I like honouring names. My grandfather’s religious name was [name]Avram[/name] Tzvi. [name]Avram[/name] has been used since in the family, for him, and I would rather use Tzvi anyhow.
So I would use it directly for a boy, but for a girl there are a few options:
Tzvia/Tzviya is the most direct. Middle name material, probably. I like it.
Zibiah is an English translation that’s used in some English translations of the Bible - in the KJV it’s in the Old Testament. Zibiah doesn’t sound that much like Tzvia AND it isn’t that common, but it’s pretty easy to figure out how to say it, I think? But maybe not. I’d be interested on opinions of whether it’s zi-[name]BEE[/name]-uh or zi-BYE-uh or something else.
Another translation, and this shocked me because I’ve of course heard of it but never heard it connected to Tzvia before… is [name]Tabitha[/name].
Is [name]Tabitha[/name] the most usable? Or does it have it’s own witch/cat baggage? Is it too [name]Christian[/name] sounding?
I like Z names but am not sure about Zibiah.
I suppose I could also just spell Tzvia as Zvia. Like [name]Tzipora[/name] is often [name]Zipporah[/name] or something.
I got a little lost in your post. Are you asking if those names are usable in the middle spot or first name spot? If you are looking to use it in the first name spot I would be a little hesitant only because even with you breaking down the name I am still not sure if I am pronouncing it correctly. [name]Tabitha[/name] would be a better choice which is very classy to me. I would try to use a name that is some what easy for people/teachers to pronounce. If the name is in the middle spot you can go wild.
Yeah, I got a little garbled. I think I just learned my lesson on trying to do too many things at one time.
I guess I was asking a few different questions:
[name]Do[/name] you think [name]Tabitha[/name] is usable as a first name, or only as a middle?
[name]Do[/name] you think Zibiah is uncommon in a cool in an interesting way or only in an “ew, that’s weird” way?
Would you use a name as uncommon as Tzvia even in a middle name spot, or would you try, even for a middle, to use something more intuitive, like Zibiah or [name]Tabitha[/name]?
Aesthetically, disregarding practicality for a moment, do you consider any of these names attractive?
That’s about the range of my questions, hopefully that makes a bit more sense.
Lol it happens to the best of us especially when typing it just gets jumbled.
To answer your questions
I think [name]Tabitha[/name] is very usable as a first name. I like it a lot. I can picture it on a baby, little girl and adult. It is very chic, classy and has a timeless vibe going on.
Weird does not freak me out because I had a lot of weird names on my list until my boyfriend told me calm it down lol so nothing it too weird to me. I think pronunciation is going to be a problem for some.
For me the middle name spot you can go wild. For example my boyfriend loves the name [name]Leo[/name] and it is becoming popular in my opinion so I chose two crazy middles ([name]Ignatius[/name] and [name]Balthazar[/name]) to spice it up a little bit so I think having an uncommon name like that in the middle is perfectly fine.
I think all three names are pleasing to the eye. I just can not figure out if I am pronouncing them correctly that’s why I almost feel it would be safer in the middle spot.
Tzvia looks pretty. What is the accurate pronunciation? In my head I’m saying zeh-VEE-ah?
I don’t mind Zebiah at all. In fact it’s growing on me the longer I ponder it. Is Zeviah an option. It feels truer to the original and the v sound is very pretty.
[name]Tabitha[/name] is one of those names I don’t know if I like it not, but I wouldn’t think you were crazy if you used it. It’s s fine name!
I am unsure how to pronounce Tzvi/Tzvia/Tzviya.
I would instinctively pronounce Zibiah as zib-e-uh.
I think that [name]Tabitha[/name] is very usable in either the first or middle spot - it doesn’t sound christian at all to me, despite it’s bible connection. It does slightly remind me of Bewitched, but having met one little [name]Tabitha[/name] quite recently and heard of several others, I think that that connotation is becoming less prevalent.
I think the middle spot is the perfect place to go crazy if you’re not brave enough to use it in the middle - therefore I think anything can work in the middle.
tzvee-ya, or zvee-ya. 2 syllables. The -ia is a ya, like [name]Katia[/name] or [name]Sonia[/name]. Which is a bit tricky. I’ve seen Tzviya sometimes but I am sort of phobic of adding y’s to already-unusual names for fear of looking like I either want to be really kreative or the cat stood on the keyboard, lol.
I think [name]Tabitha[/name] is definitely usable as a first name. I know a woman named [name]Tabitha[/name]/[name]Tabby[/name]. I don’t think of it as a specifically [name]Christian[/name] name.
I can’t say I would intuitively know how to pronounce any of the other names; I’ve just never encountered them before. However, I think it’s totally fine to have something more unusual or difficult to pronounce in the middle spot. People rarely use their middle names anyway.
First of all: my thoughts on [name]Tabitha[/name]: I think when posters above are answering about [name]Tabitha[/name], they are comparing [name]Christian[/name] vs. secular, not [name]Christian[/name] vs. Jewish - from [name]Avram[/name] Tzvi I am guessing you are Jewish. [name]Tabitha[/name] is very wearable as a secular name, and I certainly wouldn’t be shocked to see it on a Jewish girl, nor would many people. BUT the [name]Tabitha[/name] of the Bible is of the [name]Christian[/name] Bible, she was resurrected by [name]Jesus[/name]'s follower [name]Peter[/name]. The name itself is in fact related to Tzvia from every source I can find - Tzvia is Hebrew for doe or deer and [name]Tabitha[/name] is Aramaic for gazelle. Aramaic of course was a language spoken by many people of the ancient middle [name]East[/name] (and by a small population today), but is pretty strongly associated with early followers of [name]Jesus[/name]. SO - this name could easily have [name]Christian[/name] overtones to those of an academic bent. It was also pretty popular among the Puritans. I think you’d be better served to avoid it if you’re worried about it ever reading [name]Christian[/name].
