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Help[Facts] Jews & Elizabeth
Why is it that Elizabeth (and variants) is so popular in Israel and amongst Jewish families currently? The only explanation I could find why is that Elizabeth Taylor converted to Judaism but seems incredibly unlikely as to why it’s popular today.
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Are they?
According to the statistics they are not. Elizabeth never made the Israeli Top 100 according to the statistics we have on this site (2014-2016). These statistics only include the names of Jewish children so the names used by the Arabic population are not included. Elisheva fell from 2015 to 2016 and is only at #58. I didn't see any other variants of it on the list at all.
As for Jewish girls born in the US, was it a list for all ages or one for the most recent years? I guess it is just popular because it is an attractive/popular name in general with many nickname possibilities and the English form of Elisheva (which doesn't work as well in the US as Elizabeth does). Abigail, Hannah etc. are popular for that reason as well.
According to the statistics they are not. Elizabeth never made the Israeli Top 100 according to the statistics we have on this site (2014-2016). These statistics only include the names of Jewish children so the names used by the Arabic population are not included. Elisheva fell from 2015 to 2016 and is only at #58. I didn't see any other variants of it on the list at all.
As for Jewish girls born in the US, was it a list for all ages or one for the most recent years? I guess it is just popular because it is an attractive/popular name in general with many nickname possibilities and the English form of Elisheva (which doesn't work as well in the US as Elizabeth does). Abigail, Hannah etc. are popular for that reason as well.
This message was edited 3/23/2019, 2:58 PM
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Names go in and out of fashion, often for no apparent reason. And I know a Jewish Elizabeth who's in her 80s, so it's not as if it had never appeared before. It is a Hebrew name, after all. And it would be surprising if people know or care about Elizabeth Taylor in today's world - yes, she was not only pro-Jewish but a Zionist, but she was also addicted to alcohol and medication, and her serial marriages hardly make her a role model either.
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This is just a theory, and I could be completely off, but I suspect that it could be because it was never as common as a Biblical name there in the past. While many Jews in Israel give Biblical names to their children (especially the Orthodox), those names are actually really dated there. For example, I have a cousin named Dina who was born in the US; when our young Israeli cousins found out, their response was that it was an "old-lady name."
Elisheva, the wife of Aaron, is an incredibly minor and relatively unimportant character in the Old Testament (unlike the Elizabeth in the New Testament). Because of that, I suspect that it may not have the same dated feeling as other Biblical names. So instead of naming their daughter Esther after her grandmother, parents may be more likely to go with Elisheva to honor her instead.
Esther was one of the most common names given to Israeli girls in the 1950s, and many of those Esthers are now becoming grandmothers. Israel is mostly Sephardic Jewish and they name children after living relatives. I don't think that it is that unreasonable to assume that many of these Elishevas have a grandmother named Ester or Esther.
Elisheva, the wife of Aaron, is an incredibly minor and relatively unimportant character in the Old Testament (unlike the Elizabeth in the New Testament). Because of that, I suspect that it may not have the same dated feeling as other Biblical names. So instead of naming their daughter Esther after her grandmother, parents may be more likely to go with Elisheva to honor her instead.
Esther was one of the most common names given to Israeli girls in the 1950s, and many of those Esthers are now becoming grandmothers. Israel is mostly Sephardic Jewish and they name children after living relatives. I don't think that it is that unreasonable to assume that many of these Elishevas have a grandmother named Ester or Esther.
This message was edited 3/18/2019, 5:45 AM
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Because Elizabeth is the English form of Elisheva, and Elisheva is a Hebrew name which appears in the Torah / Old Testament. This Israeli popularity list from 2016 is the same as the one here on BtN, except it lists the Hebrew transcription first, and the English translation second. https://bloodandfrogs.com/2018/04/101-most-popular-jewish-girls-names-in-israel-in-2016.html . Apparently people may use one or the other or both, depending on circumstances.
Elisheva/Elizabeth was #58, which isn't extraordinarily popular. My guess is that it is seen as a true Hebrew name from the Torah which just happens to have an English equivalent, like Rivka or Dvora. Its long history of usage in the English-speaking world and elsewhere also means that many people will have ancestors with this name. I don't think you need to seek far and wide for more reasons for its use.
