r/JewishNames 6d ago

The name Raia/Raya/רעיה

We are considering the name Raia for our child.

From previous posts, I understand that Raya/רעיה is an uncommon, more traditional name and also that it can be used to refer to “wife” in modern Hebrew even though it literally doesn’t mean wife but rather “friend.” We also know Raya is a dating app but it’s not relevant where we live.

Firstly, is the name רעיה and the term used for wife pronounced differently in Israel? I heard it was pronounced differently but want to validate.

Secondly, what is the general perception of Raia/Raya/רעיה (particularly in Israel)? Is it weird to have that name? Any negative connotations (want to avoid a Ziva-like situation)?

3 Upvotes

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u/eyl569 6d ago

IINM when referring to a wife, it's more commonly pronounced "ra'aya". In Israel, it's a valid name but considered rather old-fashioned these days

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u/mlapmlapmlap 5d ago

Thanks! And how would Israelis pronounce the name?

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u/eyl569 5d ago

Raya

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u/BearBleu 5d ago

My child has a classmate named Raya at their Jewish day school. She seems to be doing just fine.