Jewish Baby Naming Traditions

A brief lesson in Hebrew and Yiddish names and how they are chosen

Feb 20, 2007

Jewish baby naming traditions have a good deal of cultural importance. Here's a short history of how Jewish baby names are chosen.

Baby names and their meanings play an important role in Jewish tradition. While specific traditions vary among Jews, the idea that a name should be meaningful has always been central.

Jewish names often are given to honor family members. Ashkenazi Jews (Jews of Eastern European and German descent) traditionally name children after deceased relatives, while Sephardi Jews (Jews descended from the Iberian Peninsula) traditionally name children after their grandparents or other relatives, whether they are living or dead.

In modern days, Jews often are creative and liberal in how they name a child after a relative, often using just the first initial of a relative's name in the name of their child. For example, a child named Sophia might be named after her grandmother Sharon. Sometimes names are chosen because they have similar meanings to a relative's name. A child might be named Aleezah, which means "gift of joy," to honor her grandfather Isaac, which means "gift of laughter."

Other traditions are popular as well. In modern days, many Jewish children have both a given name in the language of the country where they live and a Hebrew name, which is used in Jewish ceremonies like weddings and Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. The Hebrew and given names often correspond with similar meanings or sounds. Sometimes parents use the Hebrew name to honor a relative and a non-corresponding given name that simply reflects their tastes. In other cases, parents give a child a middle name that honors a relative while using a first name with no particular significance.

When looking for names, Jews draw upon various sources. Biblical names have always been popular among Jews. In Israel, Jewish children are often given Hebrew language names of non-Biblical origin, and these names have become popular elsewhere as well. Because the Jewish Diaspora has brought Jews to many places, Jewish names often reflect a variety of cultures. Modern Jews of Ashkenazi descent sometimes draw upon Yiddish language names, as that was the language spoken among Eastern European Jews up until the Holocaust.

Are you looking for some Hebrew or Yiddish name for your child? Here are some Hebrew and Yiddish baby girl names and baby boy names.

The copyright of the article Jewish Baby Naming Traditions in Pregnancy & Childbirth is owned by Naomi Rockler-Gladen. Permission to republish Jewish Baby Naming Traditions in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.