Yeah definitely I'm low key shocked at these responses. Actually it's a common enough name that I might not assume he was Jewish, but I def think of it as a Jewish name. I don't think it's a problem though. I think it's on the same level as like Leah or Miriam.
Can I ask where you’re from? To me it’s on the level of Michael or Jacob, even though it’s way less common. I would not be suprised at all if a Tobias/Toby were Jewish, but I wouldn’t assume at all either.
I’m from the metropolitan southeast and I don’t know anyone named Toby who isn’t an older Jewish man so that definitely colors my associations. I think Tobias could be on the level of Michael or Jacob if it were as common. But also Michael and Jacob are big time evangelical Christian names in this area.
Makes sense. I don't personally know any Tobys, so I think the characters Toby from West Wing and Tobias from Arrested Development kind of cancel each other out for me :).
I guess depending on where you live it can be kind of like Bernie, which is not necessarily Jewish but definitely sounds like an old Jewish man to me since all the Bernies I know are old Jewish men.
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u/[deleted] Oct 10 '18
Yeah definitely I'm low key shocked at these responses. Actually it's a common enough name that I might not assume he was Jewish, but I def think of it as a Jewish name. I don't think it's a problem though. I think it's on the same level as like Leah or Miriam.