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Where does the Jewish name Baila come from?


By Baruch S. Davidson

The name Baila--also spelled Bayla--is derived from the Hebrew name Bilhah,1 wife of Jacob, and mother of Dan and Naftali, two of the twelve tribes of Israel.

It is also related to the name Bella which means beautiful in Italian and other Romance languages.2 One author writes that in difficult times, girls with the name Baila or Bilhah would call themselves Bella to disguise their obviously Jewish name.3

Others explain that it is related to the Slavic world bela, which means "white."

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Baruch S. Davidson
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FOOTNOTES
1.

Beis Shmuel, Sheimos Nashim.
2.

Sefer Sheimos, also brought in Responsa of the Tzemach Tzedek E.H. 229.
3.

Jewish Personal Names, Samuel Gorr.

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: Jan 20, 2009
"Baila" - origin
Thank you. I realized after I sent the message. I'll look them up. Yasher Koyach.

But While I have your attention, the name for Paroahs; daughter is written in the Tanach as Bisya, so why do most people refer to her - and name their children Basya?
Posted By Anonymous, Montreal, Canada

Posted: Jan 20, 2009
Re: Name Baila
The sources are named in the footnotes. Feel free to look them up.
Posted By Baruch Davidson

Posted: Jan 20, 2009
Name Baila
Actually, I have heard that the name Baila
is an old Yiddishe name which comes from the letters: Boruch Hashem L'olam Amein
B-Boruch
Yud Yud- Hashem's name
L- L'Olam
Aleph- Amen

I would like to see the source of your explanation, as I don't believe it is from the two names that you mentioned.
Posted By Anonymous, Montreal, Canada



 


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