pondering

[mooie-ziel.livejournal.com]

I really like the name Judas, but because of this whole Christian thing, can't name any potential sons Judas. What I do think is interesting is in the past 10 years the name Judah has gone from not being in the top 1000 to now being the 523. This gives me hope that maybe in some future millenia the switch will be made to drop the H and add the S at the end of that name.

Plus, Judas felt bad for what he did to the point where he killed himself. Isn't that enough people? Isn't that enough?

Comments

[muliebrity.livejournal.com]

I don't mind the name, but I'm not Christian. FWIW, my friend loves the name Jezebel but won't use it for similar reasons. She did name her cat Jezebel, though. ;)

[space-monkey340.livejournal.com]

Judah was the fourth son of Jacob (who later took the the name Israel). Judas was not.

[mooie-ziel.livejournal.com]

Ah I didn't even know Judah was a Biblical name. Never learned the names of the sons of Jacob in Catholic school or CCD. Maybe if I continued into high school I would have learned.

Well now I have no hope for the name Judas.

Except for my future puppy.

[trissyd.livejournal.com]

Personally, "Judas" is one of the worst possible names you could pick when it comes to 'what the name stands for' (the actual word is on the tip of my tongue, but I can't think of it!!). "Judah" is a completely different person. Unfortunately, the negative connotations are way too great with the name Judas, in my opinion. Judah has very similar sounds, why wouldn't you use that? Or how about just plain "Jude"?

Even on an animal it's inapproprite to me... but I Christian, so I guess that has something to do with it.

[mooie-ziel.livejournal.com]

I just dont get why everyone has to be hating on Judas if even Jesus forgave him.

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

Jesus forgives everyone but I still won't use Adolf, which I love, lol!!

[zorianna.livejournal.com]

I guess it's because when people hear Judas they think "the guy who betrayed Jesus" not "the guy Jesus forgave for betraying him."

[cloeigrrl.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I'm right there with you. I like Judas but I like Jonas as well and they sound similar.

[maude.livejournal.com]

I absolutely love Judas and am right there with you, but I agree with the above commentors that Judah and Judas are two different people so the h probably won't ever be dropped for an s. It's okay with me because Jonah is my #1 for a boy and it would be too confusing to have two little boys named Jonah and Judas...but I still love Judas. :)

[krosp.livejournal.com]

Jesus actually had two disciples called Judas. After Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, every reference in the Bible to the other Judas was something along the lines of "then Judas - not Judas Iscariot - said..."

So, there was a nice Judas... but even he was called "the other Judas"

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

He's certainly not the one that is recalled, lol. :p

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

I totally understand what you're saying - but I think the traitor/suicide thing is just too much, ya know?

I enjoy Judas as a name. Well, I don't hate it.

[turabiannights.livejournal.com]

I suspect Judah is on the rise not of its own merit, but because there has been a general surge of Old Testament names - Ezra, Elijah, Isaiah, etc. Judah is really in that category. Add the S, and it not only turns New Testament (what most WASP "traditional Biblical names" are), it also turns "greatest-traitor-in-history, Satan's-chewing-on-him-for-eternity-in-Dante's-Inferno." It is the difference of one letter, true, but it's actually a huge difference in the minds of many.

That said, Cain/Kane is inexplicably on the rise as well, so you could get lucky about Judas.

[miss-tee.livejournal.com]

didn't we just have the Judas/Judah discussion like last week?

[bloomingtulip.livejournal.com]

I'm a Christian and don't see an issue with using Judas. He was forgiven, it's a long time ago, etc. To me, it would be better to use that than a more recent name of someone horrible such as Sadaam (sp?) or even the Adolf example given a few comments up.

[ciara-belle.livejournal.com]

I think the problem with Judas is that the name has, over the course of centuries, entered the Western cultural lexicon as a synonym for "traitor". The OED even defines a Judas as "One who treacherously betrays under the semblance of friendship; a traitor or betrayer of the worst kind."

Judah is popular because Old Testament names are making a comeback. I don't see Judas ever really having that sort of resurgence.