Saturday, April 24, 2010

Whats a good name for a jewish baby boy?

HE'S DUE ON SEPTEMBER 29 AND WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD NAME FOR HIM, PLEASE HELP ME----

Whats a good name for a jewish baby boy?
I'll go ahead and list my favorites since you didn't mention any ceratin style.





Aaron


Abraham


Adam


Adon


Asher


Azariah


Benjamin


Brighton


Caleb


Daniel


David


Eli


Elijah


Gabriel


Ian


Isaac


Isaiah


Jacob


Jonah


Jonathan


Joshua


Judd


Jude


Malachi


Matthew


Phineas


Seth


Simon


Toby


Zachary


Zane
Reply:i really like Jason


its a common Jewish name and the people who i know that are named that are great guys
Reply:Bofiessiss
Reply:Mandel (like actor Mandy Patinkin). It means "Little man" in Jewish
Reply:Simon is pretty %26amp; masculine.


Barak means lightning.


Paz means goldern (and Peace in Spanish)


Asa means healer.


Amir, treetop
Reply:Arbatron X


EZEKIEL


SAUL


GAMALIEL
Reply:Jewish children are named for deceased relatives. Find out what the grandfathers and great-grandfathers names were. You can't go wrong with David, Samuel, Joshua or Jacob.
Reply:Ashkenazi Jews (from Eastern Europe) have a tradition to name a child with the Hebrew name of a deceased relative or person whom they'd like the child to emulate - like a distinguished scholar. For instance, if the grandfather was David for a boy or the grandmother was Ruth for a girl, those would be the Hebrew names you use. The English name can be something totally separate, though people tend to use a name with the same first name (i.e. Rochelle might be instead of Ruth). In Jewish customs, the child is called by the Hebrew name and his father's Hebrew name when called to the Torah (ex-David ben Mordechai is called to the Torah, "ben" meaning "son of"). When prayers are said for a sick person, they would call the person David ben Naomi, using the mother's Hebrew name. So it is important that a Jewish child be given a Jewish name.





Almost any name from the Five Books of Moses (Bible) would be good. Many of the top 20 boys' names are Biblical in origin: Michael, Samuel, Joshua. Of course, you wouldn't want to name a child for a not-so-goodnik, like Cain. Nimrod, though a popular modern Israeli name, was also not the most meritorious person. Many girls' names are Yiddish or represent nature: Tzipporah (Hebrew)/Fayga (Yiddish)=bird; Bluma=flower; Tamar=date tree.





It is considered not a good idea to name for a person who passed away young.
Reply:On the website, www.aish.com, somebody asked the Rabbi the same question as you. Here it is with his answer!


At the right time!


WHAT'S IN A NAME?


From: - anonymous@idt.net 1/27/2000








We are expecting a baby and are having trouble picking a name. What general guidelines are there in Jewish tradition? How come the name of the father is never given to the son - e.g. Isaac Levy III or Jacob Cohen Jr.? If it's a boy, can we name him after a female relative? Is there any prohibition against announcing the name before the Bris?





THE AISH RABBI REPLIES:





First I would like to wish you "Bisha'ah Tova" - may the birth go smoothly and at the right time!





The Talmud says that parents receive one-sixtieth of prophecy when they pick a name. But that doesn't seem to help parents from agonizing over which name to pick!





Ashkenazi Jews have the custom to choose a name after a relative who has passed away. This keeps the name and memory alive, and in a metaphysical way forms a bond between the soul of the baby and the deceased relative. This is a great honor to the deceased, because its soul can achieve an elevation based on the good deeds of the namesake. The child, meanwhile, can be inspired by the good qualities of the deceased - and make a deep connection to the past. (see Noam Elimelech - Bamidbar)





Sefardi Jews also name children after relatives who are still alive.





It is also customary to name a child based on the Jewish holiday coinciding with the birth. For example, a girl born at Purim time might be named Esther. Similarly, names are sometimes chosen from the Torah reading the week of the birth.





The Torah emphasizes how parents took great care in picking the names of their children. For example, Leah chose to call her fourth son Judah (in Hebrew, Yehudah). This name comes from the same root as the word "thanks." The letters can also be rearranged to spell out the holy Name of God. The significance is that Leah wanted to particularly express her "thanks to God." (Genesis 29:35)





In Hebrew, names are not merely convenient conglomerations of letters. Really, the name of something reveals its essential characteristic. The Midrash (Genesis Raba 17:4) tells us that the first man, Adam, looked into the essence of every animal and named it accordingly. The donkey, for example, is characterized by carrying heavy, physical burdens. So in Hebrew, the donkey is named CHAMOR - from the same root as CHOMER, which means physicality. The donkey (chamor) typifies physicality (chomer). Contrast this with English, where the word "donkey" doesn't reveal much about the essence of a donkey!





When naming a child, it is important to pick a name that will have a positive effect, since every time the child hears it they will be reminded of its meaning (Midrash Tanchuma - Ha'Azinu 7). The child who is called Judah is constantly reminded of how much gratitude we should have toward God! Another example of a popular name is "Ari," which is Hebrew for lion. In Jewish literature, the lion is a symbol of a go-getter, someone who sees the opportunity to do a mitzvah, and pounces on it. (see Shulchan Aruch OC 1)





Of course, there are bad names, too. You wouldn't want to name your child "Nimrod," since the very name means "rebellion." In Biblical times, when Abraham was teaching monotheism, Nimrod was the man who threw Abraham into a fiery furnace - out of rebellion against God.





You can name a baby boy after a female, however you should try to keep as many letters the same as possible. For example, if the woman's name was Dina, call the child Dan. If the woman's name was Bracha, name him Baruch.





I think it's a good idea to give your child a Hebrew name that can also be used in English - e.g. Miriam, David, Sarah. This way, your child not only has a Hebrew name, but he'll use it, too! This can be an important hedge against assimilation; the Midrash (Bamidbar Raba 20:21) says that the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt, partly in the merit of having kept their Jewish names amidst the assimilationist society of Egypt. As a child, I had one uncle who always called me by my Jewish name ("Shraga" means candle). I believe that being reminded of my Jewish name all those years was instrumental in maintaining my Jewish identity.





As for announcing name of a baby before the Bris, it is not forbidden to announce. However, in a metaphysical sense, the child does not actually "receive" his name until the Brit. This is because a Jewish boy only receives the full measure of his soul at the Bris, and a person cannot truly be "named" until attaining that completion. (see Zohar Lech Lecha 93a, Taamey Minhagim 929) This is based on the fact that God changed Abraham's name in conjunction with his Bris - at age 99! (Genesis 17:15)





To learn more, read "Bris Milah" by Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn (published by ArtScroll). Available from www.artscroll.com.





Bisha'ah Tova! And please let us know the baby's name!
Reply:Ahron (aron) My Fav


David


Aryeh


Elija


Caleb


Even (Evan)


Daniel


Micha
Reply:Isaiah or Isaac
Reply:Jason Seth
Reply:David, Seth, Bernard, Joseph, Abraham, Issac, Emmanual, Myron, Jerome
Reply:Simon Ethan
Reply:Joshua


David


Elijah


Jeremiah


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