Peter is a Jewish name. Russian language and Hebrew. Ivan is a Jew

It is customary to call Jewish names those that originate in Jewish sources and languages ​​- Hebrew, Yiddish and others. Most names are based on different interpretations Bible. However, from those times when the Talmud and the Bible did not yet play the important role that they have acquired today, the borrowing of names from Jews was common. This is how names appeared, formed from words in the Hebrew language - Menucha, Nechama, Meir. From the Babylonians came the name Mordechai, from the Chaldeans - Atlai and Bebai.

During Greek rule, Greek names became common. The name Alexander, which later became Sender, became most popular at that time. The tradition of borrowing names has continued to this day. Jews living in various countries, often as a second name they take names that are characteristic of a given area and are consonant with the main name. For example, Georgian Jews can take the following names: Isaac - Heraclius, Geshron - Guram. Central Asian Jews use Tajik names or Hebrew ones with the addition of a Tajik word-formation component. 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 ruf nomen at birth - the name with which he is called in the synagogue and remembered in prayers. Usually ruf nomen is 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. This is why among Jews there are so many surnames derived from women's names.

Children are often named after older relatives. This is done in accordance with the idea of ​​the Book of Life, into which all people fit. This tradition leads to the fact that a small number of names in a family are passed on from generation to generation. In different directions of Judaism there may be different ideas about which relatives - living or deceased - a child can be named after. But in any case, Jews believe that a child named after a famous representative of his family will inherit 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. However, today the simple whim of parents is becoming increasingly important. Most second names are borrowed from other languages. For example, Chaim-Vital means "life" in Hebrew and Latin. The name Chaim has a separate history. Once upon a time this name was given to the sick for magical purposes in order to deceive the Angel of Death.

Women's names were most actively borrowed. This is explained by the fact that there are not 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. This is how female names appeared in Yiddish, taken from other languages, Liebe - “beloved”, Golde - “gold”, Husni - “beautiful”. Slavic female names were also common among Jews - 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 sounded differently in different countries. For example, English name Grace in Germany became Kressl, and Katharina became Traine for Jews living in Austria, and Treintje for Jews living in Holland.

The emergence of foreign names is due to bilingualism. So Jews living in Greece could replace their name with an “equivalent” Greek one. For example, Tobi, meaning "best", became Ariston, and Matitya, "God's gift", became Theodore. In Muslim countries they were traditionally used as second Muslim names- Abdullah, Hassan, 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 Yehudah, which derive their connection from Jacob's words "The Young Lion Yehudah." Such names can replace each other in different situations. Often names that have the same translation from Yiddish and Hebrew acquire the same interchangeability, 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 Passover.

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 ones, not used by religious Jews.

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

List of Jewish names

November 2015

The author of this publication, Aryeh Olman, is a Doctor of Science in Biblical Hebrew, a linguist, a Hebraist, and a popularizer of Judaism among Russian-speaking Jews. Translates and edits Jewish classical texts, teaches Hebrew and Semitic philology.

IN THE BIBLE AGE
The Tanakh contains about 2.8 thousand personal names. Extrabiblical sources from the First Temple period (inscriptions on potsherds and seals) contain approximately 900 personal names, of which approximately 200 do not appear in the Bible.
The personal names of Jews mentioned in the Tanakh are, for the most part, both proper names, unlike most names in the modern world, which are perceived only as an index, an indication of an object. Biblical names can be divided into three groups.
1. Hebrew nouns (e.g. Barak “lightning” (m.), Devorah “bee” (f.)
2. Nouns of other languages ​​(e.g. Pinhas e.g. “negro” (m.), Miryam e.g. “beloved” (f.)
3. Hebrew sentences and phrases. Basically this is the so-called. theophoric names are names that include one of the names of God (for example, Eliezer “My God is help” (m.), Noadya “The Lord has made an appointment” (f.). But there are also non-theophoric names-phrases, for example. Ichabod “no glory” (m.), Benjamin “son of the south” (m.), Bat-Sheva “daughter of the oath” (f.).

