Abel?

jquirke9881

MH has always liked this name for a boy.  I had always dismissed it but I find myself thinking about it more and more.  Thoughts?

plunderb

I like it. I like all of the short, Biblical, A-names for boys: Abel, Amos, Asa, Aaron, Abner, Asher, etc.

jquirke9881

Oh, I like Amos a lot.

caramia582

I think it's pretty cool!

jolynn326

I like Amos a pinch better but do love Abel. 

adventureolive

I generally don't like biblical names. I know far too many atheists with biblical names who resent their names. I knew a Christian whop changed his name to Leo because he hated having a name with religious connotation. While it may be nice for a name to fit in with you and your partner's religious beliefs, there's no guarantee that you child will choose that religion also.

Fianschneid

adventureolive:

I generally don't like biblical names. I know far too many atheists with biblical names who resent their names. I knew a Christian whop changed his name to Leo because he hated having a name with religious connotation. While it may be nice for a name to fit in with you and your partner's religious beliefs, there's no guarantee that you child will choose that religion also.

This.

Also, I feel like this name has strong associations with a particular story. His entire life, he's going to have to answer the question, "Abel? Like Cain and Abel?"

jquirke9881

Fianschneid:

adventureolive:

I generally don't like biblical names. I know far too many atheists with biblical names who resent their names. I knew a Christian whop changed his name to Leo because he hated having a name with religious connotation. While it may be nice for a name to fit in with you and your partner's religious beliefs, there's no guarantee that you child will choose that religion also.

This.

Also, I feel like this name has strong associations with a particular story. His entire life, he's going to have to answer the question, "Abel? Like Cain and Abel?"

We aren't religous so it has nothing to do with our association.  It was just a name MH always liked.  But I can totally see this point of view. 

Aligator28

I'm not a fan, but I don't particularly like biblical names. 

magpie1127

I like it! It's one of the Biblical names you almost never hear, which is hard to find. It's also just a beautiful sounding name and has a nice rhythm to is.

If you aren't religious though, be forewarned:  peop,le ARE going to assume that there's a religious connection there. Other than Jesus, Moses, and Eve, I can't really think of any other name that screams Bible/Torah more than Abel.

LoCarb

jquirke9881:

Fianschneid:

adventureolive:

I generally don't like biblical names. I know far too many atheists with biblical names who resent their names. I knew a Christian whop changed his name to Leo because he hated having a name with religious connotation. While it may be nice for a name to fit in with you and your partner's religious beliefs, there's no guarantee that you child will choose that religion also.

This.

Also, I feel like this name has strong associations with a particular story. His entire life, he's going to have to answer the question, "Abel? Like Cain and Abel?"

We aren't religous so it has nothing to do with our association.  It was just a name MH always liked.  But I can totally see this point of view. 

I only see it as a Bibilical name and would've thought you were religious.

jquirke9881

LoCarb:

jquirke9881:

Fianschneid:

adventureolive:

I generally don't like biblical names. I know far too many atheists with biblical names who resent their names. I knew a Christian whop changed his name to Leo because he hated having a name with religious connotation. While it may be nice for a name to fit in with you and your partner's religious beliefs, there's no guarantee that you child will choose that religion also.

This.

Also, I feel like this name has strong associations with a particular story. His entire life, he's going to have to answer the question, "Abel? Like Cain and Abel?"

We aren't religous so it has nothing to do with our association.  It was just a name MH always liked.  But I can totally see this point of view. 

I only see it as a Bibilical name and would've thought you were religious.

Definitely something to consider. 

Thank you for all of your responses!

unsettled

I like it, and wouldn't immediately think you were religious.  I like it WAY better than Amos.

mrebecca

Love it! Also love Asa, as PP mentioned.

anna7602

I really like it and have a friend who named her boy this (he's now almost 4). FWIW, it's not viewed as a particularly religious name in Spanish. I would have never made any assumptions about the parents' or the child's religion before reading this thread. The Abel I know has 1 Jewish parent and 1 lapsed Catholic parent and they are not raising the child in either religion (or any religion at all).