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There are various Hebrew names in use that are feminizations of pre-existing masculine names. (The opposite case may exist as well, but I can't think of any examples.)

Examples:

  • Yaakova
  • Rafaella
  • Aharona

Do these names have the same intrinsic value (whatever that is) as the original forms of the names? Are there any sources that endorse or discourage this practice?

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  • I once met a Yosefa, Davida and Avrahamit.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Jun 25, 2012 at 20:06
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    My mother once taught a Shmuela. ♫ "Shmuela de-Ville .. Shmuela de-Ville ...♫"
    – Shalom
    Commented Jun 25, 2012 at 20:11
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    I know a Yaakova, a Davida, and a few people named M'ira (although that might be taking the feminine verb rather than feminizing the men's name). I've never heard of Titzchak, Taakov, Mosha, or Emraham.
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Jun 25, 2012 at 21:12
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    I'm still wondering what "intrinsic value" means. If it's just that these new names are not found in Tanach, then we can ask the same question on a whole genre of Yiddish names such as Hirsh, Wolf, Sheyna, Mushka, and so forth. (And, no, I've never met anyone named So Forth.) [Someone had to say it...]
    – Shemmy
    Commented Jun 27, 2012 at 0:34
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    @DoubleAA Note that Yaakova is itself a Biblical name. See Divrei HaYamim 1:4:36
    – Chaim
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 2:26

3 Answers 3

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Per Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu it is not proper to give names such as Rephaela, Daniela, etc.

כמו כן ראוי לא לקרוא לבת בשם הדומה בשורשו לשם של בן, כמו: רפאלה, דניאלה, שרונה, יוספה וכדומה. שזה עלול להפריע לילדה כשתגדל להיזכר תמיד על שם פלוני שעל שמו היא קרויה.‏

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  • 6
    +1. I wonder whether "להיזכר" was meant as a pun.
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Jun 27, 2012 at 21:49
  • So no Daniella, but what about Danielle? That is more commonplace, isn't it?
    – Adam Mosheh
    Commented Jun 28, 2012 at 3:54
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    @AdamMosheh ( sorry for the late response! ) Do you see a reason why the above logic shouldn't also apply to Danielle?
    – MTL
    Commented Oct 1, 2014 at 14:50
  • Yes. You don't?
    – Adam Mosheh
    Commented Oct 3, 2014 at 19:15
  • שזה עלול להפריע לילדה כשתגדל להיזכר תמיד על שם פלוני שעל שמו היא קרויה.----- What does this mean?
    – Avi M
    Commented Mar 3, 2019 at 19:45
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We see in the Torah that לאה named her daughter דינה - yet דינה's half brother was called דן!

So there seems to be no general issue with it.

That said - if there is some spiritual value in naming after a person, then that value is probably lost when morphing the name into something similar-sounding.

But if the reason for the name is to simply remember somebody - then why not?

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A growing multitude of Jewish people seem to be advancing this phenomenon, so it can't be a bad thing. After all - Minhag Yisrael Torah Hee!

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    Isn't it ''Hu''?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Jun 28, 2012 at 4:38
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    @DoubleAA, that's why this is such a confusing topic!
    – Seth J
    Commented Jul 2, 2012 at 13:59

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