Ruhamah & Other Interesting Names

So the other day, I was looking back through all of my albums from my childhood. I came across a few pictures of me and my best friend from nursery, named Ruhamah. Back then, I didn’t question names, but when I came across it last week I was very intrigued and did some research. It is a Biblical name and means “having obtained mercy.” A few sources I looked at say it’s a boys’ name. She was Swiss, originally, I believe. Anyone else come across this? I actually find it very pretty.

So, even though this same idea has been done several times before, no doubt, what are your favourite unusual names/most interesting names of people you actually know/knew?

:slight_smile:

Never heard the name. It’s pretty cool, sounds middle eastern.

I know an Urd, that’s pretty interesting. It’s the collective name of the fates in norse mythology. And I know an Ethiopia, but I’m not sure wether it’s interesting or disturbing.

At university I met a Swiss girl called Subashi. She went by Subi (sooby) for short.

That’s interesting! A friend of my parents’ from [name]India[/name] is called Subhashi. :slight_smile:

Urd…how interesting. That’s very cool.

Generally, I find country names a bit odd. There aren’t very many that people use regularly, and I would say Ethiopia is on the far rarer end (where ones like [name]Scotland[/name] get used by the Kardashians…).

That’ll be the spelling! She was Swiss by birth but her family may have been of [name]Indian[/name]/Pakistani origin I think. Her dad was a member of the UN.

I’m related to a Ruhama! She was a [name]McCoy[/name] of the Hatfield and McCoys, that’s the only time I’ve ever heard the name.

That makes sense. :slight_smile: I also know a Subhashini who goes by [name]Sue[/name]…

That’s really interesting! :slight_smile: I really like the name…considering adding it to my list of 200+ names…

I have never seen the name Ruhamah, but I’m pleased and intrigued to see that it has some real-life use. Did you read the story of [name]Hosea[/name] in your research? The two sons and the daughter his wife bore were all given symbolic names by God, and the daughter’s name was Lo-ruhamah, which means “not having obtained mercy.” God was telling [name]Hosea[/name] the prophet, through the birth of this daughter, that His people, [name]Israel[/name], had broken faith with Him again and were not going to receive mercy, but judgment. But there is such a beautiful passage afterward, later echoed in the [name]New[/name] Testament, where God tells [name]Hosea[/name] that someday the people who had not obtained mercy would be able to obtain mercy (through the death of [name]Jesus[/name].)

So using Ruhamah, the positive form of the name, would delineate that promise of mercy, rather than the judgment symbolized by the name of [name]Hosea[/name]'s daughter.

I know a couple of Ruchamas - with the ch pronounced like in loch or [name]Bach[/name]. It’s a fairly unsual name, but easily recognizable in Jewish communities. Ruchoma [name]Shain[/name] (that’s just another way of transliterating the Hebrew) is an author.

AFAIK, it’s a totally feminine name. Rachamim/[name]Rahamim[/name] would be a more masculine form.

My dad’s great aunt was named Toki, she was originally from Okinawa, she met my great uncle when he was stationed in [name]Hawaii[/name]. I always thought her name was so pretty when I was younger, but I don’t really know anything about the meaning of it.