IN THE SECOND TEMPLE AGE
The tradition of naming with biblical names continued after the return from the Babylonian exile, but names in the Akkadian language began to penetrate into the Jewish environment (for example, Zerubabel, Sheshbatzar, Mordechai, Esther), and in the Hellenistic era - in Greek (Alexander, Aristobulus, Hyrcanus / Gorkanos / and so on.). Noble families begin to be assigned family names - Bet Hashmonai “The Family of the Hasmoneans”, Bnei Tobiah “Descendants of Tobiah”, Bnei Betera “Descendants of Betera”, etc.
The widespread penetration of non-Jewish names into Jewish onomastics also occurs in the era of the Talmud. For example, Gitin's treatise notes that most Diaspora Jews have the same names as the pagans among whom they live.
However, even in Eretz Israel, foreign names are becoming widespread. Among them, Greek names are often found, for example, Antigonus, Avtalion, Tarfon Yarifon, etc.; Greco-Latin, for example, Julius; Greek analogues of Hebrew names, for example, Dostai/Dositheus (“God Gave”, translation of Hebrew Netanel and Jonathan); Aramaicized forms of Hebrew names, for example, Yose instead of Yosef, Yanai instead of Yonatan; Greekized forms of Hebrew names, such as Levitas; Semitic, for example, Nitai/Matai; and purely Aramaic ones, for example, Halafta.
Borrowed names were used alternatively with traditional ones (for example, a father who bore a Hebrew name, a son could have a Greek-Aramaic name, for example, Tana Dostai ben Yehuda, and vice versa, for example, another Tana Eliezer ben Gorkanos), and sometimes in parallel, for example, kings Yochanan Hyrcanus, Alexander Yanai and Queen Shlomtsion or Shlomit (Salome) Alexandra.
At this time, names begin to be used in an indexical meaning and are no longer perceived as proper. Thus, there is a secondary naming of people with the names of biblical characters. In aggadic literature there is an idea that a name determines a person’s destiny (Midrash Tanchuma, Gaazinu 7), and therefore teachers of the law strongly recommend naming children after positive biblical characters (Bereshit Rabbah 49:1).

IN TALMUDIC TIMES
The sages of the Jerusalem Talmud bear mostly modified Hebrew names: Yudan from Yehud, Lazar from Elazar. There are also Western Semitic ones: Simlai, Pedat. Sages of the Babylonian Talmud! They have mostly Aramaic names: Hisda, Guna, Negorai. In both Talmuds there are many names that are honorary nicknames: Aba/Ba, Abaye, Rabba, Rava, Ravina, Avin, Avun/Bun, etc., formed from the words av “father” and rav “teacher.”

IN THE MIDDLE AGES
At this time, Jews continued to use traditional names, but the tendency to borrow names from surrounding peoples continued. Hebrew names are often adapted to the phonetic structure of the language of the national majority. Thus, in Arabic-speaking countries, Abraham turns into Ibrahim, David into Daud; in the Greek environment, Yosef becomes Joseph, in the Latin West, Moshe turns into Moses, etc.
Sometimes this European version undergoes a reverse Jewish transformation, so Solomon came from Shlomo, and Zalman from this name. Often Jews have two names - a Jewish one and a non-Jewish one with a similar meaning, for example, El'azar-Mansur, Yefet-Hasan, Elyakim-Anastasios, Yechiel-Vivan, Chaim-Vital. Among female names of this period, the share of borrowings is much greater than among male ones.
Conversion to Judaism was almost always accompanied by a symbolic change of name; common names for converts were Abraham and Sarah. The defection was also accompanied by a name change. Baptized Jews usually took the name of a patron, godfather (especially among the Marranos), typically Christian names (Paul, Mary, Christian), or a name emphasizing devotion to the new faith (for example, Pablo de Santa Maria - Shlomo ha-Levi / about 1350-1435 /, before baptism - rabbi of the Burgos community; Jeronimo de Santa Fe - Yehoshua ha-Lorca /died around 1419/). Over time, Jews who converted to Christianity for the sake of appearances began to take personal typical Spanish names, but according to the tradition established in Spain, they retained the surname of their grandfather or grandmother, thus bequeathing to subsequent generations the memory of their Jewish ancestors.
In Eastern European countries, Jews often have names in Yiddish - Hirsh - "deer", Ber - "bear", Bluma - "flower". A significant group of Jewish names was borrowed in the Middle Ages from Romance languages: Chaim-Vital (“life” in Hebrew and Latin), Vita-Chaya (“living” in the same languages), Shprintsa - from Spanish. esperanza "hope"; Enta - from Italian. gentile “tender”, “sweet”, “pleasant”; Tulcea - from Italian. dolce “sweet” or Spanish. dulce with the same meaning, etc. - or from Greek: Kalman - from Kalonimos (“good name”).
Since the early Middle Ages, Jews in Eastern Europe had female Slavic names - Zlata, Dobra, Charna/Cherna, etc. As a rule, female names were borrowed more by Jews due to the fact that women were not called to the Torah and they did not require a strictly biblical name.
The name Chaim (“life”, fem. Chai, among the Sephardim Chai) was given for magical purposes to seriously ill people in order to deceive the Angel of Death. Sephardic communities also used tracing paper in Ladino Vital (fem. Vita) and even Bulgarian. Zhivko.
There is a small group of "calendar" names in honor of holidays: for example. Pesach, Pesya or Nissan (name of the month).
The desire to facilitate personal identification strengthened in the Middle Ages the tendency, already reflected in the Mishnah (Gitin 4:2), to add another name to a personal name. The most common method remained the traditional one, which existed back in the biblical era: the father’s name was added to the personal name using the word “son” (in Hebrew ben, in Arabic ibn, in French fis). Of particular importance is the Halakha listing all the names and titles of the husband, wife and their fathers in documents relating to marriage and divorce - Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Divorce Laws 3:13; Shulchan Aruch, Even ha-ezer 129:1.
Among the Karaites, it is customary to indicate the husband’s profession in the divorce document. It is increasingly common to attach to a personal name the name of the place of birth or residence (for example, Sa'adiyah al-Fayoumi, Isaac al-Fasi, de Leon, d'Alvo, Zamora, Toledano), which over time became a family name and was retained by the family and in new places of residence (for example, among exiles from Spain who settled in Turkey, the Netherlands, Eretz Israel and a number of other countries).
Another source of an additional name was a craft or occupation (doctor, shoemaker, tailor, etc.).

