Ok, so DH and I both agreed on Noam for our DS1, due shortly. We both love the name, but as my due date is looming, I am feeling a bit wobbly about it. So, when you hear Noam, do you - immediately think of Noam Chomsky (I don't mind this association, and have nothing against Chomsky, but I wouldn't want people to think he was named specifically after him. - immediately think of a religious Jewish family, which we are not. I am Jewish, DH isn't, and I always wanted a name that nodded to my heritage, but I was originally just thinking of Old Testament classics, which wouldn't stand out as much. As in, there are plenty of Josephs, Samuels, etc... who aren't Jewish. Whereas Noam is a modern Hebrew name, popular in Israel. Do you think this is a problem in the UK? As an aside, I know some people don't like it because it sounds like 'gnome', but this aspect doesn't really bother me, and we are going to pronounce it No-am (which is how it is pronounced in Hebrew). Also I like gnomes. Honest/blunt replies are welcome, though tbh I am less interested in whether you like the name as a name (because we love it) and more interested in what judgments you might make if you met a Noam.