Names
& Judaism
"With each child, the world begins anew." (Ancient Jewish Saying)
Judaism places great importance on the naming of each new child. It is believed that the name
of a person or thing is closely related to its essence. The name given to a child by a parent
provides them with a connection to previous generations. It allows the parents to make a
statement about their hopes and aspirations for their child. In many ways a Hebrew name brings
to the newborn a sense of Jewish identity.
According to Anita Diamant in "What to Name Your Jewish Baby," "Like Adam's
appointed task of giving names to all living things in Eden, naming is an exercise of power
and creativity." Many parents today put a great deal of thought and energy into deciding
what to name their Jewish baby. Hebrew Names
Hebrew names started to compete with names from other languages early on in Jewish history. As
far back as the Talmudic period, between 200 B.C.E. and 500 C.E. many Jews gave their children
Aramaic, Greek and Roman names.
Later, during the Middle Ages in Eastern Europe, it became customary for Jewish parents to
give their children two names. A secular name for use in the gentile world, and a Hebrew name
for religious purposes.
Hebrew names are used for calling men to the Torah. Certain prayers, such as the memorial
prayer or the prayer for the sick, also use the Hebrew name. Legal documents, such as the
marriage contract or ketubah, use the Hebrew name.
Today, many American Jews give their children both English and Hebrew names. Often the two
names start with the same letter. For instance, Blake's Hebrew name might be Boaz and
Lindsey's might be Leah. Sometimes the English name is the English version of the
Hebrew name, like Jonah and Yonah or Eva and Chava. The two main sources for
Hebrew names for today's Jewish babies are older Biblical names and modern Israeli names. |
