Hima is a Hebrew name. Jewish female names

It is customary to call Jewish names those that originate in Jewish sources and languages \u200b\u200b- Hebrew, Yiddish and others. Most names are based on various interpretations Bible. However, since the time when the Talmud and the Bible did not yet play the important role that they have acquired today, the borrowing of names has been common among the Jews. So there were names formed from the words of the Hebrew language - Menuch, Nechama, Meir. From the Babylonians came the name Mordechai, from the Chaldeans - Atlai and Bebai.

During the time of Greek domination, they became common Greek names. The most popular then was the name Alexander, later transformed into Sender. The tradition of borrowing names has been preserved to this day. Jews living in different countries often take as a second name names that are characteristic of the area and are consonant with the main name. For example, Georgian Jews can take the following names: Yitzhak - Heraclius, Geshron - Guram. Central Asian Jews use Tajik or Hebrew names with the addition of a Tajik derivational component to them. This is how names are formed that you will not find anywhere else - Rubensivi, Bovojon, Estermo.

In the Jewish tradition, it is customary to give a man a ruf nomen at birth - the name that is called in the synagogue, commemorated in prayers. Ruf nomen is usually a name from the Hebrew Bible or Talmud. It is used most often in religious ceremonies, and in other cases, Jews are called by the name of their mother. Because of this, among the Jews there are so many surnames derived from female names.

Children are often named after older relatives. This is done in accordance with the idea of the Book of Life, in which all people fit. Such a tradition leads to the fact that a small number of names in the family are passed down from generation to generation. In different areas of Judaism, there may be different ideas about which relatives - living or dead - can be named after a child. But in any case, Jews believe that a child named after a famous representative of his family will pass on his qualities, and the baby will be under his protection.

In addition to the main name - ruf nomen - it is customary for Jews to give the child a second, secular name. Previously, it was given according to consonance, according to meaning, or based on the blessing of Jacob. Today , however , a simple whim of parents is becoming increasingly important . Most of second names borrowed from other languages. For example, Chaim-Vital means "life" in Hebrew and Latin. The name Chaim has a separate history. Once this name was given to the sick for magical purposes, in order to deceive the Angel of Death.

Most actively borrowed female names. This is explained by the fact that there are not so many female names in the Bible, in addition, women did not take part in religious ceremonies, and therefore double names were not necessary for them, although they did occur. So in Yiddish, female names appeared, taken from other languages, Liebe - "beloved", Golde - "gold", Husni - "beautiful". Also among the Jews, Slavic female names were common - Zlata, Dobra, Charna.

The second name was used as an everyday name and was taken, as already noted, from the language of the surrounding people. Often such names were translated into Hebrew, or, conversely, adapted to the local language. It turned out that the same name in different countries sounded different. For example, English name Grace in Germany turned into Kressl, and Katharina became Traine for Jews living in Austria, and Treintje for those living in Holland.

The emergence of foreign names is due to bilingualism. So the Jews living in Greece could replace their name with an "equivalent" Greek one. For example, Toby, meaning "the best", became Ariston, and Matitya, "God's gift", became Theodore. In Muslim countries, traditionally Muslim names were used as second names - Abdallah, Gassan, Temin and others.

Some names have a close semantic connection. These are the names and nicknames that Patriarch Jacob gave to his children, blessing them. The most common example is the names Leib and Yehuda, who received their connection thanks to the words of Jacob "Young lion Yehuda." These names can replace each other in different situations. Often the same interchangeability is acquired by names that have the same translation from Yiddish and Hebrew, for example, Zeev-Wolf (both “wolf”), Dov and Ber (meaning “bear”).

There is also a small group of names derived from traditional Jewish holidays, such as Pesach.

Over time, new names appeared. They were either translated from Yiddish and Ladino or simply invented. The latter include Ilan, meaning "tree" and Oz, meaning "strength". Also, children began to be given pagan Semitic names or unusual biblical names not used by religious Jews.

Some names were formed thanks to beliefs. For example, the name Alter or Olter literally means "old man". Once upon a time, any baby was called that during his first month of life to protect him from dangers from evil spirits. Gradually, this allegory turned into a common name, but it is always accompanied by a second one.

List of Jewish names

If the Orthodox used to look into the Saints to choose a name for a newborn, then the Jews always chose in three ways:

Focusing on older relatives.
In honor of your favorite biblical heroes.
Stopping at the Hebrew righteous.

