Hi Swistle,
I’m due July 1st with another boy (the doc was pretty sure but not 100%) brother to Judah Samson. Samson is my mother’s maiden name and Judah is named for my husband’s maternal grandfather whose hebrew name was Yehuda (Judah is the english version of Yehuda). I briefly worried about having an “S” middle name after Judah because I was afraid it would sound like “Judas” rather than “Judah” but then I realized people wouldn’t very frequently be saying his full name anyway and I liked the Samson connection too much to give it up. We didn’t/don’t plan to use the nickname Jude – but we like that there is that option if he chooses it or others want to call him that in the future. We are so happy with his name and people from our families on both sides are truly touched by the connections his name has to his roots.
So far we have pretty much decided on the first name Ezra if this is a boy (the first name would be after my husband’s grandfather whose first name was Israel). For the middle name, we’d like to go with something that honors my grandfather – in English his name was Robert Henry, or Chaim in Hebrew. The problem is, so far none of those names really work with the first name and our last name, which sounds like Korver.
Ezra Robert Korver (B followed by V makes it hard to say, styles don’t match)
Ezra Henry Korver (quite a mouthful, styles don’t match)
Ezra Chaim Korver (no way, don’t like a sound in there no one can pronounce)
Ezra Micah Korver (We even got creative and thought of using Micah, an anagram of Chaim). This still doesn’t flow well with the two names ending in A sounds and may be kind of feminine. But I do like the creativity of it, and I like that the name styles seem to go together.Other boy names we like, but ultimately decided we like Ezra better because of the honor connection and sound: Elliot, Joel, Rafi, Oren, Ian.
Help! Do you have other thoughts or creative ideas for how to honor my grandfather in my son’s name? Is there a perfect derivative name of Henry or Robert or Chaim we haven’t thought of? He was really musical and we shared that passion – anything i can do with that?. I called him Pop, and my grandmother called him Bobby if those spark anything. Maybe you can convince me that one of the options above is the one or suggest some brilliant advice or alternative.
THANK YOU!
Shira
I don’t think the first and middle names DO need to match in style. In fact, I’d say I generally prefer them NOT to match: I think of the middle name as a great place for a name that doesn’t work in style as a first name, or for an honor name you like more for the honor than for the name itself, or whatever. Ezra Robert Korver seems perfect to me.
I also don’t think the whole name needs to avoid being a mouthful, or that the middle name needs to flow perfectly with either the first name or the surname, unless your family tends to say the full name frequently. In most cases, a person is called by first and last, or only by first; the middle sort of drops out of the picture. But Ezra Henry Korver doesn’t seem particularly like a mouthful to me anyway.
In general my feeling about honor names is that they’re worth a little awkwardness. If you find the B followed by the V a little difficult to say, I think a minor pronunciation issue (especially one that is unlikely to be said) is well worth it as the price of using the honoree’s first name. Using an anagram or hobby-related name seems unnecessary here: I think Robert works beautifully.
I also think Chaim works beautifully, if that name would be more meaningful to your family or have a stronger connection to your grandfather: if anyone needed to pronounce the middle name for some reason and couldn’t manage it, I doubt that would cause a level of difficulty or inconvenience that would make you sorry you’d chosen the name.
Name update!
Hi Swistle,
Thanks so much for your advice and your reader’s insights!
Ezra Ronen was born on 6/24/15 at 7 lbs 13 oz. We thought of Ronen as a middle name option pretty late in the game but it had a lot of great benefits. It starts with Ro like my grandfather’s name Robert, it means joyful song so has the music connection I was looking for, and my husband has a close friend with that name so he has a really positive association with it and so do I. I also loved that with his first name, Ezra, meaning “help or support” his full name “Ezra Ronen” means to help or support through joyful song. That so describes my grandfather and the unique gift he had to lift people’s spirits through music that it feels like a really strong connection to him. Here is a picture of Ezra and one with proud big brother Judah as well.
Thanks again!
Shira
I have a slightly harder time saying Ezra Robert Korver than the either Henry or Chaim, but if your grandfather was known as Robert, I would still use it. I can tell you that no one ever uses my 13 month old’s middle name. If Robert is a no go for you I would use either Henry or Chaim depending on which one is more connected with your grandfather in your mind. I personally like Chaim.
I like Ezra Chaim and as you note with the older son, no one uses the full name anyway. Maybe focus on the first initial of Robert or Chaim?
Rav
Rafael (or Rafi, which you already like!)
Reuben/Reuven (though the b/v with your last name might annoy you)
Rahm
Ran/Rani (related to the words for singing–you could also do Ron/ Ronny if you want a more American spelling–even though it’s nickname-ish, not sure that matters so much for a middle)
You could also do Ezra Caleb Korver (though that’s a lot of c/k in the middle and last name)
wanted to point out that the v/b in Reuben Korver does not bother me though you may feel differently. My baby name test is to imagine the full name read out at a graduation ceremony, and the first and last name discussed by sportscasters.
At commencement: Ezra. Rueben. Korver.
On air: “Ezra Korver had an amazing catch last night.” “That’s right, Bob. I think he’s got a good chance of a Gold Glove this year.””
