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Help[Opinions] Jabez
What do you think of Jabez? I like it. Both Jacob and Jabez are two syllable Biblical names that start with a J, both have a long A sound in the first syllable, Jabez has not seen any popularity at all since the nineteenth century, and until the last ten or fifteen years or so this was also true of Jacob. So with the way Jacob has rocketed up to number one, I can almost see Jabez doing the same thing.
On the other hand, its meaning is not so great. It means "sorrow."
Do you like it? Do you think the meaning makes it unusable?
On the other hand, its meaning is not so great. It means "sorrow."
Do you like it? Do you think the meaning makes it unusable?
This message was edited 5/31/2009, 8:34 AM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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I know Jabez is an age old, Bibical name, but to me it sounds quite trendy. I'd never heard of Jabez before, and it sounds kinda along the same lines as Jaden, especially with "jay" as the first syllable. Jacob's always been quite a common name, and because of it's popularity now, I can see lots of parents turning to Jabez as an alternative.
I actually don't like this name. The "bez" part is really harsh, and the "jay" part makes it sound trendy. I wouldn't worry about the meaning. Lots of names meaning "sorrow" or "sorrowful", like Brona, Mary, Dolores, and people don't hold that against them. "Sorrow" really isn't the worst meaning out there, and it isn't a meaning the child could get teased about, after all.
I actually don't like this name. The "bez" part is really harsh, and the "jay" part makes it sound trendy. I wouldn't worry about the meaning. Lots of names meaning "sorrow" or "sorrowful", like Brona, Mary, Dolores, and people don't hold that against them. "Sorrow" really isn't the worst meaning out there, and it isn't a meaning the child could get teased about, after all.
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The meaning's pretty bad and I don't find it looks or sounds attractive. It's the -ez that bothers me.
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There's a bar near I live named Jabez Clegg, so it makes me think of that!
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I don't guess the meaning of a name has often stood in the way of its popularity. I mean, Paul is popular and has been for generations, and it means small. And Mary is often defined as sorrow also, or bitterness, and look how popular that's been.
On the other hand, I think Jabez is destined to remain unused unless somebody with that name gets to be very famous, and even then I'm not sure. I'm also not sure how to pronounce it.
I remember reading a poem when I was little about a mean boy named Jabez Dawes, and if I remember right, Jabez rhymed with babies in the poem. So Jay-Beez? If so, it rhymes with rabies and scabies. Yuck.
On the other hand, I think Jabez is destined to remain unused unless somebody with that name gets to be very famous, and even then I'm not sure. I'm also not sure how to pronounce it.
I remember reading a poem when I was little about a mean boy named Jabez Dawes, and if I remember right, Jabez rhymed with babies in the poem. So Jay-Beez? If so, it rhymes with rabies and scabies. Yuck.
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What made me think of this name and post about it is that TCM showed the 1941 movie "The Devil and Daniel Webster" earlier today, and the main character's name is Jabez. They were pronouncing it JAY-bez in the movie. It didn't rhyme with babies, rabies, or scabies at all.
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