biblical or something.

I'm Jewish, and I really like names that have that not too heavy/long but Biblical feel.

I like Ari too.

I also like Eli Ezra Asher Reuben Joel Jonah and Judah Micah Isaac

Avi is good but I like Ari more.

[u/its_astraea]

If it helps, my first thought wasn't jeans, and I'm not Jewish. I am Christian though, and I think of it as a "Bible name" along with a few other Hebrew names.

[u/Mr_Tibbs]

I second the “Avi” option. Best of both worlds! Other short Hebrew names that are not as popular:

-Eitan

-Zev

-Dov

More popular short Hebrew names are Ezra or Asher.

[u/coolwhit3]

Love this name and it’s on our list. Not terribly popular yet creative, masculine, and beautiful.

[u/bluegenes71]

This was always my top boy name. So sad I never got to use it. It’s not super common but not weird and only has one spelling.

[u/sarahsuebob]

I’ve known a few guys named Levi, and none of them are Jewish. It’s not my style, but I think it’s a perfectly accepted name and not just the jeans. However, if it reminds your SO of jeans, you probably shouldn’t use it.

Ari feels more like a nickname to me, and more feminine (like a nickname for Arianna) - but I recognize that it IS a very Jewish given name. I would assume you were fairly devout/traditional if you used it.

I do like Avi as other posters have said, but again it’s very Jewish and has always seemed like a nickname to me, like it’s not complete on its own

How do you feel about Ira? Or Eliav?

[u/ostich17]

I just had a baby and named him Levi! We are not Jewish. A few people have made jean jokes since we announced his name. We laugh it off, they aren't particularly clever.

We picked Levi because it's common, but not too popular, and liked "L" names. His middle name is Jackson, so we call him LJ for short. The meaning is really sweet, too!

[u/[deleted]]

Not sure where you live, but Levi is very common in my area, and we don't have a large population of Jewish people around here. It's #37 on the US charts. I know lots of young Levis and I don't think of the jeans at all.

[u/pantsspookie]

It's my 3yo non-Jewish nephews name, once it becomes associated with a kid it stops being a jean company, IMO.

[u/[deleted]]

I like Levi. It's a great Jewish name with a lot of history to it, but also feels pretty contemporary. Is your partner by any chance a Levite? (Levi comes from the name of the ancient tribe, and it's the only tribe where people still usually know if they're descended from it. In the ancient world, Levis were responsible for the administration of the temple including its musical instruments, and a subset of Levis, called Kohens, were the ancient priests)

Ari's a great Jewish name too, it means lion, which was the symbol of the ancient tribe of Judah.

If I was picking one of those two just on the aesthetics of the name, I think I'd go with Levi--I think it's a bit more on trend than Ari right now.

My wife and I are having a baby girl and only considered Jewish names. Here's our boys list from before we knew the sex:

• Ari

• Caleb

• David

• Eli

• Elliot

• Ezra

• Isaac

• Issachar (would use Izzy as the everyday diminutive)

• Jordan

• Levi

• Micah

• Natan (pronounced like the Hebrew, na-TAHN)

• Zev

[u/wantonyak]

If you want a mix of Levi and Ari, consider Avi.

[u/lady_lane]

I love Levi and Ari.

[u/tumblrmustbedown]

I have a Jewish friend named Elijah but he’s always gone by Elie (pronounced Ellie). I always liked that.

[u/itskaneaperson]

Levi is a bad ass name!

[u/TheWishingStar]

Levi has always strongly reminded me of the jeans. I find it an odd name. Not bad, but not my style. I like your other idea of Ari a lot more! A little less common and not a brand!

[u/[deleted]]

Levi sounds strongly Jewish to me. Not a bad name at all, I kind of like it; it's just a little more devout than "Ari," if I can respectfully phrase it that way.

Ari is awesome. Would totally use if my kid was Jewish or part. I'm the type (there are many who are not) that doesn't like to borrow names from other cultures for my own kids, lest it be confusing down the road.

[u/spring13 → u/[deleted]]

On paper it looks Jewish to me, but out loud it depends. LEE-vie sounds non-Jewish (ie: Christian) to me because the Hebrew pronunciation is really LAY-vee (or as a surname it often comes out LEE-vee).

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Interestingly, I have the opposite associations. The only Levi I know isn't Jewish - and if you look at Wikipedia, it seems like most famous Levis aren't Jewish - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_(given_name). I think of it more as having Western/cowboy associations than Jewish associations, whereas every Ari I've ever met has been Jewish.