Ezra Henry would be a fine name and give your son the same middle name as your grandfather. I immediately thought the two names coordinate very well stylewise in that they both made me think of 19th-century names. When I looked them up in baby name wizard just now, I found that they are linked there in a similar way: both Ezra and Henry appear in the Antique Charm list.
I do think there would be a pronunciation challenge with Ezra Robert (ruh – rah back to back) and also with Chaim as you mentioned.
But Ezra Henry Korver sounds great together and would be quite an impressive name for your second son.
I don’t even hear the pronunciation problems for any of these names or think the styles clash. They’d all be good choices. I like Robert best as it’s the most direct connection, but Henry is nice, too.
My thoughts exactly so I won’t repeat them!
Agreed. Love all your options and don’t have trouble saying any of them.
I don’t find Ezra Robert Korver or Ezra Henry Korver particularly difficult to say. I also agree that the full name won’t be said all the time anyway, so it doesn’t really matter if it is a little difficult to say. I also don’t think the middle name has to match the style of the first name. In fact, I like a little bit of juxtaposition here.
From your list, I like Ezra Henry the best.
Chaim translates to life, so perhaps another name that means life, or has life as part of the meaning? You could also do another Ch name. Ezra Charles is lovely.
Have you considered a variant of Henry? Hank, Hal, Harry, Harris would all be related. Or perhaps Harrison?
Rory? Ro from Robert and -ry from Henry.
Ezra Rory.
I like both Ezra Robert and Ezra Henry, I don’t find them particularly hard to say.
Good luck!
I say and write my oldest’s middle name so infrequently that I occasionally forget how to spell it. Ezra seems like a good name and you can use his first name as his hebrew name (always a plus).
I will say that my youngest has an honor name from my grandfather’s hebrew name, and my grandmother (his widow) often forgets that my son is named after her husband (and then complains that no one remembers my grandfather… there are other family issues.) So I would urge you, if you like it well enough, to go the most directly honoring route if your intent is to honor (i.e. Robert.)
Good luck
Agree that Henry seems to flow better than Robert. I like the look of Chaim, too, and I think the pronunciation won’t be an issue. Middle names are intimate – very few people who srent in your family are going to say the name aloud. Commencement, maybe? And Chaim isn’t so far out there.
I’m sitting here watching my very own Ezra (now 8 weeks old) sleeping so I thought I’d chime in. His middle name is Major, after my grandfather. I think I like Robert for you because I’m a big fan of honor names. My oldest (Judah!! – we are apparently total name buddies) has the middle Anthony after my husband’s dad and granddad. I also think Henry sounds nice. Congrats on the boy!
Wow Aubrey! That’s wild that you have a Judah and an Ezra! Thanks for your thoughts!
My favorite combination is Ezra Henry but I think Ezra Chaim is fine with your last name.
BTW, I love the name Ezra… Good choice.
I love Ezra Chaim! If I’m reading correctly, you’re worried about the unfamiliar sound of Chaim? I think it’s a nonissue for two reasons. First, it’s a middle name, so it will be rarely used by others. Even when he is asked his middle name, he will be pronouncing it, so it will be clear. Second, I think Chaim is a Hebrew word/name that is pretty familiar to most people regardless of their heritage. I think most people would be fine pronouncing it. My own kids have honor middle names that all have the problema you mentioned, and I still love them, and we’ve never had anyone have issues.
I’m not Jewish but my spouse is. I asked her if I was pronouncing Chaim correctly, and she said I was. So I agree that it’s fairly well-known but still might get garbled occasionally (as does nearly any name). However I really like Ezra Robert. It seems like a very classic, handsome name. For me, even the slightest extra pause between first and middle gets rid of the ra/ro pronunciation issue, and I don’t really hear the B followed by V thing. But all three of your frontrunners are great, and I don’t think you can go wrong if you pick the one that is most meaningful to you and your husband.
OMG I love your names! Ezra Micah is actually on my list for a boy, and Shira for a girl:) I do not think that Ezra Micah sounds too feminine. After all, some people name their girls straight up boys names like Ryan, I love it when a boys name is used as it was originally intended.
Liron is a great Hebrew name related to song– that makes a connection to the ancestor and you (“Shira”)!
But yeah, I agree with the others– all the choices sound good, and you can’t go wrong!
If you’re concerned about Chaim, why not streamline to Haim? Ezra Haim is lovely.
I also thought of Reuven for you :)
what about Robert Ezra Korver and using Ezra as the given name? My family has a long history of using the 1st name as the honour name and the second as the given just because of how it sounds (Thomas David S… Stephen Richard B… ) with both men going by David and Richard.
The only time it causes slight contention is when filling out forms, and either reversing them (if it doesn’t matter) or putting S. Richard B…. seems to sort the problem out quite easily.
Then again, I’m not the person who’s had to live with this name so I don’t know how they feel. I am constantly spelling my name for others though so I feel its about the same level of difficulty.
I think Ezra Chaim and Ezra Henry are both nice.
I don’t love the sound of an R middle name with Ezra because of the repeated sound, but some alternatives to Robert could be:
Ezra Robinson
Ezra Robin (a name that is generally feminine, but Christopher Robin comes to mind)
Or Ezra Bert?
It sounds like you found the perfect middle name for your second son. Judah and Ezra are fine names together, and your boys are darling! Congratulations!
I love your final choice, particularly the meaning of the whole name together! You’ll be so pleased.