It is said that a good name is more important than riches, and
that the choice of a name will define a person’s essence. It is also said that G-d would not have
redeemed our ancestors from Egyptian slavery if they had not kept their Hebrew
names during the 400 years of enslavement. Although we have secular names for day-to-day use, we also
have Hebrew names for religious use:
for being called to the Torah, for reciting prayers for healing during a
time of illness, for use on our wedding certificates and gravestones, and for
use in religious school and in Israel.
Baby boys have their names announced during the bris ceremony. Given the life-long importance of the Hebrew name, I
strongly encourage families to settle on names prior to the delivery. If you are going to be having your
first child, you have no idea of the hectickness and sleep deprivation involved
after delivery. And if this will
not be your first child, do not be deluded into thinking that since you made it
through the newborn period in the past, it will be easy to get through it
again. The work is much more than
doubled with a subsequent child!
There are no laws about choosing a Hebrew name, but there are
many customs, and there are also many relatives who will (incorrectly) tell you
that they know the only way to do so.
There does not have to be a connection or similarity between the secular
and Hebrew names, but it is good to have a connection, so that the Hebrew name
is always kept in mind. Some
Hebrew names make good secular names, and if you are able to choose this route,
great. Some families choose Hebrew
and secular names that start with the same first letter, that have the same
meaning, or that sound alike.
Among Ashkenazic Jews (Jews of
central and eastern European ancestry) it is traditional to name a baby after a
deceased relative, partly in the hope that the baby will have that person’s
good qualities, and also to keep the memory of that person alive. Among Sephardic Jews (of Spanish,
Portuguese, or middle eastern ancestry), babies are frequently named after
living relatives so that they can be honored while still alive. Or, a name can be chosen after a famous
person, from the week’s Torah portion, because it sounds nice or for any other
reason.
If you are planning to name the baby after a relative, it is
important to find out, if possible, the relative’s exact Hebrew name, because
the secular name does not always tell us what the Hebrew name might be. This may take detective work, so do it
before the birth! Some families
may choose a Yiddish rather than a Hebrew name. Or, since all Yiddish names have Hebrew equivalents, a Yiddish
name can be Hebraicized. Gender
changes can usually be done fairly easily if you wish to name a boy after a
female person. And if you are
choosing the name after a non-Jewish relative, a Hebrew name, which has a
similar meaning or sound, can be found.
If you need help in choosing a Hebrew name, your rabbi or I can
provide assistance. The most
complete resource is The Complete
Dictionary of English and Hebrew First Names by Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch
(Jonathan David Publishers) although other books are available. The Internet, as usual, can give you
both good and bad advice.
