How To Give a Hebrew Name

Often parents choose Hebrew names that start with the same letter as the secular name. For instance, Blake's Hebrew name might be Boaz and Lindsey's might be Leah.

Sometimes the secular name is an interpretation of the Hebrew name, like Jonah for Yonah and Eva for Chava. Similarly, the names might share meaning, like Justin and Daniel.

And sometimes the English and Hebrew names are not connected in any way. Lisa's Hebrew name might be Sara.

The two main sources for Hebrew names for today's Jewish babies are older Biblical names and modern Israeli names.