Kabbalah teaches that the letters in the name are a connection with spiritual forces, so in practice there are cases when seriously ill people are called double names, adding Chaim (life). In the books of Sholom Aleichem and Isaac Babel, such options are quite common. Sometimes used and next - translation. For example, Zeev - Wolf.

The list of names will include only Hebrew (or Yiddish), although since 1917 any names are allowed in Russia. Everywhere Barukhs and Berls turned into Boriss, and Leibs into Lviv. In other countries (Palestine) there were reverse processes, which were strictly monitored by the state. The naming of boys occurs during circumcision - on the eighth day from birth. Consider the most common Jewish male names.

Alphabetical list (from A to M) with translation

Aaron -"mountain", brother of Moses, high priest.
Abraham - considered the forefather ("father of peoples"). Allowed option - Abram.
Adam -"earth", in honor of the first person on Earth.
Baruch -"blessed", assistant to the prophet.
Gad - "good luck" son of Jacob.
Gershom- "foreigner", the son of Moses.
David- "beloved", from him came the family of Jewish kings.
Dov - " bear", the personification of strength and dexterity.
Zerah- "radiance", the son of Judah.
Israzl- "fighting with God", acceptable options: Israel, Israel.
Yitzhak -"preparing to laugh," the son of Abraham, whom he was preparing to sacrifice. Options - Itzik, Isaac.

The list of Jewish male names includes the most common ones, without borrowings.

Yehoshua- "God is salvation," a disciple of Moses, conquered the land of Israel.
Yosef (Joseph)- "God", the son of Jacob, sold into slavery in Egypt.
Jonathan -"given by God" , friend of David.
Kalev- "heart", a scout sent to the land of Israel.
Leib- "lion", is a symbol of Yehuda.
Menachem- "comforter", the Jewish king.
Michael- "like God", the messenger of God, called to protect the Jewish people.
Moshe- "saved from the water", the greatest prophet. Options - Moishe, Moses.

Second part of the alphabet

Nachum- "comforted", a small prophet. Option - Nakhim.
Nahshon- "soothsayer", Aaron's son-in-law, the first to enter the Red Sea.
noah- "calm", the righteous who escaped the flood.
Ovadia- "God's servant", a small prophet. Options - Ovadia, Obadiah.
Pesach- "missed", the name of Easter.
Pinchas- "serpent's mouth", the grandson of Aaron, who averted God's wrath from the Israelites.
Rafael -"healed of God", angel of healing.
Tanhum- "consolation", sage of the Talmud.
Uriel- "my light is God", the name of an angel.
Fievel- "breastfed" in Yiddish. Options - Fayvish, Feivel, Feishiv, Feyvish.

The list of Jewish male names with the last letters of the alphabet is the most significant, so we should dwell on the most important ones.

hagai- "celebrating", a small prophet, the grandson of Jacob. Option - hagi.
Hanan- “pardoned”, the tribe of Benjamin began with him.
Hanoch- "sanctified", the son of Cain.
Zadok- "righteous", who pacified the rebellion against David.
Zion- "superiority", used as a synonym for Jerusalem.
Cephania- "hidden by God", a small prophet.
Shalom- "peace", the king of Israel. Shimon- “heard by God”, the son of Jacob. Option - Simon.
Shmuel- "the name of God", the prophet.
Ephraim- “fruitful”, grandson of Jacob.
Yaakov -"overtaking", forefather. Options - Jacob, Yakov, Yankee, Yankel.

Borrowed names

Are there borrowed Hebrew male names? The list can be replenished with those that appeared in everyday life, while the Talmud did not play an important role. By naming children after relatives, the Jews contribute to their spread. The names come from the Hebrew language: Meir, Menuha, Nechama. The Babylonians brought Mordecai, Chaldeans - Atlaia and Bebay. Greek rule gave the Jews a name Alexander(option - C ender). Georgian Jews have: Irakli, Guram; at Tajik - Bovojon, Rubensivi, Estermo.

Their feature is small distribution area. There are names that appeared because of beliefs. So, the name Alter (“old man”) was called all newborns, but after a month it was changed. It was believed that it protects from evil spirits.

Jewish surnames

The list of Jewish male names is very important, because before the beginning of the 19th century they did not have surnames (they appeared in the Austrian Empire at the end of the 18th century). How were they created?

