Convince me!

Boy Names
1

I’ve been thinking about [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] more and more lately, and I’ve started to doubt my love for it. I fell in love with it because it was spunky, and unusual, and I love (and I do mean love!) the story of [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] and [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] in the Bible. One of the most beautiful and romantic stories. Plus, my grandmother was [name_f]Ruth[/name_f], and I thought [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] was the coolest, cutest, funkiest ways to honor her on a boy, and I lovelovelove the nn [name_m]Beau[/name_m]/[name_m]Bo[/name_m]. Or at least, I’ve grown to love it–I liked it when I fell for [name_m]Boaz[/name_m], but after I fell for [name_m]Boaz[/name_m], I also fell for [name_m]Beau[/name_m]. There’s really only two ways I’ve found that I like to honor this grandmother–[name_f]Lily[/name_f] for a girl, and [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] for a boy–and I’m a bit hesitant to let it go, and I do love the significance, but I’m just not as excited about [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] as I am my other options. Does [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] even sound like a name, really?

Any [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] lovers out there? I know it’s not a popular choice, but it seems like people either [name_f]ADORE[/name_f] it or hate it. Can anyone “see” a [name_m]Boaz[/name_m]? What would he look like, act like? Is it honestly just too out-there?

Thanks, ladies!

2

I too love the story of [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] and [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] and I think it’s a cool way to honor your grandmother but I personally don’t like the name. It’s a bit harsh sounding to me. But I think I can kind of see it if it was an official name but he went by [name_m]Bo[/name_m]. I just can’t imagine anyone going by [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] fulltime.

3

eh… I’m not really a fan, the name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. When I see it I automatically think of the Boa Constrictor snakes.

4

I’m not really a fan of [name_m]Boaz[/name_m]. It has a weird sound, and truthfully, it sounds like something that you would name your dog. I much prefer [name_m]Beau[/name_m].

5

It’s definitely unusual, but I really like it. Especially with nn [name_m]Bo[/name_m]!
I’d imagine it on a dark haired boy who’s very compact and tough.
It would definitely have to be with the right family, it’s far from standard.

6

I really like [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] too, also because of the Bible story :slight_smile: I can totally imagine it on a person nowadays, especially with the gorgeous nickname [name_m]Beau[/name_m]!

7

I think it is a great name, it is quirky with the lovely nickname [name_m]Beau[/name_m].

8

It’s not my favorite but I think it’s all right. I think I would like [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] more if I did have a connection to it, either personally or through the Biblical story (non-religious here so I am not sure what his background is or what he did). I like that it’s unusual and [name_m]Bo[/name_m] is a cute nickname. So in sum, I think it’s workable, it’s just not something I’d go for myself.

9

[name_m]How[/name_m] do you pronounce [name_m]Boaz[/name_m]?

10

I love it! It’s a bit much on its own for a baby, but with the nickname [name_m]Bo[/name_m], I think it’s great! I also love the biblical story. Having grown up hearing the name from the Bible, I don’t think it’s too “out there” or anything!

11

I feel like I should love [name_m]Boaz[/name_m], but I just can’t. This isn’t relevant outside of [name_f]Alabama[/name_f], but there’s a town called [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] in the northern part of the state. A lot of Alabamans love to pick at [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] because the people there are, um, interesting and have very distinct drawls. So I see the name [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] and I hear “[name_m]Bo[/name_m]-aaaaaaz.” I can’t even do that drawn out “a” sound justice.

12

@tigermama527 - It’s said like [name_m]BO[/name_m]-az. [name_m]Long[/name_m] “O” as in [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], short “A” as in “apple”.