IN NEW TIMES
Emancipation was accompanied by the widespread adoption by Jews of personal and family names accepted in the surrounding society. The complete denial of emancipation in Nazi Germany was expressed, in particular, in the establishment of 185 male and 91 female names acceptable for German Jews (decree of August 17, 1938).
Jews whose names were not on this list were required to adopt an additional name until January 1, 1939: men - Israel, women - Sarah; these new names were registered and required to appear in official documents and business correspondence.
The adoption of non-Jewish names by Diaspora Jews contributed, along with migrations and ideological reasons, to the disappearance of onomastic unity even among close relatives. Thus, in the USA, Israel and other countries with a high concentration of Jewish immigrants, their descendants almost never have the personal and family names of not only their ancestors, but also those preserved by family members who remained in their homeland or emigrated to other places.
When the law prohibiting Jews from changing their personal names to non-Jewish ones was repealed in Russia after the 1917 Revolution, many Jews took “less typical” names (for example, changing Berl to Boris, Gersh to Gregory, Leib to Lev; some of these Orthodox names with over time began to prevail precisely in the Jewish environment). Other Jews who did not want to be “converted” took on “more international” English, German and French personal names.
Along with personal names, patronymics were often changed, added to names by Jews (mainly from enlightened circles) already in the 19th century; recording a patronymic in a passport has become mandatory since 1936 for all nations Soviet Union. In many cases, surnames were also changed (the law of 1850 prohibited changing surnames even in the case of baptism).
Trends towards onomastic assimilation in the 20th century. opposed to the renewed interest in native Jewish names that arose along with Zionism, the revival of the Hebrew language and the emergence of a new generation of Israelis brought up in it. In moderately religious and non-religious Israeli families since the end of the 19th century. biblical names are given - Itamar, Boaz, Eitan, Uri, Carmi, Avshalom, Tamar, etc.
In the 1940s names reflecting the hope for political independence are becoming widespread - Herut, Dror, Reudor, Amikam, Igael, Geula, etc.
With the emergence of Zionism, there were tendencies to give unusual biblical names that were not accepted among religious Jews: Nimrod (a wild hunter hostile to God), Reha'am (the apostate king in the Bible), etc. Pagan Semitic names are also given: for example. Anat (pagan goddess) New names were invented: Ilan (tree), Oz (strength), Nirit or Ora (feminine light), etc. Names were translated from Yiddish and Ladino - Yafa from Sheine (beautiful), Tikva from Esperanza and etc.
Simultaneously with the appearance of new Hebrew names, the use of traditional names in Israel, such as Avraham, Isaac, etc., decreased in Israel. The revival of interest in Hebrew personal names entailed the Hebrewization of foreign-language surnames or their replacement with Hebrew ones. Among those who in the first decades of the 20th century. changed his surname to Hebrew, there were E. Ben-Yehuda (Perelman), I. Ben-Zvi (Shimshelevich), D. Ben-Gurion (Green).
The trend towards adopting Hebrew surnames especially intensified with the emergence of the State of Israel. Thus, the heads of the Yishuv and parliamentary representatives (M. Shertok, Z. Rubashov, G. Meerson, etc.) change their surnames (respectively: Sharett, Shazar, Meir). Many ordinary citizens follow their example. In recent decades, however, there has been an increasing tendency to preserve traditional surnames as a sign of pride in one’s origin or belonging to a particular community.