On behalf of the father or biblical characters: Benjamin, Israel, David, Abram.
From female names: Rivman(Riva's husband) Tsivyan(name Tsivya), Mirkin(Mirka).
From the appearance or character of the owner: Schwartz("the black"), Weisbard("white-bearded").
From profession: Rabinovich("rabbi"), Dayan("judge").
From geographical names: Lifshitz("Silesian city"), Gurevich(Czech town).
From any things that meet in life. They are called decorative: Bernstein("amber"), Yaglom("diamond").

As we have seen, the origin of surnames is Jewish male names, a list of which is presented in the text.

The Torah often compares the Jews to the stars (Genesis 15:5). Just as the stars shine in the darkness of the night, so the Jews must bring the light of the Torah into the dark world; just as the stars show the way to wanderers, so the Jews are called to show the way of morality and morality. And just as the stars keep the secrets of the future, so the future of mankind depends on the actions of the Jewish people, the approach of final liberation.

The choice of a Jewish name is very responsible - the name affects the fate of a person. What advice does the tradition give for choosing a name?

Meaning of the name

Choosing a name for a Jewish child great value. Our sages say that the name reflects the essence of a person, his character and destiny. The Talmud says that at the moment when parents name a newborn, their souls are visited by a prophecy, a heavenly spark. But even though the Almighty Himself gives us a hint, many couples find it difficult to decide on the choice of a name for the baby.

How to choose the right name? Why don't Jews name their sons after their father? Is it possible to name a boy after his grandmother or announce his name before Brit Milah (circumcision)?

Jewish customs

The name contains not only the future, but also the past. Ashkenazim traditionally give a name in honor of a deceased relative. It is believed that a certain metaphysical connection is formed between his soul and the soul of a newborn. The good deeds of the namesake elevate the soul of the deceased, and good qualities the ancestor is protected and inspired by the new owner of the name [another explanation: there is hope that the child will show all the good qualities of the relative after whom he is named].

What if you want to name a child in honor of a deceased relative, but someone from the now living relatives already bears this name? The answer depends on the child's degree of relationship to a potential living namesake. If this close relative(one of the parents, siblings or grandparents), it is better to find another name. If the relative is distant, then everything is in order.

There is also a custom to name children in honor of the great rabbis and sages of the Torah, as, for example, Yisrael-Meir - in honor of Chofetz Chaim ...

Sometimes the name is chosen according to the holiday during which the child was born. For example, if a boy was born on Purim, he is called Mordechai, and a girl is Esther. A girl born on Shavuot can be called Ruth, and children born on the Ninth of Av can be called Menachem or Nechama.

It is also customary to give names that appear in the Torah section of the week in which the child's birthday falls.

As a rule, boys are given a name when they are circumcised on the eighth day, and girls are given a name on the first Shabbat after birth, when they take out a Torah scroll in the synagogue [read the material on the website about Reading the Torah].

Hidden meaning

In the holy language, a name is not just a set of letters, it reveals the essence of its owner.

Midrash ( Genesis Rabbah 17:4) tells that the first man, Adam, gave names to all living beings in accordance with their essence and purpose. The purpose of the donkey, for example, is to carry a heavy material load. Donkey in Hebrew "hamor". This word has the same root as the word "homer"- "matter", "substance".

The same principle applies to human names. Leah [wife of forefather Jacob. Note ed..] named her fourth son Yehuda. This name is from the root meaning "gratitude", and if you rearrange the letters in it, you get holy name Almighty. So Leah wanted to express her special gratitude to Him ( Bereshit 29:35).

Esther, the name of the heroine of Purim, is derived from the root meaning "concealment". Esther was known for her beauty, but her hidden inner beauty outnumbered the outside.

One more example - popular name Ari, Hebrew for "lion". In Jewish literature, the lion is compared to a self-confident, purposeful person who pounces on every opportunity to fulfill the commandment.

There are, of course, bad names. You probably don't want to name your son Nimrod, because it is from a root meaning "rebellion". King Nimrod rebelled against the Almighty by throwing our forefather Abraham into a burning furnace.

If you want to name a boy after a woman, try to keep the maximum number of letters the same. For example, Brach can be replaced by Baruch, and Dinah by Dan.

Some more useful rules

For many of us who want to change our name to a Jewish one, an additional question arises - how to “link” our non-Jewish name with a Jewish one?

