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Baby names

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Original poster

Be honest, what would you think if you met a girl named...

57 replies

sdsdsdsdsdsdsd · 08/09/2011 21:15

Noah?

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Quenelle · 09/09/2011 11:19

Noa is nice.

So is Noor, a friend has just used it for his dd.

Hedwig3 · 09/09/2011 11:15

I would presume it was spelt Noa which is lovely.

Irrelevant really but I prefer Noor which is really lovely.

TrillianAstra · 09/09/2011 08:56

If I just heard it I'd assume her name was Noa or some other female variant.

If I saw it written down I would think "she has a boy's name".

meditrina · 09/09/2011 08:34

Noa is lovely.

Noah is a boy's name though, so I would think it odd if I met a girl named that (just as I would with a girl named after say, Jacob, Esau, Ezekiel, Micah, Issac, Benjamin, Joseph etc).

Sydney (and Sidney come to that) has been used for girls for a couple of centuries! I don't think there is any consistent reason for how names become unisex (Kimberley, Ashley) or change completely (Tracey, Marion, Shirley), but the only "measure" is general acceptance. I don't think the major male OT names are anywhere close to that - especially as that Book features in three major world religions.

ZZZenAgain · 09/09/2011 08:13

I suppose a bit like Grimma, I'd assume the parents were from some other culture so didn't know who the biblical Noah was.

I didn't know that Noa was an Israeli girls' name

allhailtheaubergine · 09/09/2011 08:13

I'd assume it was spelled Noa.

Noa is beautiful for a girl.

Noah is a bit like calling a girl Joe - why would you when Jo is the same name but not the boy version?

Kandinsky · 09/09/2011 08:12

Maymummy11 - perhaps we need to lead a revival for the name "Hoglah." I have not come across that one yet.

nokissymum · 09/09/2011 08:10

Id think, "she's showing early signs of gender dysphoria!"

You did say to be honest Confused

10isenough · 09/09/2011 08:07

Have you considered Nia?

wellwisher · 09/09/2011 00:26

I'd think her parents were either too dim to realise Noah is a boy's name, or were attempting one of those weird genderless parenting experiments. Either way, I'd feel sorry for her...

cat64 · 09/09/2011 00:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

festi · 09/09/2011 00:12

i love billy and robyn so why not noah. sydney has become ever popular for girls once before never head of. I would go for it.

PercyFilth · 09/09/2011 00:08

It means "motion" ? Confused

I don't think that would be a point in its favour Blush

evamummy · 08/09/2011 22:01

I think the -a or-ah ending sounds very feminine. I like it for a girl.

MayMummy11 · 08/09/2011 21:45

Noa = girls name. Noah = boys name. I have experience of having a daughter named Noa and my DH and I personally love the name. I know Noa is commonly confused with Noah though it is unrelated to the male name Noah.

Noa is a Old Testement Hebrew girls name and means 'motion'. The Daughters of Zelophehad (Hebrew: בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד‎) were five sisters in the Hebrew Bible who lived during the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, and who raised before Moses the case of a woman's right and obligation to inherit property in the absence of a male heir in the family. Zelophehad (possibly meaning "first born"), a man of the Tribe of Manasseh, had five daughters: Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah; but no sons, and thus no male heirs.The text tells little of Zelophehad himself, save that he died during the 40 years when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness.

I like the name because it stands for a strong woman fighting for equal rights. In Hawaiin it also means 'freedom' and 'from love' in Japanese.

My husband likes the Japanese meaning.

We do however, have a lot of he/she problems and raised eyebrows about the name. But I have to say the name has grown on those who had a few reservations in our family. Plus our Noa really suits the name Noa.

This is my experience of the name and I have to say I love it!

AfternoonsandCoffeespoons · 08/09/2011 21:44

Grin Grimma, just lightening the thread a bit, yeah?

GrimmaTheNome · 08/09/2011 21:34

I'd think the parents came from some culture where the name wasn't identified with an old bloke who survives God committing committing genocide and drowning most of the poor old animals, who then has an unfortunate incident of drunkenness.

Probably just me, but you did ask!

noir · 08/09/2011 21:33

Oh yes, without the h does look more feminine.

BellaBearisWideAwake · 08/09/2011 21:31

I would think she is Israeli. Very normal name for a girl in Israel (usually transliterated as Noa though)

BikeRunSki · 08/09/2011 21:30

Noa = girl's name
Noah = boy's name

That is what I would think anyway.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 08/09/2011 21:26

Noah - bad
Noa - cute
How about Naomi?

YougreatPamplemousse · 08/09/2011 21:25

DD2 was almost Noa - which is a hebrew girls name but DH changed his mind at the lat minute. It is one of my all time favourite girls names.

ShatnersBassoon · 08/09/2011 21:22

I'd think it very strange for a girl to have a boy's name.

Did Mrs Noah have a name?

Bert2e · 08/09/2011 21:21

That her parents really wanted a boy rather than a girl and will forever be disappointed with what they got. She'll have a life of confusion about her sex.

reddaisy · 08/09/2011 21:21

I'm with acsec. Otherwise I would feel the same as if I met a girl who was called John - that the parents wanted a boy and didn't want to change the name.