Have you ever wondered what Tatyana, Valery, Irina, Sergey and dozens of other names used by their Russian-speaking speakers would sound like in Hebrew?

We present to your attention a “dictionary” compiled by our colleagues from the website of the Great Choral Synagogue of St. Petersburg () and from the magazine.

Often people looking for themselves Jewish name, they want it to be in tune with the existing non-Jewish. This table shows Jewish analogues of the most common names in the Russian-speaking space, echoing them in sound or meaning.

From Hebrew Abraham, father of many (nations); the name of the biblical patriarch from whom the people who settled Palestine descended.

ALEXANDER

Sasha, Sanya, Shurik - Greek name from two roots Alex- and Andr-, literally a courageous defender. From this we can conclude that all the “semantic” advice we gave regarding the names Andrey and Alexey is quite applicable here. If you love your name and would like to keep it, in this case you can tell the Israelis that your name is Alex, and they will easily understand this (of course, a bearer of the name Alexey can do the same if he does not want to be called by a Jewish name). The name Alexander has been adopted among Jews at various points in history, beginning with the conquests of Alexander the Great, who was known to favor the Jewish population of the Middle East. If you are often called Shura or Shurik and you are relatively young, you can, based on the principle of consonance, take the name Shir, which means “song” or “poem”. Who is most often called Sanya, you can choose another consonance - Nissan (the name of one of the Jewish spring months, when Passover is celebrated. In Israel, this name is most often given to boys born in this month, and this circumstance is worth taking into account). Which biblical hero became famous as a courageous defender of his people? First of all, the characters in the book of Judges are Gideon and Shimshon (the same as Samson), with the latter sounding a bit like "Alexander".

Alyosha is a name of Greek origin. Means "protector". A direct translation into Hebrew is possible - Magen - “shield”, “protection” (hence the widely known word Magen-David or mogendovid - shield of David, also one of the names of the Almighty). But in Israel a name is given very rarely, and if you are not a fan of exotic things, it is preferable to turn to consonances. - Elisha - the name of one of the most famous biblical prophets, a student and associate of Eliyahu (Elijah), who is described in great detail in the book of Kings - sounds very similar to “Alyosha”. In a religious or traditional environment, such a name is quite accepted. It will fit and not young man, regardless of religiosity. For secular youth, we can offer a modern name - Eshel, also partly consonant with “Alyosha”, with the meaning “tamarisk” (a beautiful Mediterranean tree, mentioned more than once in the Bible).

The etymology of the name is unknown. We offer consonances: Ela (spelled in Hebrew in the same way as Alla) - the name of the tree, Ayala (another version of the same name - Ayelet) - “doe”.

The exact meaning of this name is not clear. In Hebrew there is a very close consonant - Aliza, which means “cheerful”.

ANATOLY, TOLYA

A resident of the ancient eastern country of Anatolia. Since the meaning is not a common noun, it will not be possible to translate it, so it is better to turn to consonances. You can, like instead of “Anton,” take the name Nathan, Nati, or you can (especially for a young or middle-aged person) Tal (in Hebrew “dew”, a very fashionable name in Israel, both male and female), sounding looks like Tolya. Another consonance is possible - Naphtali is the name of one of the sons of Yaakov. If this was the name of one of the deceased ancestors (and among Russian Jews the name Naftali was often found), then this is the most the best option, although today this name does not sound very modern.

ANGELINA OR ANGELA

From the word "angel". You can take the feminine version of one of the names of angels known in the Jewish tradition - Gabriela, Michaela or Raphaela.

Greek name meaning “man”, “courageous”. Of the Hebrew names, the closest in meaning is Gabriel (the same as Gabriel or Gavrila) from the roots - “man” and “G-d”. The accepted diminutive is Gabi. In addition, you can choose any name with the meaning “strength”, “courage”, for example: Oz or - Uzi (strength), - Eyal (strength, courage), but the latter is not suitable for older people, because it came into use relatively recently. Perhaps (again mainly for young people) the name is Adir (powerful, strong). This name is quite rare, but it is similar to “Andrey” both in meaning and in sound. In addition, you can offer an original “translation”: Reuven (in the Bible, the eldest son of Jacob). This Hebrew name is made up of two words: “look” and “son.” In all likelihood, the foremother Lea, who gave such a name to her first-born, wanted, in particular, to emphasize that it was a son, a man, who was born.

