Baby names questions for jews

[ohgillian]

1) If we give this LO a name that is already a hebrew name (e.g., Leah), is that automatically her hebrew name too, or do we still have to make that decision?

2) I only gave DS one hebrew name b/c I only have one. Was that an oversight? Was he supposed to have 2? It's too late to give him another, but what I'm really asking is whether it's okay to just give DD one hebrew name? (This is unrelated to question 1.)

Thanks.

[nancybotwin]

1.) You don't have to. My BIL's name is David Adam but his Hebrew name is David Avraham. We gave DD a name that her Hebrew and English name would be the same.

2.) Someone can have just one. They will be ben/bat [your hebrew name and their other parent's Hebrew name]

[bronxgirl]

1) you can pick her name and it can be anything you like. Personally I like the names to mtach if possible, but that's just personal preference. I know many people who give a Hebrew name that sounds nothing like the English name
2) 2 names vs 1 name is the same as it is in English, i.e. giving a first name and middle name vs. just a first name. Again, there are no rules. You can do whatever you like. The full Hebrew name is the child's name that you picked ben/ bat (son or daughter of) the parents' Hebrew names hah levi/ cohain/ yisroel, depending if the father is Cohen(decendent of Aaron) Levi (descendent of Moses) or Yisroel (everyone else.

[imimahoney]

1. Nope. You can pick whatever Hebrew name you want. LO's name is Ari but his Hebrew name Reuven Eitan.

2. There is no need for two. It is customary in some families though. We did two because we were honoring two different people.

[marclovesme]

We gave DD two Hebrew names because we honored two different relatives; we did this with her first name too, as a combo of their names. We came up with her Hebrew name by using one of their Hebrew names and the Hebrew version of the other.

I chose my Hebrew name, and I chose only one (I used a relative's name). Most people I know give their children two names, though it seems those in my generation only have one, but this is probably just my group of friends.

If we have another child, we will probably give two Hebrew names since we did this with our first.

[dragonfly08]

My first name is the same as one of the matriarchs, and that is not my Hebrew name. My parents chose to give me my great grandmother's Hebrew name, rather than the direct translation of my English name. You can do whichever you prefer.

Having only one Hebrew name is fine. I have two, as do my girls, but I grew up with friends who (as far as I know) had only one. Again, your choice.

[ohgillian]

Thanks, all. Very helpful. I feel a little bit bad that I only gave DS one; it seems like 2 is the norm. But seeing as I only have one and DS has one, I think we'll do one for DD too. Thanks again.

[jenn248]

If it makes you feel any better, all of my relatives and most of DH's only have one Hebrew name. DH couldn't even tell me what his is (he had to ask his mother at dinner last week).

[hocus]

Typically when you have a "primary" name that also works in Hebrew you don't bother with a second name. So Sarah, Jacob, etc works in both languages. You certainly can have a second name if you want, it just isn't needed.

One name is fine for Hebrew and for English.

[Deleted]

I only have one Hebrew name.