So I have a little bit of a dilemma. I’m Jewish and I’m very close to my culture and religion, and because of that I’ve thought for the last year that I’d only use Hebrew names for my kids (first names). But I’m having some doubt. Sticking to the tradition is important and making an identity for my children is also important. What do I do? There are are few non Hebrew first names that I just can’t get over. And I’m not sure if there’s a way I could do both or be comfortable with a decision. Help!
This situation hits close to home for me. As a Catholic, using a biblical name was important to both my parents and grandparents for a very long time. However, when my parents started to look at names, they discovered one that they loved but that was not from the Bible. After long deliberation, they used it, and haven’t looked back! I think there are many ways to honor your faith and culture, even if you end up using a name from outside of it, and I believe your kids will be able to form strong ties with their religion either way. A few approaches:
- [name_f]Non[/name_f]-Hebrew first, Hebrew middle or nickname
- [name_f]Virtue[/name_f] name with a meaning that describes one of the core values of Judaism
- Name of a prominent Jewish person from history or current events whom you admire
- Sometimes, the best thing is to find something fresh: Peruse lists of Hebrew names that you might have overlooked in the past or that are more your taste now than previously.
I hope this was helpful.
Thank you for taking the time to write this. Very helpful!
I think using a Hebrew name is a great way for your children to have a connection to their faith and culture, but it doesn’t have to be a must. If there are non-Hebrew names that you like better than some of the Hebrew names on your list, I would use them. And even if you use your favorite Hebrew name for a first child, you can still use non-Hebrew names for any consecutive children.
I know someone with a very Western name, but she has a separate Muslim name she adopted after converting to Islam. You could do something similar with your children if you want to use a non-Hebrew name but still retain that connection to your faith.
Lots of Jewish people have given names that aren’t Hebrew. Looking at my relatives, there’s [name_m]Dudley[/name_m], [name_f]Frieda[/name_f], [name_f]Kate[/name_f], [name_m]Kenneth[/name_m], [name_f]Roberta[/name_f], [name_f]Eileen[/name_f], [name_m]Martin[/name_m], [name_m]Harold[/name_m], [name_f]Emily[/name_f], [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], [name_m]Bruce[/name_m]…I honestly don’t think it’s a big deal, unless you live in a very Orthodox community where other people will make it a big deal or something.
I love Liel or [name_m]Liev[/name_m] fir a boy and [name_f]Neve[/name_f] for a girl.
I think you could do Hebrew Middle names or maybe two middle names and have one of them be Hebrew as an honor to your faith. [name_m]Just[/name_m] a suggestion. I dont know what is the right thing to do as I am not religious but I love your name list - it’s so unique!
Thank you 
I think choosing a name that means a lot to you, even if it isn’t Hebrew, would work. Also, you could go with a Hebrew name that has a close Anglicized version you like.
My kids are [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] and [name_f]Jemima[/name_f] - I’m Jewish, my husband is [name_m]Christian[/name_m]. Neither of us are particularly religious. My great-grandparents were Orthodox, and gave their children Hebrew or Yiddish first names. Over time, they adopted Anglicized versions of those. My great-aunt was either [name_f]Basha[/name_f] or Pessi (we have to different documents referring to the same person, different names). She ended up as [name_f]Bess[/name_f]. Alkasura (my grandmother) became [name_f]Alice[/name_f]. [name_m]Abraham[/name_m] became [name_m]Al[/name_m]. [name_f]Leah[/name_f] became [name_u]Lee[/name_u]. [name_f]Hannah[/name_f] became [name_f]Anne[/name_f]. My great-grandmother went from [name_f]Devorah[/name_f] to [name_f]Dora[/name_f], while my great-grandfather went from [name_m]Chaim[/name_m] to [name_m]Hyman[/name_m].
Does that help any?
[name_f]Susan[/name_f]