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avoid or redeem?

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Because the biblical association has become a cultural association, I think that's the problem. If it's "just Biblical" then it's not really a big deal if the parents don't value that. But Jezebel's got negative connotations on a much broader scale by now. So I guess it's about whether the parents are scared off by negative connotations (and would also avoid naming their child Adolf or Lucifer or something along those lines). Or whether they just love a name and think that their child will create its own associations with the name - and so will the people who know their child.

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Personally, I'd never use Jezebel, but I would think it was pretty neat if someone was gutsy enough to do it.

This message was edited 6/10/2011, 12:31 PM

It has an interesting sound. More feisty, not as a soft as other -bel names.
If I met one, I would wonder what the parents were thinking.
Yes because even people that are not religious know that calling someone a 'jezebel' is an insult.

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This is a name that I think is better reserved for pets :)
You still get to use it but no one has to deal with the negative connatations.

I like it, but not enough to use it. I personally don't like to use names that have a bad meaning or a negative story attached to them. I would kind of like to see it on another child, though. It's very pretty. I just couldn't use it because meanings are important to me.

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I once thought of spelling it Jessabelle. Then it would be a Jessa+Belle combo and not have that association so much.

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Yeah I'd love to see it on somebody else!

I like it. I think it'd be wild to meet a real one. I will say though that I'd assume it was a name picked for one self, as an adult or teenager. Or that their parents were Goths or Wiccans maybe. It's a name that is very aware of itself and the impression it creates.

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I actually know a couple cars named Jezebel.

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The Biblical story doesn't bother me. I barely know what it is, anyways. Bitch queen, wore makeup, thrown out a window? Something like that.

The Biblical association bothers me a little, but I think other people would find it more of a problem than I do.

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That aside, I don't really like the name anyway. The Z in the middle makes it look and sound a bit harsh. I prefer "Jess" over "Jez". You could change it slightly to Jessabel which sounds prettier and wouldn't have the bad association.

This message was edited 6/10/2011, 12:42 AM

I love the sound of this name.
I dislike the meaning.
I hate the biblical association becasue it goes even beyond biblical to where someone would know what you meant if you said: "You Jezebel!!"

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Once I met a Jazzibel. She said her mother loved the sound but didn't like the connotations that came with it. So Jazzibel was borne of Jezebel.... Don't think I'd do that though!!!

Biblical associations don't impress me one way or the other, especially since some of the characters aren't what I consider role models - look at Joshua! And Jezebel sounds pretty, in the same way as Isabel, Rosabel, Annabel ...

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But I wouldn't expect to meet one in real life. Most people swallow the Bible whole, if you know what I mean.

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Anyway, where I live the 'a' sound, as in fat and jazz, often sounds like an 'e' sound, as in never and heavy. So, given that Jezebel would be likely to shorten to Jez, would have that sounding exactly like Jazz in a non-standard but frequent pronunciation. And that would make my ears ache.

Jezebel is not really my style, because of the Jeze part. I don't hate it though, and I do like the idea of this name being used again. I think people are less into religion as a whole now more than ever and the association wouldn't be as terrible.

I love it. I would even potentially consider using it although I generally consider it more of a GP. The historical figure of Jezebel was a strong woman who was a capable leader in a time when women had no power- the Biblical depiction of her is tainted and that really really sucks.

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If I met one IRL, I'd think it was super neato. The Biblical association doesn't bother me in the slightest but I'd imagine it would potentially steer me away from using for a real life daughter...unfortunately most people's only association with the name is the Biblical one, even if it isn't factual.

I was actually thinking about this the other day! I love Belle/Bella but would want to use them as nicknames instead of full names. Isabella is wonderful, but I'm preferring Elisabeth and wouldn't want to use them in the same sibset. I'm currently mulling over Jezebel and Mehetabel (Annabelle is too frilly for me). I think they're both beautiful. I know Jezebel has quite the negative reputation, but I've always been of the opinion that it's not the name's fault that the person was horrible or did horrible things. : )

Yes, the name is tainted for me. I would never name a kid Jezebel because I would be worried about how other people would react to it. That being said, I find Jezebel to be quite pretty and would be secretly pleased to meet a real life one.

Personally, it being "tainted" really doesn't bother me at all. I'd be thrilled if I met a Jezebel in real life- though I don't actually like the sound of the name. I'd think it was awesome that someone had the guts to name their kid Jezebel. Some names are tainted and they still are beautiful- like Lucifer, which I love.

The name's sound isn't terrible, but it's really the association that gets me.

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The biblical association definitely bothers me. Jezebel probably one of the heaviest negative associations in the Bible. And it doesn't help that "jezebel" is sometimes used as a term for a woman with corrupt morals.

This message was edited 6/9/2011, 7:08 PM