[name]Hi[/name] all I’ve put this here as I’m not pregnant, just planning ahead
I love biblical names for many reasons and lately have been considering the lovely [name]Dinah[/name].
My only hesitation is the awful fate of the biblical [name]Dinah[/name] (she was raped and her brothers slew the perpetrator and half of his city in retribution). The name means justified or judged (ie vindicated). Is this a reason to avoid the name? My daughter would be raised to know the bible so she would eventually read the story ~ would that matter?
Our first daughter has a biblical name with a nice story and positive meaning - does this matter? Is this fair for siblings? The names are equally nice in sound and style [name]IMO[/name].
I think [name]Dinah[/name] is a fine name, even if her story is iffy. I tend to think a person defines a name, not the other way around. And I think more people would jump to the song, “[name]Dinah[/name] won’t you blow your horn?” than the Bible story.
I think the concern is valid, but coming from someone who grew up in a very [name]Christian[/name] home (and who is still quite devout in her beliefs), I don’t think it’ll really be a big deal. When I was young and learning the Bible stories, all I ever really knew about [name]Dinah[/name] was that she was [name]Joseph[/name]'s sister. And I always thought [name]Joseph[/name] was cool, so I thought [name]Dinah[/name] was cool by default, haha. By the time I was old enough to read the story for myself and discover how sad the story was, I still thought [name]Dinah[/name] was a cool person. Lots of people have negative associations to their names (I was named after my uncle, for crying out loud! Being given a traditionally masculine family name, despite its popularity on girls now, confused me a little in the head, haha.)–negative meanings, associations to not-so-great stories… sure, it is nice to have everything be rosy regarding a name, but if the meaning is negative (like [name]Marie[/name], which means “bitter”, and is positively rampant), or it has a negative story surrounding it (like [name]Dinah[/name]), I don’t really think it’s the end of the world. Sure, it’s a bit disappointing, but kids get over it.
If you don’t absolutely love it, then, yes, I would continue looking for a name with a nicer story attached, but if you don’t, I don’t think it’s the end of the world. Besides, from what I understand, [name]Dinah[/name] was a good girl–it’s just what happened to her wasn’t so great.
[name]Dinah[/name] is a favourite of mine, actually, and due for revival. So is, [name]IMO[/name], [name]Tamar[/name].
Not a bad meaning, but a sad story [name]Samson[/name] is one of my favourites for a boy, despite his violent, blinded death. I’ve seen many people express similar affection for [name]Ophelia[/name] and of course there’s [name]Juliet[/name].
I don’t think the story behind it is a big deal. Might I mention [name]Delilah[/name], which is getting hugely popular and seems loved by everyone, is the woman in the Bible who seduced and betrayed [name]Samson[/name].
I don’t know… [name]Eli[/name] and [name]Jacob[/name] are both insanely popular and they don’t have the best stories, either.
And many Berries love [name]Cordelia[/name]… as do I, but I can’t shake the [name]King[/name] Lear association.
If it bothers you, don’t use it. If you can look past the name’s baggage, I’m sure most people wouldn’t make that connection, just those of us who grew up in [name]Sunday[/name] school.
I just read a great book called “The [name]Red[/name] Tent” about [name]Dinah[/name] and her sisters.
As for the name - I really like it. It’s unique but recognizable (does that make sense?).
As for the story of [name]Dinah[/name] in the bible - I think that there are many lovely names that have unpleasant stories attached to them. If you love [name]Dinah[/name] you should use it.
pp [name]Just[/name] mentioned what I was going to mention. The [name]Red[/name] Tent is a great story and brings a different perspective to [name]Dinah[/name]'s story. It’ll make you rethink the bible story next time you read it, that’s for sure!
