Genealogy Chat

I think it was quite a common early Mormon name too! Silas Marner is a brilliant book - I always think it illustrates what a fallacy it is that our ancestors never left their native village. Remember Silas turned up from nowhere with just his weaving loom strapped to his back. They did go miles for work even before the trains era. I was quite surprised by that in my own research when a groom may be from a parish 100 miles away.

Nell, I remember that book, it was one of my favourites! Then they serialised it on tv and I was glued on a Sunday teatime. Strangely though, I'd only ever heard the name Hephzibah that one time, then a childhood friend gave their daughter the name just a few years ago. Mandy :)

I don't think Hephzibar is especially a jewish name. There is a character in the book by George Elliot "Silas Marner" called Hephzibar, and that was written in the mid 1800s. I think at that time it was a fairly traditional girl's name, derived as so many were from the Bible. Tina

You don't have to be Jewish to have a Jewish name - my middle name is Ruth, my younger son is Daniel. We aren't Jewish! Look at James, Thomas, John, Elizabeth, Susanna, Mary, David...

Hi, It isn't an exclusively Jewish name. It was popular with non-conformist Christians in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Gwynne

Thanks for the suggestions, As far as I know the family were not Jewish, but perhaps she was nicknamed after a family friend, thats all I can think of. Thanks again, Sarah :)

Hephzibah is a Jewish girl's name. The violinist Yehudi Menuhin had a sister called this. There's a character in the children's book "Carrie's War" called Hephzibah. nell

can also be spelled Hephzibar Magsx

Hepzibah?

My Great grandmother's Aunt was known as Heph, does anybody have any idea of the original name this may have been shortened from? I would love to hear any suggestions.. :)