A woman has taken to Reddit to express her dismay over a friend's choice of baby name, which she considers deeply disrespectful due to its historical connotations. The user, who posted anonymously, explained that her friend, who identifies as goth, plans to name her daughter שואה — the Hebrew word for Holocaust — because she finds it a 'beautifully tragic' name with a morbid meaning.
Concerns Over Historical Sensitivity
The poster stated that she attempted to explain why the name could be problematic, given the Holocaust's devastating historical significance as the genocide of six million Jews during World War II. However, her friend remains set on the name, prompting the user to seek advice on how to convince her otherwise. 'How do I really get this through her head, or am I overreacting and it's not that big of a deal?' she wrote.
Online Reactions
The post quickly ignited a heated debate among Reddit users, many of whom condemned the name choice. One commenter suggested asking the friend if she would be comfortable naming her child 'genocide' to illustrate the point. Another user wrote: 'Tell her it's genuinely antisemitic. If she wants to call her child Holocaust, she should do it in English and then not do it. It's not edgy. It's cruel to a child and disrespectful. You can't name a child after a genocide.'
A third user added: 'I thought you were going to say she's appropriating a Yiddish name or something. This goes far beyond disrespectful — I can't even think of a word for how inappropriate this is.' Others shared personal connections to the Holocaust, with one commenter noting: 'I was there too… and I am a gentile who has ancestors who experienced that. It's not something to use for aesthetics or shock value.'
Long-Term Consequences for the Child
Many users emphasized that, regardless of intent, names carrying deeply traumatic historical meanings can have lasting negative effects on a child. They argued that the child would likely face bullying, social ostracism, and misunderstandings throughout her life. The discussion highlighted broader issues of cultural sensitivity and the responsibility parents have when choosing names that may burden their children with heavy associations.
The original poster has not yet updated on whether her friend reconsidered, but the thread serves as a cautionary tale about the power of names and the importance of respecting historical trauma.
