Questions and Answers on Jewish Names

The Hebrew name is a conduit through which G‑d provides the individual's vitality, energy and sustenance.

It functions as a conduit, channeling spiritual energy from G‑d into your soul and your body. That’s why a critically ill person is sometimes given an additional Hebrew name—sort of like a spiritual bypass operation.

We just had a daughter, and my rabbi told us that we should name her at the first possible opportunity. Why?

The Jewish name is a keystone of Jewish identity for all Jews. It is customary to give a Jewish name when the baby is born.

How do I choose a name? Do I need to confirm it with a rabbi or something?

The practice of not marrying someone with the same name as one’s own parent is a tradition mentioned in the Testament of Rabbi Yehudah HeChassid.

My daughter was pregnant when her father-in-law passed away. Is it okay for them to name the baby after his grandfather?

Ashkenazi Jews do not name their children after someone who is alive at the time.

I’ve heard that one should not name a baby after an individual who passed away young. Is this true? And what if that person was killed during the Holocaust?

A Jew’s spiritual essence is inherited via his or her mother. When praying for another, we want to emphasize their essential and eternal link to G‑d, as derived from their mother’s side.

Choosing a name is a big deal. A person’s name is not a mere label; it expresses the essence of its bearer . . .

The sages of the Midrash wondered the same, and here are their answers . . .

What influence does your name have on you--on your personality, on your behavioral patterns and on your life choices? Or does it?

There are four general customs regarding how to pronounce this name.

This seems strange, since the sages place great significance on a person’s name.

Don't we have a custom not to name a child after a wicked person?