עברית
Faith
The Name Ayala for a Daughter
Question
Hello and blessings, I am a Ba'al Teshuva for many years, married and living in Kiryat Sefer. I am in my ninth month of pregnancy and could give birth any day. I wanted to ask about the name "Ayala" for a daughter. Is it a positive name, what is its meaning? Is it preferable to give a daughter a name from a righteous woman in the Tanakh rather than this name? Thank you, Chana.
Answer
Greetings,
The name Ayala is good for girls. It has a positive meaning of swiftness, like the female deer that runs quickly, and thus the tribe of Naftali is compared to a deer as it is stated (Genesis 49:21) "Naftali is a deer let loose."
It has also been mentioned that the name Ayala is associated with longevity (as noted in the book Menhagei HaRashash Volume 1, page 298, where Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory, recommended the name Ayala, stating that it has a merit for longevity. This is also famously mentioned by Rabbi Chaim Kanievski, of blessed memory. Additionally, it is noted in the book Yeshuot Mordechai, page 118, that Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, of blessed memory, believes the name Ayala is good for girls).
Since this is a good name and recommended with a positive meaning, there is no preference or necessity to specifically choose a name from the Tanakh.
Wishing you good news,
Hillel Meirs
