# Male first name that's definitely not Jewish **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 6, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777 "2003-11-06T21:08:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/21 "2003-11-07T01:59:20Z")
I knew a fella once by the name of John Kennedy Shapiro. šŸ™‚ And of course in the not too distant future everyone will be named Dylan or Montana, regardless of race, creed, or color. ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/22 "2003-11-07T03:10:10Z")
The Bernie Goldsmith I know is NOT Jewish. Really. Iā€™m not kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/23 "2003-11-07T03:12:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*_Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose_Just because you meet someone named ā€œSeamusā€ or ā€œPatrickā€ or ā€œJesusā€ (and he informs you, ā€œItā€™s pronounced 'Hay-ZOOSā€) is no guarantee that he isnā€™t Jewish. Parents name their kids all kinds of things nowadays \*\* Yeah . . . I think I realized that with the definitely Jewish Christopher. > [@](#): > > \*\*_Originally posted by Cliffy_ > Christian \*\* I think we have a winner (plus I could call him ā€œChris,ā€ same as the original character) > [@](#): > > \*\*_Originally posted by Alessan_ > John. Not Jon, John. With an H. \*\* Not so; I know _two_ Jewish Johns. But what would the H have to do with it? Thanks to all. Well I have now been trying to post this reply for a couple of hours with no luck, so Iā€™ll add to it. For those who suggested ā€œAdophā€ā€“I considered it. But no. **MsRobyn** , the Phil Smith I know is Jewish, too! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/24 "2003-11-07T04:32:23Z")
[Here are 1219 possibilities](http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/dist.male.first) from the Census Bureau. You could choose most of those between 1101-1123, e.g. ERASMO STANTON LONNY LEN IKE MILAN LINO JAROB HERB ANDREAS WALTON RHETT PALMER JUDE DOUGLASS CORDELL OSWALDO ELLSWORTH VIRGILIO TONEY NATHANAEL DEL BRITT Personally, I 'd go with Erasmo. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/25 "2003-11-07T04:42:32Z")
I am personally acquainted with two Jewish families in Decatur who have named their children Jared, Jenna, Taliesin, Channing, and Ophelia. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/26 "2003-11-07T04:58:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\*I am personally acquainted with two Jewish families in Decatur who have named their children Jared, Jenna, Taliesin, Channing, and Ophelia. \*\* What are the chances that two families in one city would give all five kids the same name?? šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/27 "2003-11-07T05:04:26Z")
**Exapno** : Youā€™ve got to be kidding about **Len, Herb, and Nathanael** , right? **Christian** is the way to go. Whoever said it wasnā€™t very common has been living on Mars for the last century. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/28 "2003-11-07T05:33:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Exapno Mapcase \* > \*\*[Here are 1219 possibilities](http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/dist.male.first) from the Census Bureau. > > You could choose most of those between 1101-1123, e.g. > > ERASMO > STANTON > LONNY > . . . > Personally, I 'd go with Erasmo. \*\* Why these in particular? Although I think Stanton does sound suitably whitebread . . . (But not Erasmo!) ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/29 "2003-11-07T06:28:29Z")
Spike ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/30 "2003-11-07T06:37:31Z")
Iā€™ve known a Jewish (although not observant) Christopher, although Iā€™m not sure if Iā€™ve ever met a Jewish Christian. I know _two_ Orthodox Jewish Marys, both of Persian descent. I think itā€™s futile. Christian is a possibility, but Iā€™m sure there are Jewish Christians out there. (I tried to think of a less confusing way of saying that, but itā€™s impossible. Try it.) Iā€™ve known _Orthodox_ Jews named Ashley, Dara, Jana, Chelsea, Hayley, Mia, obvious Muslim names like Selim and Jahan (although no Mohammeds), Brian, Kenny, Charles, James, Olga, Kevin, Burt, Nicole, etc., and thatā€™s when itā€™s popular among Orthodox Jews to give Hebrew names. (I donā€™t have an English name at all, just Gila.) Among groups without such social pressure, pretty much anything goes. Perhaps a stereotypically African-American name? All thatā€™s coming to mind at the moment is womenā€™s names, like LaTia or Ashanti, but Iā€™m sure you could come up with a good male equivalent if thatā€™s not too outside the Judeo-Christian real for you. Somewhere up there someone asked what the H in John had to do with it - Jon tends to be a nickname for Jonathan, a popular Jewish name. (I know several (Orthodox) Jons; a more public example would be Jon Stewart.) Even though I think John is just a Latin-y adaptation of Yonatan (the Hebrew name that Jonathan is the English cognate of), itā€™s got more of a ā€œChristianā€ association, and so some Jews avoid it. I know of one man whose mother gave him the English name Jay, even though his Hebrew name is Yonatan, because she was worried that Jonathan would be shortened to Johnny, which was ā€œnot a nice name for a Jewish boy.ā€ (This was in the fifties, FWIW.) ---