Some translate their name into Hebrew verbatim - for example, "Mila" is "Naomi" in Hebrew.

Some choose a Hebrew name by consonance: Anatoly - Nathan, Yuri - Uri, Victor - Avigdor, etc.

In any case, the choice of a name is a very responsible step, the name of a person influences his fate and qualities of character, and we advise you to contact your local rabbi with this question ...

If the family lives outside Israel, try to give the child a traditional Jewish name that also sounds familiar in the language of this country. For example, Jacob or Dina in Russia, David or Sarah in English-speaking countries. You should not give one, "Jewish", name "for the synagogue", and the other - by which the child will actually be called. Real Jewish name - good remedy against assimilation.

Midrash (Bemidbar Rabbah 20:21) says that the Jews were miraculously freed from Egyptian slavery, in part because they did not adopt Egyptian customs, but continued to give their children Jewish names.

Many parents are reluctant to name a child after a relative who died young or unnaturally, fearing that misfortune might "pass" to the new owner of the name. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein gives several recommendations on this matter.

If a person died young, but by natural death, and left behind children, then this is not considered bad sign, and the child can be named after him. Prophet Shmuel and King Shlomo died at the age of 52, and their names have always been and remain popular among our people, i.e. it is no longer considered that a person died young.

If a person died from unnatural causes, then Rabbi Feinstein recommends changing the name a little. For example, Jews name their sons Yeshaya after the prophet Yeshayahu, who was killed.

Rabbi Yakov Kamenetsky believes that the transition from "youth" to "old age" takes place at the age of 60. The Talmud (Moed Katan 28a) tells that when Rabbi Yosef was 60 years old, he held a celebration on the occasion of the beginning of longevity.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not forbidden to announce the name of a newborn before circumcision, although many do not. AT fully, however, the boy only receives a soul during the Brit Milah, and therefore, in a metaphysical sense, does not have a name until that moment. This is deduced from the fact that the Almighty gave a new name to our forefather Abraham after Brit Milah, when he was 99 years old ( Zohar - Leh-Leha 93a, Taamei Minhagim 929).

Names all the stars...

During circumcision "aGomel" read before those invited to the ceremony. If a girl is born, then a special minyan of men is collected in the house, or the mother visits the synagogue on the day when the husband names the girl over the scroll. The women present in the women's part of the hall respond to her blessing.

Reply to "aGomel" So:

"Amen. Whoever rewarded you with good will continue to reward you with good!”

The Hebrew text is given in the siddur - a collection of Jewish prayers (see "Reading the Torah").

If you are a practicing Jew or want to highlight your Jewish roots, what name would you choose for your son or daughter? Undoubtedly, I want it to be sonorous, and for a girl - melodic. So that it is easily pronounced and normally perceived in the area where you live, so that the child does not subsequently feel like a “black sheep”. And at the same time, you probably want your children to have original Jewish names, with a special meaning that gives them some qualities. So this article is meant to help you. Below we will talk about how the names of the Jews arose, reveal their meaning, and also touch on the issue of surnames.

Ancient borrowings

Now, in order to emphasize national and religious affiliation, Jews choose names for their children from the Old Testament or the Talmud. But in ancient times, these holy books did not play such a huge role in naming babies. Therefore, the borrowing of names was widespread. They were chosen for reasons of euphony or because of an interesting etymology. In the first case, such words migrated to the list of Jewish names intact. Alexander is an example of this. This name gained popularity in the Hellenistic period. Among the Sephardim, it gradually transformed into a more consonant word - "Sender". The name Mordechai came from the Babylonian captivity, and the Chaldeans added to the vocabulary of the Jews such anthroponyms as Bebai and Atlai. Hebrew-sounding names such as Meir (radiating light), Nechama (comforted by God) and Menuha were no less popular.

Borrowings in the time of the great dispersion

Both Sephardim and Ashkenazim, living side by side with their non-Jewish neighbors, used their names to name their children. However, it is no longer the same as in ancient times. It was not a simple borrowing. The meaning of the name was translated into Yiddish or Hebrew. This was especially true for girls. Jewish female names from such borrowing were replenished with Golda (from the Slavic Zlata), Libe - (Love) and Husni (beautiful). Along with this, the girls were called without translation into Yiddish or Hebrew: Charny, Kind. Unlike women's names, men's names had a double sound. That is, they were not translated from the local language into Hebrew, but vice versa. So, the Greek Jews called their sons Aristons, which corresponds to Toby (the best), Theodors - Matitya (God's gift). Names in Central Asia experienced a particularly interesting metamorphosis. They remained Jewish, but a Tajik derivational component was added to them. This is how Estermo, Bovojon, Rubensivi and others appeared.