Elisheva/Elizabeth was #58, which isn't extraordinarily popular. My guess is that it is seen as a true Hebrew name from the Torah which just happens to have an English equivalent, like Rivka or Dvora. Its long history of usage in the English-speaking world and elsewhere also means that many people will have ancestors with this name. I don't think you need to seek far and wide for more reasons for its use.
This message was edited 3/18/2019, 10:32 AM
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Elisabet is the form used in the Greek translation of the Torah, the Septuagint. It may not be exactly the same name as Elisheva, but it's still a Jewish name with probably a similar meaning. I think you'll find plenty of other Jewish names found in the New Testament that remained popular, as Jewish names, without reference to the Gospels.
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I know at least one Jewish Elizabeth who has a Hebrew name of Elisheva, so there are bound to be more than just a few.
Some other New Testament names of Hebrew origin that have remained semi-popular in Jewish circles:
-Alexander (although this has more to do with Alexander the Great and his conquest of Judaea)
-Eleazar
-Eliezer
-Joseph
-Joshua
-Levi
-Matthew / Matisyahu
-Saul
-Simeon
-Simon / Shimon
Some other New Testament names of Hebrew origin that have remained semi-popular in Jewish circles:
-Alexander (although this has more to do with Alexander the Great and his conquest of Judaea)
-Eleazar
-Eliezer
-Joseph
-Joshua
-Levi
-Matthew / Matisyahu
-Saul
-Simeon
-Simon / Shimon
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True, but most of these appear prominently in the Torah and have the same English form in the Old Testament as the New Testament, so they would have remained common Jewish names even if the New Testament didn't exist. Elizabeth, like Alexander and Matthew, is not in the Old Testament/Torah in that form, so I can see where some confusion might arise.
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I'm not sure about Israel either, but I know in the United States the name has consistently been in the top 20 for almost sixty years. In fact, since 1880, the lowest it's ever been ranked is #26. (And that's not even taking into consideration the alternate spelling Elisabeth.)
I attribute its success in the U.S. to both Queens of England, actresses Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery, and the religious ties to John the Baptist.
On top of that, since the name has been popular for so long, certainly some portion of people are naming their children after their relatives.
It's also worth mentioning that Elizabeth seems to be used more as a middle name. At least in the South. For instance, while I know of three with the first name (one spelled with the S instead of Z), I know of at least six with the middle name. Which means there are surely even more since people generally don't advertize their middle name.
I attribute its success in the U.S. to both Queens of England, actresses Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery, and the religious ties to John the Baptist.
On top of that, since the name has been popular for so long, certainly some portion of people are naming their children after their relatives.
It's also worth mentioning that Elizabeth seems to be used more as a middle name. At least in the South. For instance, while I know of three with the first name (one spelled with the S instead of Z), I know of at least six with the middle name. Which means there are surely even more since people generally don't advertize their middle name.
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But this doesn’t really address Jews only.
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Jews are part of the entire naming population; they are not isolated. Do you have information about a sudden surge in the numbers of little Jewish Elizabeths, over and above the non-Jewish ones? If not, how did you arrive at your conclusion?
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I know they are a part of the entire naming population. I am not interested in the entire population, just the subpopulation.
I was reading from a newspaper from Israel and the top 10 names they were listing were Elizabeth and variants and that seemed very unusual. This article also stated the name is in use in Orthodox Jewish communities at an unusual rate compared with non-Jewish populations. So yes, I am more interested in the Jewish connection and not an American connection. I am referring to Jews anywhere in the world.
I was reading from a newspaper from Israel and the top 10 names they were listing were Elizabeth and variants and that seemed very unusual. This article also stated the name is in use in Orthodox Jewish communities at an unusual rate compared with non-Jewish populations. So yes, I am more interested in the Jewish connection and not an American connection. I am referring to Jews anywhere in the world.
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My guess: because Orthodox Jews aren't naming their daughters Olivia, Madison, or Harper.
If you look at the U.S. top 100 for 2017, Elizabeth is the 2nd Biblical name listed (Abigail #10, Elizabeth #13). So it's common even among non-Jews, even if it may not "feel" that way. it's a classic that's still heavily in use.
