Is Zion usasble

[Mummysharkdoodoodoodoodoodoo]

Not planning on using it as baby is a girl, but inspired by another thread. I've always liked this name, although it's not my style at all, because of the meaning and religious importance. I have seen some name threads saying it's unusable for political reasons, and other name threads where that's not been mentioned and it's been considered a lovely name (although maybe this is more among religious communities). I'd dismissed it when I was expecting my son because of comments of the former nature, but saw another thread recently with positive comments that made me wonder.

I know it's not popular MN style in that it's not a classic, so I'm not really asking whether you LIKE it, as such, rather whether you consider it usable? I think i's got strong points - it's ancient, has a beautiful meaning and strong religious significance - and was wondering what MN thought.

This was on my list if I had a boy. It's in our extended family.

@Mummysharkdoodoodoodoodoodoo I think if you were planning to use it because of religious reasons then it is not unusable. I wouldn't use it as an atheist. I think if you have a strong faith where it means something to you, then it is usable. Much as Mohammed would be in Muslin families, or Moses, Abraham in Judeo-Christian faiths

I know a little boy Zion and I love it!

I think it makes more sense if you’re using it for more religious reasons.it’s a lovely name imo and personally I wouldn’t have picked up the politic side of it. Obviously that depends on your family/friends if you think they assume you’re naming your baby after a political opinion

I have heard of it being used by Mormons but I think by any group it comes across a bit insensitive at best.

Knew a Ziona growing up, the option is still there form your baby girl, OP!

There are a good few RC high schools named Sion, Mount Sion, Zion, Mount Zion in the US.

I agree with @TheVanguardSix that you would need a meaningful connection to the name if you wanted to use it. I would put Levi in the same category.

Oh really? That's interesting, as I though Zion had a stronger religious feel than Levi, or other similar biblical names (Isaiah, Jonah, Josiah, etc) which have become more popular, and which I also love! But if Zion has a similar feel to Levi and those other names then that makes me think it's much more usable within general society.

Interested to see that it's also been used for a girl! What do people think of the name for a girl?

It makes me think of two Bob Marley songs!

The Levites were the priestly caste of the Israelites. Levi is not just any ordinary Biblical name.

Yes, I know. But I think people choose the name more because the names of the sons of Jacob are quite popular, rather than because they ended up becoming the priests? Like how people use Joseph, Reuben, Benjamin, Simeon, Judah, Asher, etc. I never previously assumed that people used the names because the Levites were to be the priestly caste, or that this made the name Levi sensitive or gave it a more heavy association? In fact I always think Levi, Reuben, Benjamin have a less religious feel simply due to being commonly used by non-religious people. Do you think that the name Levi should have stronger implications because of the Levites, and/or so the name is a little inappropriate to be used by non-religious people? Just to clarify as it’s MN where everyone is usually being argumentative - I’m not being argumentative, I’m genuinely interested as I’ve never thought of it like this before. I have wondered, often, though about how appropriate it is for atheists to use certain biblical names. One of my atheist friends named their baby Elijah which felt a little ‘off’ to me, and I’d feel similar if I met a little baby Moses/Isaiah/Josiah etc whose parents weren’t religious, but I’m not sure if that’s just my own personal issue and I’d never say anything.

(Sorry, I don’t know where my paragraphs went!)

It's politically charged.

i hear this and automatically think of those FLDS in America where there was a lot of sexual abuse and marriage of underage girls. They called their community settlement Zion. There's a documentary about it on Netflix "Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey", the leader is still on jail i think.

We have a family connection to the name Zion and I'd have loved to use it as a middle name for a son, bar the political element. I love its connotations in Christianity.
If I hadn't had a daughter I'd have compromised with the alternate spelling, Sion. Would that be possible for you? Bear in mind it's also a Welsh name with a different pronunciation which might lead to confusion depending whereabouts you are.