Aleph as a name?

[HiYouKnowItsMe]

Title; thoughts on Aleph as the name for a boy?
Another one I like is Calix, perhaps as a middle name.

I don't mind Aleph, it's the name for that letter A in Hebrew. Although I'd have assumed it was a name chosen for a spiritual reason, like Zion.

Calix is part of a flower I think? He'd presumably be Cal most of the time, which is ok.

Yod or Waw could grow on me

Aleph is fine. Assuming the pronunciation is phonetic, the sound is nice enough imo. Calix is similar, although for some reason it does look more feminine or unisex to me. Neither seem particularly teasable and there seem to be a wider variety of unusual names on young kids now.

But having said all that, like with most very uncommon names, he’s going to have a lifetime of spelling his name for everyone or people miss hearing it as something more commonplace (possibly “Alex?” for both) - assuming you are in the UK. I’d find that a pain, so even if it may be more boring I’d personally stick with Alex myself or at least try to find a currently underused name that is more widely known here.

@LilyJosephine , Aleph is phonetic, but Calix is usually Kay-lix.

It just sounds odd. And like something out of the Ikea catalogue.

You need to figure out how it's pronounced before you use the name for your child.

I've always heard it as AH-lef. A long A sound, with the L in the second syllable.

Aleph is the first letter of both the Arabic and Hebrew alphabet. I'd assume you have Muslim or Jewish heritage, Natalie Portman is Jewish.

@FondantFancyFan , the Arabic letter is Alif not Aleph.

Very similar though and does the op have Jewish / middle Eastern heritage for the name to have sense. It makes sense for Natalie Portman to have named her son Aleph but does it make sense for the op to? Is this not cultural appropriation especially if the op isn't Jewish?

Similar, but the spelling is the Hebrew version.

If you are pronouncing as Al-if, it’s really the same thing, especially as the etymology and the meaning of the word is the same.

Op will obviously know why she’s using the version she’s choosing, but for most people, and she’s asking for opinions after all, there will be not much/ any distinction.

If you are pronouncing as Al-if, it’s really the same thing, especially as the etymology and the meaning of the word is the same.
it isn't the same. One is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, א, and the other is the first letter of the Arabic language, ا. @u3ername

When I first saw you’d posted this name I thought no. But it’s grown on me.
My grandson has an unusual name and initially many of us were skeptical…but it really suits him and we all love the name now. And get lots of compliments!
Follow your heart, not the crowd.

Not a fan, sorry

Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and a very odd choice if you are not Jewish. If you are, it’s fine.

Is it a name, or is it a word that has been used by a celebrity to name their child?

Better than poor DC7, Zayin! It’s slang for penis…

@HiYouKnowItsMe Aleph isn’t pronounced Al-ef (as in Alexander), it’s pronounced Ah-lef, with a long A sound.

Nor is it a name any more than X or Æ are names, even if a celebrity used it for their DC.

Calix is the outer protective layer of a flower bud. The bit that is green at the outer base of a rose, for example. It's not exactly attractive. I can't fancy naming a child after the least attractive part of a flower.

That is calyx but I agree with PPs that Calix makes me think of calyx and Kallax. It sounds like an Asterix character. How about Cacophonix?

@KnickerFolder - of course, you're quite right.

My assumption would be that you/DH were mathematicians.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleph_number

You’d really have to call your first child Aleph zero and second Aleph one. And have an
unshakeable attachment to the Continuum Hypothesis.

Maybe the surname is Null?

Despite being the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet I have never heard of a Jewish or non Jewish person calling their child aleph.