In Jewish tradition, it is customary to give a boy a “ruf nomen” at the birth of a boy. This is his name before God. It is he who says the rabbi, calling the believer in the synagogue to read the Torah. This name is also mentioned in prayers. It is clear that for cult ceremonies the ruf nomen is chosen from the Holy Books. However, in everyday life the boy may be called differently. And here parents are given complete freedom of action. In order for the child not to become a victim of ridicule and manifestations of anti-Semitism, the boy was often given a name characteristic of the area where the family lived. Sometimes it corresponded to the ruf nomen. For example, Leib-Lev. But sometimes Christian and Jewish male names were connected only by the initial letter. There are many examples. In Georgia, this is Yitzhak-Irakli or Gershon-Guram. Sephardim in North Africa as the second, "household", choose Muslim names - Ghassan, Abdullah.

All parents of the world, regardless of nationality and religion, want their daughter to grow up to be an unsurpassed beauty. That is why for the girl they always chose a name either with a gentle melody, or with a meaning that “encodes” its bearer for the acquisition of certain qualities. Women did not participate in Jewish religious ceremonies, and therefore they were not given a ruf nomen. And therefore, parents were free to choose any names. Including from the dictionary of neighboring peoples. Pious Jews, especially rabbis, gave their daughters Hebrew names from the Bible. There aren't many of them. These are Miriam, Bat-Sheva, Judith and others. But much more popular are Roses, Rebecca (Queens), Gitas (good) and Giles (joyful). As already mentioned, female names were often borrowed. Among the Sephardim, Leyla (black-haired), Yasmin are not uncommon, among the Ashkenazi - Grace, Isabella, Katharina.

Purely Jewish Tradition

Christians had a tradition of naming a child by the name of godfather or godmother. The Jews, on the other hand, believe in the Book of Life, where God enters all people. To emphasize belonging to the “knee”, genus, babies were often named after their ancestors. The branches of Judaism interpret this tradition in different ways. Some believe that it is necessary to give the child the Jewish names of the now living grandparents. Others believe that it is better to give the child under the protection of an ancestor who has already died, but glorified his kind. Say, so his qualities will pass to the baby. One way or another, but this tradition has led to the fact that the number of Jewish names used in everyday life has been reduced to a couple of dozen.

Jewish superstitions

In ancient times, when someone fell ill, he was temporarily called Chaim. This was done in order to deceive the Angel of Death. Sometimes the magic worked. And the baby, who was born stunted, sickly, began to be called Chaim. After all, the meaning of this name is “Life”. Even later, during the great dispersion, for greater fidelity, such weak boys began to be called "Chaim-Vital." The second name also means "life", but in Latin. From the same motives, weak children were given such Jewish names as Alter (old), Dov (bear) or Leib (lion). There is evidence that earlier every baby was called with a similar nickname in the first month of his life. But gradually, such a life-affirming meaning of Jewish names began to be assigned to a person for life. Especially successful, according to the Jews, was to be born on a holiday. In this regard, the name Pesach (male) and female Liora (light for me) appeared - for girls born on Hanukkah.

Surnames

For a long time, Jews added to their names only the name of the locality or city where they were born. So, by the way, did Christians of simple origin. But, since the Ashkenazim had a custom to name children in honor of their parents or grandfathers, and in tsarist Russia there was a Pale of Settlement, Jewish names and surnames that had a “geographical” origin began to get confused. To clarify among the numerous Moses from Berdichev and Abramov from Mogilev, they began to call people by their father. In Russia, the Slavic endings of surnames were added: -ov, -in, -ev. Moiseenko, Abramovich and the like appeared in Ukraine. According to this principle, the anthroponyms Davidzon, Itzhakpur, Gabriel-zade and Ibn-Chaim were formed. But even these Jewish names and surnames were often repeated. Then they began to call people by profession. They were simply translated into Yiddish. So the names Schumacher (shoemaker), Schneider (tailor) and Bayer (miller) arose.