[name_f]My[/name_f] husband’s name is [name_u]Wolf[/name_u], which is the animal my in-laws love(d) to hunt…so that’s an interesting source of inspiration. Growing up in a small town, he was the kid with the weird name and that kind of made me want to talk to him on the first place. “Why are you named [name_u]Wolf[/name_u]?” has been a conversation starter that follows him to this day.
I haven’t presented the idea of using names that mean wolf, before I figure out how much I want to campaign for a name connected to his. Personally, I think it’s sweet and meaningful without making our son a junior. It would be a father-child connection in disguise.
[name_m]Phelan[/name_m] was the first idea that I got, because it seems interesting and clunky-cool. I’ve been pronouncing it similarly to the word feeling, but without the G, or almost like [name_m]Felix[/name_m] but replacing the x with an n. I guess the downside of the name might be the pronunciation itself.
Then I discovered [name_m]Zev[/name_m]. It also means [name_u]Wolf[/name_u]. What I like about this one is that it’s very short and not complicated to read/pronounce.
If we have a boy, and his middle name is [name_u]Gabriel[/name_u], would either one of these work? Are they doable for a “real” person?
I like both, but Zev especially. I love how short and punchy it is, and it feels both cool and versatile. The connection to your husband’s name is sweet and subtle.
Plus Zev Gabriel is just
Phelan is nice too, as is the Gaelic spelling Faolan. Pronunciation could be a stumbling block with that one though, and Zev just feels more distinctive in an era of two-syllable, ends-in-n boys’ names.
I really like [name_m]Zev[/name_m]. It sounds cool and different, without being hard to pronounce. [name_m]Zev[/name_m] [name_u]Gabriel[/name_u] sounds great to me.
I wouldn’t be sure how to pronounce [name_m]Phelan[/name_m] and it makes me think of “felon”, unfortunately.
On [name_m]Phelan[/name_m] and [name_m]Zev[/name_m] themselves, I really like [name_m]Zev[/name_m] (short and cool), while [name_m]Phelan[/name_m] I find confusing (I’ve been pronouncing it like fellon, which does not make a good association). The phee-lan pronunciation is better, though I wouldn’t say I’m a fan exactly.
I’ll also say that I’m pretty thrown off by the origins of your husband’s name - personal feelings about hunting wolves aside, I find it very odd that you would name your child after something that you liked to hunt down and kill… [name_m]Just[/name_m] remember that this story will become part of your son’s naming story if you choose to name him after his dad.
I like [name_m]Zev[/name_m]! It’s cool and modern-sounding while being traditional, too. [name_m]Zev[/name_m] [name_u]Gabriel[/name_u] would be a great name.
Thank you for your comments and observations. The word fellon had not crossed my mind… that’s a huge downer, but a great catch! Thank you. I’l glad [name_m]Zev[/name_m] has acceptance and makes sense. I don’t know how it will perform with non-name lovers, but expert advice is what truly counts.
Just for the record, my husband and I don’t hunt for sport or for food. I mentioned the story of why he is named [name_u]Wolf[/name_u] because I too agree that it’s a peculiar move to name your child after something the family killed, but to each their own. Personally, I’m not thinking of a name that means wolf because of the hunting story, that is my in-law’s reasoning and tale. [name_f]My[/name_f] reasoning and tale is that I would love it for a child’s name to be connected in a subtle way with his dad’s name, which is wonderful name regardless of how his parents chose it.
I don’t mean for this to come off as a dissenting opinion because it’s not, but I wanted to note that [name_m]Zev[/name_m] is a Hebrew name that is almost exclusively used in the Jewish community (I mainly just bring this up because you said you only recently discovered [name_m]Zev[/name_m], so if this name has cultural significance to you I apologize) I would definitely consult with people who the name is culturally relevant to if [name_m]Zev[/name_m] isn’t a name you have a connection with, just to gauge how they feel.
While I like [name_m]Phelan[/name_m], I do agree with the potential to be mispronounced as felon/ that it isn’t as intuitive and straightforward as [name_m]Zev[/name_m]. I do think it’s a handsome name though. There is another spelling, [name_m]Faolan[/name_m], which could require a little correcting as well but definitely won’t be read as felon which makes it a little more friendly to wear imo.
Other names with wolf meanings:
[name_m]Conan[/name_m] (little wolf)
[name_m]Rollo[/name_m] (wolf)
[name_m]Tolvar[/name_m]/ [name_m]Tollver[/name_m] (thunder wolf)
[name_u]Lupin[/name_u] (of a wolf)
[name_m]Ralph[/name_m], [name_m]Rolf[/name_m] (wolf counsel)
[name_m]Conall[/name_m] (strong wolf/ wolf strength)
[name_m]Lowell[/name_m] (young wolf)
[name_m]Bleiz[/name_m]/ Bleizig (wolf, gray)
@brittanyanitarose no need to apologize. I guess I’ve been aware of some names that mean wolf, including [name_m]Zev[/name_m] because I’ve been a name geek for longer than I’ve been an expectant mom. I’ve been everything for longer than I’ve been pregnant hehe. However, it does take me some time to get re-connected to name info I’ve collected for years to get me to this point…so I discovered [name_m]Zev[/name_m] to the extent that only now it comes to mind as something useful rather than a collector’s item. .
I 100% need to ask around and find out how our names sound to friends and family. [name_f]My[/name_f] partner and I don’t identify as Jewish because well… we’re not, but my dad is a member of the tribe and so was my SO’s mom. As the law goes, if your mom is then so are you, if your dad is then you’re batting for another team. [name_f]My[/name_f] mom and his dad are Christians of different denominations. In my case, I was raised closer to my mom’s church, only getting involved in my dad’s faith and community when visiting my grandparents and when he felt like saying something, which to this day isn’t often. [name_f]My[/name_f] SO was very connected to his mom’s family, had a [name_u]Bar[/name_u] Mitzvah, speaks some Hebrew and to this day we celebrate Passover with his uncle every year…not this one because 2020. Now we’re both your typical garden variety of atheist. Guess when you are given two choices, it’s kind of normal for rebellious kids to make a third one.
I do want to ask my dad and my husband’s uncle and cousins how they feel about our naming prospects. Because we’re certainly not going to do something that puts us and our child at odds with people we love. Not just for [name_m]Zev[/name_m], but naming politics in general.
I do want to say that our baby won’t be Jewish, 1) because I’m not according to the law, so our child would have to convernt if that was their desire and 2) we won’t raise our baby in a religious home… which probably means they’ll grow up to become a priest or a rabbi.
I like [name_m]Zev[/name_m]! I find it interesting that nameberry says he’s a villainous character in the old testament. Im not religious so I dont know about this, but not sure how you feel about it. Nameberry just says its a Hebrew name but so many names are! I find it hard to know when certain names are off limits but it sounds like you are well connected to the Jewish community so can verify. I really like the sound of [name_m]Zev[/name_m]. [name_m]Zev[/name_m] [name_u]Gabriel[/name_u] is really nice!!
I dont care for [name_m]Phelan[/name_m] personally. It does sound like felon to me.
Conall, [name_m]Conan[/name_m] and [name_m]Lowell[/name_m] are also nice if looking for other names meaning wolf if [name_m]Zev[/name_m] doesn’t work out!
I love [name_m]Zev[/name_m]! I’ve suggested it a bunch of times! The wolf association makes it a no-brainer for me. [name_m]Zev[/name_m] [name_u]Gabriel[/name_u] works well. I hope you choose [name_m]Zev[/name_m]!
.
.