Boy's names - Judah and Isaiah

Balonzette · 2021-09-24T10:01:20+00:00

I know several American children with these names but no British! I love them both. (Before anyone says they're very religious - I know. I like that bit [grin]) What do you think? Are they usable in the UK or too uncommon?

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TuftyMarmoset · 27/09/2021 19:22

@BrilliantBetty

Note keen on either of OPs choices but Jude mentioned by a PP is lovely! And one I hadn't considered before. Seems like a 'happy' kind of a name

Jude is the patron saint of hopeless cases! It’s an unlucky name to me

TuftyMarmoset · 27/09/2021 19:16

I’ve never met an Elijah, so I don’t think you need to worry about it being too popular. Isaiah is too difficult to spell!

squishee · 27/09/2021 17:52

@umberellaonesie

I also love be Zephaniah We have old testament names in our family but fairly safe ones. Asher, Seth, Caleb, Joseph, Eli, Dan, Jude, Issac, Reuben People think we are religious, we are a little bit. But really I chose mine cos they were uncommon boys names but still quite traditional

I"m not the least bit religious and I love all of those names.

squishee · 27/09/2021 03:12

@BrilliantBetty

Note keen on either of OPs choices but Jude mentioned by a PP is lovely! And one I hadn't considered before. Seems like a 'happy' kind of a name

Have you not read Jude the Obscure?

LowbrowVictoriana · 27/09/2021 01:25

Excellent names, OP! I really love those heavy duty OT names. Isaiah is my favourite though.

Kanaloa · 26/09/2021 15:18

I think something is seen as ‘too biblical’ if the only association with it is the bible. So if you say Jacob people think of kids they know, characters in novels and television, actors etc. If you say Zebediah most people only think of the bible. Or possibly one of those television families with 15 children who make barns.

Obviously if more people used Zebediah then it would change, but certain names aren’t in the common usage so remain strongly tied to their biblical origin.

Original poster

Balonzette · 26/09/2021 11:07

@IVflytrap

I like Isaiah, and am surprised it isn't more popular in Britain, considering the popularity of names like Isaac and other biblical names. I would only pronounce Isaiah "eyes-eye-uh". Emphasis on the second syllable and the ending sound is in line with other boys biblical names like Josiah and Zephaniah. I think Eyes-ay-uh is the American version.

Not so keen on Judah, but I love Jude. Josiah is nice too.

I think you're right that I-say-uh is the American version. All the Isaiah's I know are American so I just assumed I'd got the pronounciation wrong before. I like it with an 'eye' sound a bit more, but it might be a bit awkward considering I know a few I-say-uhs to introduce them to the baby. 'Hi I-say-uh! Meet I-seye-uh!'

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Original poster

Balonzette · 26/09/2021 11:04

@ZoyaTheDestroyer your post is SO right, it really made me chuckle.

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ZoyaTheDestroyer · 26/09/2021 08:58

And now I have Jacob, Jacob and sons.... in my head.

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 26/09/2021 08:57

@Jossbow

How can names be considered too biblical?

Doesn't that also apply to Matthew, Mark, Luke John James Benjamin & So on

Esther Ruth Delilah Mary Sarah c et etc

MN is really funny about 'biblical'. Noah would have been considered far too biblical twenty years ago, and there were more than four thousand of them born in 2019.

Judah and his dad and brothers are a good indication of how illogical the distinctions are. All from Genesis, all Hebrew, and yet the MN categories are very clear.

Jacob
Joseph
Benjamin
Dan = Not Too Biblical

Reuben
Simeon
Levi
Asher = A Bit Biblical But Probably Still OK

Issachar
Zebulun
Naphtali
Judah
Gad = Way Too Biblical, WTF Are You Thinking

Kanaloa · 26/09/2021 04:45

I think Isaiah is lovely, don’t like Judah. It sounds like my dd saying Jude when she’s annoyed. She has a friend Jude and we hear it a lot.

RobertaFirmino · 26/09/2021 04:04

Judah was quite happy to shag a woman who he believed to be a prostitute.

manhattenrain · 25/09/2021 22:42

I've only ever known it to be pronounced Eye-zay-ah. I'm not in the UK though.

KirstenBlest · 25/09/2021 20:52

They can be considered too Biblical because they might not be mainstream.

A few decades ago, names like Isaac and Gabriel would have been considered 'too biblical'.

A name like Theodore would have been considered 'too American'.

Trends change

Jossbow · 25/09/2021 20:46

How can names be considered too biblical?

Doesn't that also apply to Matthew, Mark, Luke John James Benjamin & So on

Esther Ruth Delilah Mary Sarah c et etc

BiscuitLover09876 · 25/09/2021 19:09

I've know a Judah in the UK and I love it!

IVflytrap · 25/09/2021 14:31

I like Isaiah, and am surprised it isn't more popular in Britain, considering the popularity of names like Isaac and other biblical names. I would only pronounce Isaiah "eyes-eye-uh". Emphasis on the second syllable and the ending sound is in line with other boys biblical names like Josiah and Zephaniah. I think Eyes-ay-uh is the American version.

Not so keen on Judah, but I love Jude. Josiah is nice too.

hairybakers · 25/09/2021 14:14

Judah makes me think of that young rapper named Aitch saying "Judy" in his strong accent.

Isaiah is lovely, as is Ezekiel shame it doesn't match with your surname

DuchessOfPaddington · 25/09/2021 13:26

@WillaWeatherspoon

I like Judah, makes me think of Judah Ben Hur. In a similar vein also really like Josiah, I wanted a Josiah Edward nn Jed (like President Bartlett from the West Wing) but I was vetoed

Isaiah is also nice.

I have NC because this is so outing but this my son's name. We love it

Caszekey · 25/09/2021 09:06

@Balonzette Thadeus was the twin name to go with Balthazar. Looking at them at 21 months, they'd have suited the name they'd have been given our of these two.

Snoopsnoggysnog · 25/09/2021 05:08

I love them both OP and I’m not a Christian.

My DC have Hebrew names which are fairly common and that is not part of my heritage but is part of the one I grew up with.

manhattenrain · 25/09/2021 03:42

I love them!

alexdgr8 · 25/09/2021 01:34

@Fivebeanchilli

I've never heard Isaiah pronounced other than eye -z - EYE - uh.

i think the other way is american.

Original poster

Balonzette · 25/09/2021 01:14

@Ubercornsdiscoball

I have a Jude and we call him Judas when he is being horrid

😂😂😂

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Original poster

Balonzette · 25/09/2021 01:13

@YesDearNoDear

I really like the name Judas, but I suspect it's always going to have negative connotations in the UK - being a Judas is part of most people's vocabulary. I really liked Isaiah, but DH vetoed as too religious 🙄

Jesus actually had two disciples called Judas! The horrible one and a nice one. He's also called Thaddeas and Jude, to avoid confusion with Judas Iscariot (who betrayed Jesus). But he was called Judas too! You could always name your son Judas after St Jude but you'd have to be pretty brave, and explain yourself constantly!

How about Jonas?

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