Comparing [name]Matthew[/name], [name]Mary[/name], and [name]Joseph[/name] to [name]Bodhi[/name] is comparing apples and oranges. The use of [name]Jesus[/name] as a given name is almost completely confined to Spanish-speaking populations, where it’s a form of [name]Joshua[/name]. [name]Bodhi[/name] is more along the lines of someone who is not of an Abrahamic faith naming their child Mt. [name]Sinai[/name] or Jerusalem.
I would argue that you should have ties to a religion before using a name from it. This poster is not Buddhist nor does she have any ties to the faith, so I stand by my opinion that [name]Bodhi[/name] is inappropriate for this family.
The appropriateness of the name was addressed in an older thread, and someone who actually studied Buddhism offered their thoughts: Nameberry - Welcome to the Nameberry Forums
Personally, I would take mischa’s opinion on that thread with more weight that any of the posters on this thread.
Penguin: I too have studied Buddhism -via Vipassana meditation- for many years. It’s a practice that’s very dear to me, though I don’t consider myself a Buddhist. I may not be as steeped in the religion as [name]Mischa[/name], but I feel strongly about this. It’s not -offensive- exactly. Really devout Buddhists, practicing good will, right-mindedness, non-attachment and all that, would be unlikely to get all riled up and offended by a child’s name! But the [name]Bodhi[/name] tree is a potent symbol, and using it as a name without a strong connection to the religion dilutes that potency. I personally think there’s a kind of disrespect in that. Buddhism is an incredible philosophy, and it’s wonderful if it reaches a wide audience. But I feel prickly about the franchization of Eastern philosophy and religious imagery under the umbrella of new age, yoga-goddess, zen-soy-icecream culture. Being a white person in [name]America[/name], I am in a position of great luck, and my eyes were opened to that while living in Tibet. Their religion, its symbols, like the [name]Bodhi[/name] tree… that is their entire hope. Tibetan Buddhists are extremely reverent about their religious symbology. I find it obnoxious and shallow when people appropriate Buddhist culture in marketing, in surfboard design, in naming white American children. Sorry to be a [name]Debbie[/name] Downer here. Of course the OP’s son will be fine no matter what his name is. Bodie or [name]Bodhi[/name]- it’s not the end of the world and many people will think it’s a great name! I think this is just a broader conversation about the sacredness of words and symbols. Something to consider when you’re naming a kid.
To me, the name [name]Bodhi[/name] immediately makes me think of the film Point Break and it’s a real ‘surfer’ name for me.
Having said that, I do like it.
There have been a lot of interesting points made about the appropriateness of a non-Buddhist using [name]Bodhi[/name]. I’d love to add to that, but I unfortunately don’t think that I can really add anything informed. In the event that you do decide that the [name]Bodhi[/name] spelling is inappropriate, I think that [name]Bodi[/name] is my favorite option. It apparently has a Slavic background, it’s visually very similar to [name]Bodhi[/name], and the pronunciation seems pretty unambiguous to me. [name]Bode[/name] is nice, but I think that it would lead to pronunciation issues, and Bodie and Bowdie may be legitimate but they both look made-up and surname-y to me.