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Choosing a Jewish Name 

“[A person’s] soul and life force are contained within their name.”
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Moharan 56:3

When it comes to choosing a Jewish name for yourself or your child, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Our Judaism Your Way team is here to support you in choosing a name that honors your unique perspectives and backgrounds and is filled with meaning.

What is a Jewish name? 

First, let’s cover the basics. A Jewish name is a special name that a Jewish person has for cultural and/or religious reasons. While some people refer to this kind of name as a Hebrew name, it can actually be in various languages, including Ladino, Yiddish, Judeo-Arabic and more

Some people choose a Jewish name because they want to feel connected to Jewish ancestors, relatives, or culture. Indeed, tracing all the way back to the story of creation in the Torah, names — and name changes — have been important parts of the Jewish narrative. People may also choose a Jewish name to use at Jewish occasions, such as baby namings, weddings, Be Mitzvahs, or being called up to the Torah. 

An individual’s Jewish name can consist of one name (ex: Aderet) or two (ex: Amado Mois). It can be followed by the names of one’s ancestors in various ways, which we’ll explore below. 

Sometimes, a person’s Jewish name is the same as their legal name. Alternatively, a person’s Jewish name can be an additional name that they acquire at a special naming ceremony as a baby or later on. 

Eight Ideas for How to Choose a Jewish Name

There are several approaches to choosing a name for yourself or your child. Our team is happy to help you find names through any of these approaches.

1. Honoring Relatives
One common practice is naming after a relative. For Sephardic Jews (Jews of Iberian or Middle-Eastern origin), it’s common to select a name connected to a relative who is alive. For Ashkenazi Jews (Jews of Central or Eastern European origin), it’s more common to name someone after a relative who is deceased. 

You can honor your relatives in various ways. For example, if you had a relative whose name was Ariella (Hebrew for “lion of God”), you could choose the name Ariella (same entire name), Adi (same first letter), Livia (similar meaning — Hebrew for “lioness”), or even Zemer (same gematria value — the Hebrew letters’ numerical values add up to 247, just like in Ariella).

2. Honoring Locations
You might choose to honor where relatives are from by choosing a name from a certain Jewish language. For example, if your family is from Spain, you might choose a Ladino name. If your family is from Iraq, you might choose an Arabic name. If your family is from Central or Eastern Europe, you might choose a Yiddish name. You can find a list of Jewish languages from various countries here.

3. Harmonizing with an English Name
Another approach is to choose a Jewish name that corresponds to one’s English name, finding harmony between the two languages. For example, someone named Amanda could choose the Jewish name Allegra (Ladino for “happiness”) because it starts and ends with the same letters — or, they could choose the Jewish name Yakira (Hebrew for “loved”) because it has the same meaning as Amanda.

4. Uplifting a Trait or Value
Perhaps you have a wish for yourself or your child, or there’s a trait you’ve observed in yourself or your child. For example, Eitan means “strong” or “enduring” and is a natural counterpart to the English name Ethan. Zelda means “happiness” in Yiddish and is a name easily recognized by English-speakers. You could seek out names that are loving, uplifting, resilient, related to blessings, or something else — whatever highlights your values.

5. Celebrating Holidays or Torah Portions Near Birth
Perhaps you can find inspiration in a holiday or Torah reading that happened near the time of birth. Some holiday-related names include Leor (Hebrew for “my light” — for Chanukah) and Nissan (the Jewish month in which Passover occurs — for Passover). Some Torah-related examples are Keturah (from the Torah portion Chayei Sarah) and Asher (from the Torah portion Vayetzei). 

6. Connecting to Nature
We have a lot of nature-lovers in our Judaism Your Way community. If you’re a nature-lover, check out Kveller’s articles with names themed around winter, spring, summer, and autumn! Some people choose names based on season of birth. Others choose names related to things they appreciate in nature, like flowers, water, or trees.

7. Recognizing Infertility Struggles
For families naming babies who arrive after infertility struggles, there are various options. You could choose a name related to rainbows in honor of a rainbow baby; name options include Keshet (Hebrew for “rainbow”) and Noach (the main biblical figure of the Torah portion containing the rainbow). Alternatively, you could choose a name related to renewal and spring or resilience. We’ve also had families choose a name in honor of themes that came up throughout their process of welcoming babies after infertility. For example, one family named their son Sheleg (Hebrew for “snow”) because their fertility journey took positive turns on days when it snowed; another family named their child Zachariah (from the Hebrew root that means “remember”) because they felt like ​​God remembered them after 12 years of not conceiving.

8. Playing with Gematria (Numerical Values of Hebrew Letters)
You might consider finding a name based on a significant number, such as time of birth. For example, if someone was born at 1:09, the name Ditzah (Hebrew for “joy”) would fit because its letters add up to 109. The book Your Name Is Your Blessing: Hebrew Names and Their Mystical Meanings contains hundreds of names and the biblical words, phrases, and blessings associated with their numerical values.

Creating a Full Jewish Name

A person’s full Jewish name incorporates choices around gendered language and names of ancestors. Ancestors can be parents, respected loved ones, or biblical figures. Ancestor names can be Jewish or secular. We’ve created templates so you can choose what fits best for you:

Gender-Neutral Hebrew Language
First Name(s) + mibeit (“from the house of”) + Ancestor Name(s) 
Ex: Noy Zahav mibeit Naomi v’Rut

Feminine Hebrew Language
First Name(s) + bat (“daughter of”) + Ancestor Name(s)
Ex: Avivah bat Avraham v’Sarah

Masculine Hebrew Language
First Name(s) + ben (“son of”) + Ancestor Name(s)
Ex: Shir Leor ben Sabrina v’Shmuel v’Gil

Nonbinary Hebrew Language
First Name(s) + bet (“nonbinary child of”) + Ancestor Name(s)
Ex: Tzuf bet Chayah

Making it Meaningful

Remember, this naming journey is an opportunity to create a thoughtful experience of connection and meaning-making. We encourage you to explore different customs, consult with loved ones, and ask us questions as you seek the name that most resonates with your unique story and values.