Anya is the European version of the Hebrew name - Hana. This was the name of one of the people’s favorite biblical heroines - the righteous woman, the mother of the prophet Shmuel (Samuel). You can read about it at the beginning of the First Book of Samuel. The accepted abbreviation is Hani, and for a young girl, especially a secular one, this option is preferable. As an alternative, a popular name in Israel, Anat, can be suggested, simply by consonance.

In Greek, “entering into battle,” “competing in strength.” The meaning is the same as for the names Alexey and Alexander. Sounds like Nathan, one of the most famous biblical prophets. The accepted abbreviation is Nati. Another, close option is Jonathan. This name is one of the most beloved among both secular and religious Israelis. In the Bible, Jonathan is the son of King Saul (Shaul) and a friend of King David. It is worth reading about this courageous young man in the book of Kings, then you will understand why his name was so loved by the Israelis, and besides, why it is similar to “Anton” not only in sound, but also in meaning.

ANTONINA, TONYA

Feminine for "Anton". Let's think about which of the biblical heroines was inclined to engage in battle. In fact, this activity is not typical for Jewish women. Even the prophetess Deborah was exclusively engaged in “political education,” that is, she called on her compatriots to war, but she herself never entered into battle. But Yael became famous precisely because she personally sent better world Sisera, king of the Philistines. You can read about this in the book of Judges. In consonance - Anat.

Resident of Arcadia. Like the name Anatoly, it cannot be translated. In Israel, the name Arik (usually a diminutive of Arie) is very common; as a rule, our Arkadies are called exactly that.

ARTEM, TOPIC

Derived from the name of the Greek goddess Artemis. Artemis in Greek mythology the goddess of the hunt, and in the Jewish tradition hunting is not particularly revered, so the path of searching for consonances will apparently be more effective. We suggest the following names: Itamar (the same set of consonants) - the name of a tree, in the Bible the name of one of the sons of the high priest Aaron, Tomer - a modern name (i.e. suitable for youth and middle age), meaning one of the varieties of palm trees, Rotem - also the name of the plant, and this consonance is perhaps the closest, or Yotam is the name of one of the kings of Judah.

Anastasia, Nastya, Asya - in Greek “resurrected”. It can be translated as - Thiya - “resurrection”, “rebirth”. This name is suitable for a woman of any age and circle. In consonance with “Nastya,” we suggest the name Nisana (from the name of the month Nisan, especially suitable if you have a birthday in Nisan). A word of warning for those who want to keep the name Asya unchanged: Israelis will pronounce it Asiya, and in Hebrew it is the name of the continent "Asia". The closest consonance with “Asa” (by the way, accepted among new repatriates) is Esti, short for Esther.

“Along with its purely everyday meaning, the name helped to distinguish different people“The Jews have always had a rich cultural and religious tradition associated with names and originating in biblical texts,” says our old friend, onomastics specialist Alexander Bader, who will reveal to us the secrets of Jewish names. Third interview with Alexander Bader

The name plays very well important role In human life. Some people are proud of it and pronounce it loudly when they meet, others are shy and dream of changing it, secretly trying on the name they like. It’s hard to find people who are indifferent to their name. And this is not the reality of our time: from time immemorial, all peoples have attached great importance to names. “Along with the purely everyday meaning - the name helped to distinguish different people - the Jews have always had a rich cultural and religious tradition associated with names and originating in biblical texts,” says our old friend, onomastics specialist Alexander Bader, who will reveal to us the secrets of Jewish names.

In 2001, in the USA, the Avoteinu publishing house published A. Bader’s book “Dictionary of Ashkenazi names: their origin, structure, pronunciation and migrations.”

– Alexander, what significance did names have in the life of Jews? Did it differ from the attitude towards the names of representatives of other religions?

– Until the end of the 18th century, most Ashkenazi Jews did not have surnames. Moreover, even after their, one might say, forcible appropriation as a result of the implementation of relevant laws, official surnames were, in fact, ignored until the beginning of the 20th century. In this context, the personal name was the main formal element to distinguish different people. Along with this purely everyday meaning, there is a rich cultural and religious tradition associated with names, which has its origins in biblical texts.