@pacifica - in short, the story starts with [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] and Elimelech, a Hebrew family that moves to a neighboring territory because of a drought in [name_m]Israel[/name_m]. Their two sons marry local women, one of which is [name_f]Ruth[/name_f]. Elimelech dies (I’m not sure what from), and then consequently, their two sons pass away, too, without giving heirs. In [name_m]Israel[/name_m], it would have been tradition for [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] to marry their closest kinsman and provide another son for either [name_f]Ruth[/name_f], or the other daughter-in-law, [name_f]Orpah[/name_f], to marry. Of course, this would take forever, and [name_f]Naomi[/name_f], being kind of heart, tried to send her two daughters-in-law back to their families, because she was old and had nothing to offer them. [name_f]Orpah[/name_f] agrees, but [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] refuses, giving this eloquent speech that is often quoted: “Wherever you go, I will go, your people will be my people, and your God, my God…” That’s not it word-for-word, but it’s close. So [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] and [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] return to [name_m]Israel[/name_m], and [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] takes care of her mother-in-law, and soon after they arrive, she goes to glean in the fields to provide food for them (widows and such were permitted to follow behind the harvesters and pick up the meager remnants of the crop, and that is what they would take home). The first day [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] did this, [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] was completely taken by her beauty and kindness and selflesness and grace. He had heard what she did for her mother-in-law, and went out of his way to care for her. (Basically, he had a crush. It was adorable. :)) When [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] returned to [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] with way much more grain than either of them had expected, [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] wanted to know who in the world owned the land that she gleaned on, and when she found out it was [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] (a near kinsman of theirs), she gave [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] special instructions, and I don’t know how to explain all the cultural information and everything, but it was found out that there was a nearer kinsman, and yet [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] “redeemed” (a very charged, religious word, I know, but he loved her, and he is basically making the great gesture here, to have a chance at a life with her) her. They had a son, [name_m]Obed[/name_m], together, and [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] and [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] are in the direct lineage of [name_m]Jesus[/name_m]. I can’t really do it justice–it’s just a really beautiful story, and even if you don’t believe the Bible, I think it’s worth the read. It’s such a good story.

I love that everyone else loves the Bible story! I feel like I have a very personal connection to it, with my grandmother and all, but it just seems so crazy. :frowning: le sigh. I’m still giving it thought. It probably doesn’t hurt that after about a year, I still don’t have one [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] combo I’m super excited about, so it’s easier to just let it go. I don’t really like it as a middle, either, so I don’t know. I don’t know that I want to lose [name_m]Bo[/name_m]/[name_m]Beau[/name_m], though, and I am not sure I like it too much on its own, or as a nn for anything else? I suppose I could do [name_m]Brody[/name_m] nn [name_m]Beau[/name_m]/[name_m]Bo[/name_m], but [name_m]Brody[/name_m] is already a diminutive–does it need its own nn?

13

No worries, I may not be a [name_m]Christian[/name_m] however I think many of the Bible stories are interesting and rich in culture. I like the idea of that story; it sounds uber sweet. [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] seems like such a cute guy. xD

14

My best friend almost used [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] for her son but decided against it at the last minute (after the birth), saying it didn’t suit her son (which I think she truly felt), but I’m sure also because she received SO much push back from her family members about the name. It was really sad. Her husband especially LOVED the name – also because of the story of [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] and [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] – and she also intended on using [name_m]Bo[/name_m] as a nickname. I thought it was such a special, meaningful choice and I was bummed she got such bad reactions from her family. So, all that to say…I think it’s a hard name to pull off potentially, but I think it’s a great, gutsy, cool name. Hopefully your family is more open-minded than my friends’!

15

Mum to a six month old [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] here :slight_smile: My [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] is sweet, cuddly, smiley and very active. He has dark hair, big blue eyes and two cute little teeth… We love his name. He’s always [name_m]Boaz[/name_m], never [name_m]Bo[/name_m]. In fact, the possibility of the nickname [name_m]Bo[/name_m] was the only reservation my husband had about the name. So of your question was what do I think if the name I’d say I adore it…

But since your request is that I convince you… My advice is this: unless you love [name_m]Boaz[/name_m], don’t use it. Yes, the biblical story is lovely (big bonus for us too), yes it has a cute nickname (if you like that), yes it honors your grandma, BUT it is a relatively ‘out there’ name and people will comment, look surprised, ask questions, etc. If you’re not totally sold out on it, that will get old. FAST. Our sons all have unusual names (all of which I love) but I think if I had the tiniest bit of doubt about them, the attention we get would have that doubt growing and that could be a step on the slippery slope to name regret…

I don’t love [name_m]Beau[/name_m] but if YOU love it, I think it’s perfectly fine as a stand alone name (it’s in the top 50 here in [name_m]Oz[/name_m]).

[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t know if I’ve helped you or no, but good luck :slight_smile: