Would you use a name with a 'bad' meaning?

[Natnat29]

Hi me and OH like Jonah and although it means Dove there are some bad connatations to the name- see Wiki post:

A long-established expression among sailors uses the term "a Jonah" as meaning a person (either a sailor or a passenger) whose presence on board brings bad luck and endangers the ship.[17] Later on, this meaning was extended to "a Jonah" referring to "a person who carries a jinx, one who will bring bad luck to any enterprise

think this might be a well known expression dont want people to instantly think of bad luck when they think of his name?!

Has anyone heard this? Or picked a name for their child even thought they didnt like the meaning?
Thanks :)

Doesn't seem to have brought Jonah Hill any harm.

I don't understand why people do this, when there are so many lovely names about.

I am constantly baffled by people call their children Cain, for example.

I wouldn't use Damian, Cain, or Judas, but I think Jonah would be fine. :)

I would use Jonah, I would give Judas a body swerve though. Likewise Jezebel.

It would put me off tbh. I would be worried that in darker moments my DS might feel that he was a bringer of bad luck!

OTOH, my name (which is fairly common) means "noose" or "heifer"!! I wasn't best pleased when I found that out when I was little, but it hasn't made me totally hate my name!

It helps that I know my parents named me that name after historical Welsh riots so I ignore the traditional meaning of the name.

(Points for those of you who now know what my name is! )

I wouldn't, because to me a name is about more than just how it sounds or looks. The history of it, how it came about and what it means is fundamental. We rejected a few names we otherwise liked because of negative meanings (eg Rebecca- sounds beautiful but means 'a noose', Jacob - 'supplanter')

If the meaning really doesn't bother you at all, then fine, but for me, where a name comes from and what it means does matter

I have a Claudia
I have an Amelia - which means something about missing limbs (I found out on MN)
I would like Cassandra for DC3

My name means Princess - still bloody skint and chubby though with a distinct lack of jewels.

I wouldn't because I think that the child would be interested at some point in the meaning of the name, and might feel a bit weird or sad that we picked one that meant something bad.

Dh and I were discussing that very name (jonah) today. I think the fact that the meaning is so well known puts me off tbh. Annoying as I really like the name.

I wouldn't and have been put off Seth for that reason. I wouldn't want a name with such a meaning myself and there are lots of trinkets for kids/teens with name meanings on so it would come up.

How about Josiah, Joel, Elijah or Isaac? - I've not looked up meanings!