**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/31 "2003-11-07T06:57:40Z")
JR? The situation you describe is relativelyā€¦ well, impossible. You canā€™t say thereā€™s no single Jew in the world with a given name, because names have spread beyond the realm of culture. Christopher works fine. However, any Irish name would work as wellā€¦ say Sean, Patrick, Douglas, something like that. ---
**Author:** ![thatDDperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@thatDDperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatDDperson)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/32 "2003-11-07T07:03:59Z")
Dennis. Anybody ever meet a Jewish Dennis? ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/33 "2003-11-07T07:53:45Z")
Kyle ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/34 "2003-11-07T07:56:53Z")
Zebulon. Jeddidiah. The first thing the audience will think of is backwoods moonshiners, or possibly early settlers in some old `Wagons Westā€™ movie. But, really, thereā€™s no good way to tell anymore. Time was, it was the religion of a few bands of Hebraic peoples in the Middle East. Now, any Tom, Ali, or Chang can be Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![ReaverPryde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@ReaverPryde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReaverPryde)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/35 "2003-11-07T08:37:06Z")
Why donā€™t you go pick up a bible from one of those crazy f\*\*\*s hanging out on all the university campuses, flip through it, and see what name your finger lands on? Would it be possible to include a last name for the guy? That way you could really drive the point home. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/36 "2003-11-07T08:52:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ReaverPryde \* > \*\*Would it be possible to include a last name for the guy? That way you could really drive the point home. \*\* Yeah, actually I think heā€™s gonna be Christopher (or maybe Christian) St. Vincent . . . that oughta do it . . . ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/37 "2003-11-07T08:53:07Z")
**Reaver** : I donā€™t think that will work: The Bible, New and Old Testamnets, was written in the same region Jewish people lived. Any name there could just as easily be Jewish as Christian. Even Jesus was a Jew, after all. As were all of his early followers until they decided to worship him. I think that by limiting us to Judeo-Christian names will prove to be a fatal constraint: Thereā€™s never been a huge gap between Christians and Jews, even when Jewish people were ghettoized physically and culturally. Do you think the Jews killed during the pogroms or the Holocaust looked or were named any differently from their persecutors? Thereā€™s more of a difference between Muslims and Christians because Muslims tend to be Arabic and speak the Arabic language, and some Muslims change their names to conform to Arabic naming conventions once adopting the faith. But even that isnā€™t a certainty. The next Joe Smith you meet could be on his way to a mosque just as easily as heā€™s on his way to a church, cathedral, or synagogue. (As a secondary note, Iā€™ve often heard it said by knowledgable people that Indonesia has the largest population of Muslims in the world. I donā€™t know Indonesian naming conventions, but Iā€™d imagine them to be strikingly different from both Arabic and European styles.) So my point is this: Thereā€™s no way to do this absolutely cleanly. None. Not if you set it now, not if you set it two hundred years ago. Stereotypes can be played upon (using an Eastern European name usually does the trick), but you donā€™t have anything more. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/38 "2003-11-07T09:22:28Z")
You could name your character Notjewish Smith. Naw ā€¦ Notjewish sounds more like a girlā€™s name. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/39 "2003-11-07T10:35:10Z")
Name the character **Herod**. Canā€™t imagine too many Jews with that name. As for the Irish names - I know a Jewish Seamus Magill. But then, heā€™s not Irish, his Scottish. But you canā€™t assume Irish arenā€™t Jewish - Dublin has had Jewish mayors off and on for the last century and a half. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777/40 "2003-11-07T11:12:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeVena \* > \*\*Iā€™d suggest you go for a celtic name like Chad or Conway or Clayton \*\* Bit of a hijack, but I believe ā€œChadā€ is an Anglo-Saxon name. One of the earliest examples of a person named Chad was [S. Chad of Mercia](http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/local_heroes/a_f/chad.shtml), one of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-first-name-thats-definitely-not-jewish/211777.md?page=3)