Еврейские имена: история, традиции и происхождение

Names used by Jews and of Jewish origin

Jewish names, specifically one's given name, have varied over time and by location and ethnic group. Other types of names used by Jewish people include the surname and the religious name known as the Hebrew name.

Given names, also known as "first names," have a range of customs within different Jewish ethnic groups. Common given names, however, remain similar in many parts of the Jewish community, with many of them based on figures in the Hebrew Bible or honoring relatives. These are distinguished from the Hebrew name, which retained the original formulation of Jewish names.

Sephardim have often named newborn children in honor of their living grandparents. This practice typically uses these names in a specific order: the father's father, the father's mother, the mother's father, the mother's mother.

In stark contrast to Sephardi customs, Ashkenazim have a longstanding superstition about naming a child after a living person. Instead, only a deceased relative's name may be used. According to this superstition, naming a child after a living person could appear as though you are waiting for that person to die. This practice is rooted in Jewish custom and has no standing in Jewish law. While not many Jewish people necessarily believe in the superstition per se, the lack of precedence makes practices such as a (living) father naming his son after himself an unusual occurrence for Ashkenazim.

While many surnames are associated with Jewish people in the United States, there are only three surnames rooted in ancient Jewish culture: Kohen (or Cohen), Levy, and Israel. These names originate with the Israelite tribes which bear the same name. Variations on these names are common and most often reflect different ways of transliterating the Hebrew version.