Milena Isidora Epstein Clavijo

About the same time we were married, we conceived a daughter. After months of worry and watching and testing, we began to share the joyful surprise, and we named her Milena Isidora and Melilah Yetzirah.

“Milena” is originally a Slavic name, the feminine correspondent to “Milan” or “Miloš”, all meaning beloved or favored or gracious. It has also come to be seen as a compound of “Maria” and “Elena”, and has spread to Italy and South America. Liz’s middle name is Maria, and it’s the given name of many women in her family, including her mother. Saul’s family includes women named Mary and Maria and Miriyam. Also, Saul’s father’s father’s mother, Ḥanah, took the name Helen when she came to the United States.

“Isidora” is the Latin form of the Greek name “Ισιδορη”, which means “gift of Isis”. Saul’s father’s father, Yiṣḥaq, took the name Isadore when he came to the United States.

“Mǝlilah” is a Hebrew word meaning “ear of grain”, but has the same root as “milah”, a word for “word” or “idea”.

“Yǝṣirah” is a Hebrew word meaning “formation”, as a process. It also evokes both Yiṣḥaq and Tzirah, the latter being one of Saul’s father’s mother’s names.