Tzvia is beautiful and would make a lovely middle!
Zibiah is pretty intuitive. I do think you’d get zi BYE ah sometimes due to [name]Mariah[/name]. Zibia is a little more intuitive. [name]Both[/name] spellings and pronunciations are maybe a little close to Tibia, which is hardly the worst thing but maybe a little unfortunate.
Googling around, this name has a million potential spellings. I think Tzvia is best for staying close to [name]Avram[/name] Tzvi, and being simple. But there are plenty of options!
[name]Ayla[/name]/[name]Ayala[/name]/[name]Ayelet[/name] are Hebrew origin names that are beautiful to my ear and have meanings also related to does and gazelles, and take the A (and the T in the case of [name]Ayelet[/name]) from [name]Avram[/name]/[name]Avram[/name] Tzvi. [name]Just[/name] something to consider.
[name]Hi[/name] Stripe. What a great name to work from - [name]Avram[/name] Tzvi! Swoon!
I adore [name]Tabitha[/name] as a first name. Yes I think of [name]Tabitha[/name] Twitchit and calico and campfires, but the sound of it is such a beautiful warm pitter-patter. [name]Do[/name] it!
I also very much like Tzvia (spelled thusly) as a middle name. As Tuitree said, it is beautiful to look at, and you won’t have to worry about pronunciation issues as much with a middle name.
Zibiah doesn’t do it for me. The B clunkifies it imo. Besides, what would you name her ziblings?
There’s also the zesty name [name]Ziva[/name]. (“ZEEvah”) Feminine form of the Hebrew [name]Ziv[/name] (“radiant light”) I met a little [name]Ziva[/name]. It’s quite wearable.
Tzvia is my favorite. It’s energetic, pretty, and honors your grandfather most directly. I would pronounce Zibiah as “zib-EYE-uh.” It’s interesting, but I’m not crazy about it. [name]Tabitha[/name], being the most common, is also the most versatile. However, it does have a very colonial/Puritan/[name]Christian[/name] vibe to me. Since you’re Jewish I would skip it.
Honestly, I like the simple Tzvia/Tzviya the best. It’s obviously in his honor, but honestly, I just think it’s fun to say. I think it could make a really cool middle name. I like Zibiah, but I would have emphasized the first syllable–ZIB-ee-ah. Is that a big deal? ZIB-ee-ah and zih-[name]BEE[/name]-ah sound fairly close to me, but the difference could get annoying. I just figured, since it reminds me so much of [name]Lydia[/name]/[name]Lidia[/name].
[name]Tabitha[/name]… meh, my first associations are the witchy ones and the Biblical ones, but I think it can easily stand on its own two feet. I’ve met several Tabithas, and not once did I think of the [name]New[/name] Testament [name]Tabitha[/name], or Bewitched.
I was going to suggest the Hebrew names [name]Ayelet[/name] / [name]Ayala[/name] / [name]Yael[/name] which all have similar meanings to Tzvi.
Since you are toying around with the Hebrew “Z” names which are similar to Tzvi, would you consider [name]Ziva[/name]? It means ‘radiance,’ and it has a similar feel to Tzvi.
Personally, I like my suggestions better than [name]Tabitha[/name] - they have more of a connection your grandfather.
Its always so hard to decide what to do when the names are not easy for the general public. We had to nix the name [name]Chaim[/name] for our son.
I love Tzvia and feel it has a intuitive pronunciation. Leaving off the T is a possibility (Zvia.) I also love the suggestion of [name]Ziva[/name]. The biblical background of [name]Tabitha[/name] is unlikely to become a issue. This basically means “[name]Do[/name] what makes you happiest” Go to almost any school and you’ll see that children’s names run the gamut from common to WHAT?
I know I’m biased but to me Tzvia (or Tzivia) looks normal, while Zibiah looks awkward and less pronounceable. I was totally going to suggest [name]Ayala[/name]/[name]Ayelet[/name] if you want to preserve the meaning somehow, or something like Aviya, [name]Aviva[/name], or Avielle for a fn to preserve the sound of [name]Avram[/name].
I’m curious whether you want to give a single name to your child or would expect to have a legal name and a religious one. Ie: my [name]Elisheva[/name]'s birth certificate says [name]Elizabeth[/name], but only doctors call her that. If you used something like [name]Tabitha[/name], would you only ever use that or would she have a more distinctly Hebrew name to complement it? [name]Tabitha[/name] is beautiful, but feels a bit…hollow to me on its own and as a namesake.
I think you could do anything in the middle, it is the free-range zone! I love when people have ‘exotic’ and interesting middle names with a story behind them. I also think [name]Tabitha[/name] is a gorgeous name and you should consider keeping it in the running as a first name.
We’re definitely having religious name(s). My family is Masorti/Conservative and everyone has two sets of names. It’s mostly a matter of how close they are to each other, like if its a direct translation or just an alliteration thing or whatever.
A [name]Tabitha[/name]-for-Tzvia wouldn’t be weird in my family. Though admittedly some people won’t get it - it’s not really as familiar as [name]Hannah[/name]/[name]Chana[/name] or [name]Rachel[/name]/[name]Ruchel[/name]/[name]Rahel[/name] - and other people will wonder why I didn’t name her [name]Zoe[/name] or something as it sounds closer.
Some of them are not even SORT of translations but just letter-matches. [name]Aidan[/name] for [name]Aharon[/name], etc. Sometimes its a bit convoluted in my family - Chaia/Chayas get “I” names for some reason. (And my husband is still trying to convince me that justifies [name]Indigo[/name]!)
