Boys names

[tokibee.livejournal.com]

Friends of mine all had baby boys this past year:

Cohen

Linkon

Kenyoun

WDYT?

Comments

[imamaryanne.livejournal.com]

I don't like a single one of them. Linkon and Kenyoun are just soooo NMS, and Cohen is always troubling as a first name. I'm not religious at all, but I would really never name my kid anything that is potentially offensive to any religion. After all, even if your friend isn't close with any Jewish people, little Cohen may grow up and want to move to certain areas of Brooklyn or someplace where that name might not be so favorably received.

[adamantplatypus.livejournal.com]

Cohen is okay, but the other two are pretty freakin' abhorrent.

[melly-issa.livejournal.com]

What is the significance of Cohen to Jewish people?

[imamaryanne.livejournal.com]

It's kind of sacred to them, it means Priest (or something?) And it has to do with the most pure Jewish-lineage. I'm sorry I'm not terribly clear on the details, I just know there's a long-running debate over 'ownership' of the name Cohen, with some Jews taking offense to non-Jews using it. I don't really have a strong opinion on the ownership of the name Cohen, I would just not give my kid that name because I wouldn't want him to pay a price for its potential offensiveness in the future. Then again, I live in a highly Jewish area, so I might just be more sensitive to it.