Hebrew Baby Names

Hebrew Names

Hebrew names started to compete with names from other languages early on in Jewish history. As far back as the Talmudic period, 200 B.C.E. to 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.

For more information see
Why Give Your Baby a Hebrew Name

Simchat bat

While brit milah is performed for newborn boys, there is no corresponding formal birth ceremony for baby girls. Traditionally, newborn girls have been given their Jewish names in a simple naming ceremony in the synagogue. To many people, the disparity between the elaborate birth rite for boys and the brief naming rite for girls seems unequal in this day and age, to say the least.
In response, many new birth ceremonies for infant girls have been introduced in recent years. Because it is not yet part of the liturgy, there are no standard, agreed upon elements for the ceremony. Indeed, even the name of the ceremony is undecided—simchat bat ("the rejoicing of the daughter"), brit habat ("covenant of the daughter") and brit kedusha ("the covenant of holiness") are all routinely used.
Simchat bat is often celebrated on the eighth day of life, as for a brit. However, many parents choose to wait several weeks to a month after birth before performing the ceremony.