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HelpSelah for a boy?
So I've seen the name Selah ("SEE-lah") floating around recently and I was pretty surprised to learn that it was a girl's name. I used to watch this show called Turn, and there was a guy named Selah on it. Granted, the show is set in colonial America, so maybe the name switched from a boy's name to a girl's name in the last 200 years, but I don't know. I've always thought it was a nice name for a boy. I guess it sounds pretty on a girl, though. Thoughts?
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I've seen it on males, but always pronounced "se-LAH"
I adore Sela on a girl so I have a hard time seeing it on a boy. Especially because it's so similar in sound/style to many other fem names
I adore Sela on a girl so I have a hard time seeing it on a boy. Especially because it's so similar in sound/style to many other fem names
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I don't like gender switching names, so not a fan. But Saleh for a boy is nice and actually a boy name.
This message was edited 3/7/2018, 10:34 AM
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Selah for a boy?
I like it - ending with an "a" sonority--and the letter "h" just adds that subtle, breathy continuance. I guess the "ah" ending preceded by the long "e" vowel might soften the name from the more common (perhaps previously more common) names like John, Mark, William, Paul, or Luke. I see no reason that a boy should not be Selah - or a girl. I would not thank that Selah would naturally suggest need for a shorter version, as Michael shortens to Mike & Suzanne, Suzette, & Susan shorten to Sue.
I like it - ending with an "a" sonority--and the letter "h" just adds that subtle, breathy continuance. I guess the "ah" ending preceded by the long "e" vowel might soften the name from the more common (perhaps previously more common) names like John, Mark, William, Paul, or Luke. I see no reason that a boy should not be Selah - or a girl. I would not thank that Selah would naturally suggest need for a shorter version, as Michael shortens to Mike & Suzanne, Suzette, & Susan shorten to Sue.
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I only know it as a Hebrew word that appears at the ends of some psalms and is interpreted as either a sign that the music stops or a word, a bit like 'Amen", that signals the end and also somewhat means 'So be it' or "let it be'. With that meaning, old-fashioned Afrikaans speakers sometimes use it in ordinary discourse, but their intonation suggests that they would like the particular outcome but have no great hopes of ever experiencing it!
So, not a name at all in my mind.
So, not a name at all in my mind.
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YES!
I love it!
It means "pause and reflect" and was used in music to allow the singer and/or listener to pause and consider the lyrics.
I kind of love that. And it sounds/looks awesome for a boy.
I love it!
It means "pause and reflect" and was used in music to allow the singer and/or listener to pause and consider the lyrics.
I kind of love that. And it sounds/looks awesome for a boy.
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I love the name Selah and generally prefer it on a boy, though I'd consider it unisex.
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I'm guessing this reply wasn't actually for me, but either way Selah Strong (the character op referenced), Anna Strong's husband, was very much a real person so I'd imagine they just named the character what his actual name was within history. I'd assume the real Selah's parents named him that as a biblical reference.
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I think it could work for a boy. This strict gendering of names really doesn’t make too much sense to me, anyway. Names are just names.
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I don't see why not, actually. It's not like it was a name in the bible, it's a musical term that happened to appear in Psalms. I read a book with a male Zillah which is similar in sound. And the possible meanings are all nice and not particularly feminine (the actual meaning is not exactly known: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selah). I'd pick a more masculine middle name though.
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