Any help is welcome but especially if you’re familiar with Ashkenazi Jewish naming traditions!
The short summary is that it is generally considered ‘bad luck’ if not a complete no-no to name a child after a living relative. The superstition behind this is, roughly, that if the baby and the adult have the same name then the angel of death my come for the adult and accidentally take the baby due to confusions about names. I have seen it play out in families where grandparents have been upset and asked/demanded the name (usually middle) be changed because it’s honouring someone who is still alive.
So that’s sort of the background information about the tradition.
[name_f]My[/name_f] question is, if I were to use the Hebrew name [name_f]Liora[/name_f] as a nod to my (living) sister, whose Hebrew name is [name_f]Ora[/name_f]. Am I breaking the rules?
It isn’t the same name and it’s a name that is not necessarily going to be used much, so I wouldn’t view it as being in the same category as giving them the same name. However, it really depends whether your sister feels weird about it.
I got permission from my mom’s dad to name in honor of him while he is living. I am not superstitious and also am just using his first initial, so it feels fine to me, but I wanted him to be comfortable with it in order to do it. Maybe you could do the same?
I agree asking might be your best bet. [name_f]My[/name_f] understanding is that most of the honoring flows through the first initial and not necessarily the last syllable, but the connection from [name_f]Ora[/name_f] to [name_f]Liora[/name_f] is unmistakeable. [name_f]Liora[/name_f] is a beautiful, beautiful name, but since it’s a grey area and I think it could affect your family dynamic, I would ask.
Not Jewish myself, but I’ve had some Jewish friends over the years and picked up a couple things, but could definitely be missing a lot culturally that will go into this decision, so take my advice with a grain of salt. Good luck with your decision!
For what it’s worth, I think my sister would be thrilled by the honour and she is far less superstitious than I am! She was also named directly after a living relative as her first name (not Hebrew name), my parents had to ask permission first. So I’m pretty sure she’d be fine with it!
I think asking would be the main thing - and deciding if you’d feel comfortable doing it or if the knowledge of the tradition would always itch at your brain a bit
Firstly, it depends on whether your family really follows Ashkenazi traditions. The Sephardic trandition (and thus the tradition in Israel) is to name after a living relative. Here in Pensacola, where the tradition is Sephardic, I was very surprised, being a [name_m]New[/name_m] Yorker, to meet whole families named after the parents, boys and girls.
[name_f]Liora[/name_f] and [name_f]Ora[/name_f] are almost the same name. [name_m]Can[/name_m] you use initials instead? [name_f]Ofra[/name_f], instead of [name_f]Ora[/name_f]? I would agree that it’s really best to ask your sister in the long run.
[name_f]My[/name_f] husband is an Ashkenazi Jew (thanks for tagging me @Greyblue).
The reason babies are not named after living relatives is not only because it might confuse the angel of death, but also because it’s seen as disrespectful. In most cases the baby is named after a parent, grandparent or someone who’s older than the babies parents. Because it’s considered terribly disrespectful to refer to your (grand)parents by name, using their first name is seen as a form of disrespect towards them.
Because of the custom, it may also be perceived as if you’re waiting for this person to die, which I always thought is a tiny bit funny, but I get it anyway
As for your particular case: in my husband’s family this would be a no go. But you can always ask. I know of someone who named their daughter after their living grandmother, because the grandmother agreed. I’d definitely ask your sister if she’s okay with it, and if she is you can always consult your other close family members. If it makes them uncomfortable I personally wouldn’t do it.
I’m Jewish & am very familiar with the no-no of naming after living relatives. But I really don’t know about using something similar to their Hebrew name. That’s probably fine, right? Shouldn’t be any angel of death confusion! For what it’s worth, [name_f]Liora[/name_f] is amazing. So so beautiful.