Orthodox Jews being a subset of the general population, it's not surprising that the 2nd most popular current Biblical girl's name is also popular with them.
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(Speaking as a Jewish person! Also, I can only respond to one post at a time, but in your earlier post listing a bunch of boys' names, most of those are Old Testament names. Clicking on their link says so. The Torah is just the first 5 books, but the Jewish Bible is the entire Old Testament, where many of these names are from.
Also, I am not Orthodox, but of my Jewish friends and peers in the U.S. it's EXTREMELY common to have the English version of the name as our actual name, and the Hebrew version is only used for religious purposes, such as being called to the Torah by that name. Most Jewish people in the U.S. would be named Jacob and then called Yakov only in religious ceremonies. So Elizabeth/Elisheva being the same is not unusual.)
If you look at the U.S. top 100 for 2017, Elizabeth is the 2nd Biblical name listed (Abigail #10, Elizabeth #13). So it's common even among non-Jews, even if it may not "feel" that way. it's a classic that's still heavily in use.
Orthodox Jews being a subset of the general population, it's not surprising that the 2nd most popular current Biblical girl's name is also popular with them.
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(Speaking as a Jewish person! Also, I can only respond to one post at a time, but in your earlier post listing a bunch of boys' names, most of those are Old Testament names. Clicking on their link says so. The Torah is just the first 5 books, but the Jewish Bible is the entire Old Testament, where many of these names are from.
Also, I am not Orthodox, but of my Jewish friends and peers in the U.S. it's EXTREMELY common to have the English version of the name as our actual name, and the Hebrew version is only used for religious purposes, such as being called to the Torah by that name. Most Jewish people in the U.S. would be named Jacob and then called Yakov only in religious ceremonies. So Elizabeth/Elisheva being the same is not unusual.)
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The list I posted was specifically names that occurred in both the Old and New Testament that would not typically be "strange" to see on someone who is Jewish. There are not many names that appear in both. Both the Old and New Testament have far more male characters than female ones, meaning that it is more likely to have male names to be in the list. It's merely coincidence that these are coming from the Torah and not from the rest of the Tanakh- there are not really any names that are in either Prophets or Writings that are also in the New Testament that you would commonly see on someone in Israel today.
While you are correct in that Orthodox Jews are naming their daughters Olivia, Madison, or Harper, Jews in general have tended to stay away from "Christian" names from the New Testament. There are not as many Jewish people named Mary, Martha, John, or James than are named Rachel, Esther, Samuel, or Isaac. This is also the case in Israel.
It is common in the US to have an English and a Hebrew name, but that doesn't happen much in Israel because Hebrew is already being spoken. People who are named Elizabeth will be writing it in Hebrew (substituting a taf for "th") or they will use Elisheva.
While you are correct in that Orthodox Jews are naming their daughters Olivia, Madison, or Harper, Jews in general have tended to stay away from "Christian" names from the New Testament. There are not as many Jewish people named Mary, Martha, John, or James than are named Rachel, Esther, Samuel, or Isaac. This is also the case in Israel.
It is common in the US to have an English and a Hebrew name, but that doesn't happen much in Israel because Hebrew is already being spoken. People who are named Elizabeth will be writing it in Hebrew (substituting a taf for "th") or they will use Elisheva.
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Sorry, I don’t see what post you are referring to about the boys names? Are you sure it’s not someone else’s post?
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That's very interesting. Was the article referencing usage of Elizabeth and variants as a current baby name only, or across all ages of the Jewish population? I also wonder what are considered variants of Elizabeth (i.e. Lisa, Isabel[la], etc.?) and how the list of the most popular names among Jews anywhere in the world was compiled.
Clearly Elizabeth is not a top 10 baby name among Jews in Israel, because we do have access to that information. Do you have a link to the article?
Clearly Elizabeth is not a top 10 baby name among Jews in Israel, because we do have access to that information. Do you have a link to the article?
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I went back to look for the article and honestly can't find it again. Isn't that the case?
I guess I'd rather trust the Israel listing of top names over this article.
I guess I'd rather trust the Israel listing of top names over this article.
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