Let us recall at least such important episodes of the book of Genesis as the change of the names of Abram and Sarah to Abraham and Sarah, the origin of the name Isaac from the verb “to laugh”, the appearance of Jacob’s second name, Israel... For Jewish men, since ancient times, there have been two categories of names: the so-called “synagogue” (“shemot ha-kodesh”) and “household” (“kinuim”). The first of them necessarily exists for any man, and it is used in all religious rites, men are called to read the Torah in the synagogue, and, finally, it appears on the gravestone.

Since the traditional naming of Jews also includes a patronymic, the name of the father, preceded by the word “ben” (son) or “bat/bas” (daughter), is also from the category of synagogues. The names of this category are either any biblical ones, or those after the biblical ones that come from Hebrew or Aramaic, i.e. two sacred languages ​​of Judaism.

It also includes, from ancient times, three names of Greek origin: Alexander (in honor of Alexander the Great), Kalonymos and Todros (from Theodoros, Russian Fedor). Some rabbis also consider the synagogue name Shneur (in Yiddish Shneer), associating it with a (grammatically incorrect) combination of the Hebrew words for “two” and “light.” Analysis historical sources leaves no doubt as to its true origin: it is related to the Latin senior (master). All other names are “everyday” names. For example, for Ashkenazim this category includes all Romance, Germanic (German or Yiddish) and Slavic origin, as well as numerous diminutive forms.

These names are used in all everyday contexts, for communication within the family circle, with relatives and neighbors, with Jews and non-Jews. In principle, a household name and a synagogue name may have nothing in common with each other. However, already in the Middle Ages, systems of correspondence between the names of these two categories began to appear, recommended by various rabbis. In some cases the connection was made semantically: Baruch and Zelik (both from words meaning “blessed”). In other cases we are dealing with phonetic coincidences: Menachem and Mendel, Asher and Anshel, Benjamin and Bunim.

Several correspondences are based on Jacob's biblical blessing of his sons: Naphtali is compared to a chamois, and is therefore traditionally associated with the name Hirsch (from a Germanic root meaning “deer”), Benjamin to a wolf, and hence the connection with the common name Wolf; Judah is with a lion, and therefore this name is the synagogue equivalent of Leib. Many correspondences, however, seem to be random, arbitrarily invented by the rabbis. For example, for Zelikman we find the following synagogue “equivalents”: Isaac, Jekutiel, Jacob, Ephraim, Judah, Meshulam, Abraham, Azriel, Eliakim, Gershon, Aaron, etc.

For women, it is generally believed that there is no division into two categories. Only in the second half of the 20th century. in non-Orthodox synagogues, especially in North America, a tradition arose of giving girls, in addition to their official name, which appears in the passport, also a “Jewish” name. These names are often mistakenly called “Hebrew”, although often they (such as Beila, Frada), in fact, are of Yiddish origin and have nothing to do with Hebrew.

The system of two categories of names is not Jewish specific. For example, in Russia, among the Orthodox, it was also the rule until the 17th century. Each person received a so-called “calendar” name at baptism (from the name of a saint, as a rule, these names were either of Greek or Hebrew origin), but in everyday life he often used a completely different name, of Slavic or, less often, Scandinavian origin.

– How were names given, on what day after birth? Who came up with the name? Was there a specific procedure for naming babies?

– A boy must receive a synagogue name on the day of circumcision, i.e. on the eighth day after his birth. There are no strict rules for girls. In some communities, a name was assigned immediately after birth. In others, they waited for the day when the father would next go to the synagogue and announce the name there. In these cases, this day often fell on the first Saturday after birth. The name was chosen by the parents, often with the direct participation of other close relatives. Among Sephardim children, children were often named after grandparents, living or deceased.

On the other hand, since the Middle Ages in Germany, Ashkenazis have established a tradition of naming children in honor of deceased relatives; it was believed that if named after a living person, this could hasten the death of the latter. Some religious scholars have suggested further development the same idea, and, for example, Judah Hasid (who lived in Germany at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries) taught that a man should not marry a woman whose father’s name coincides with his own. This did not become law, but, for example, in some communities of the Russian Empire in the 19th century. people tried to avoid a situation where one of the newlyweds had the same name as the father-in-law or mother-in-law. In southern Germany, Alsace and Switzerland until the 20th century. the ancient ritual of naming, called “(g)olekrash,” was preserved, which consisted in raising the cradle with the baby high on the head and singing blessings.

– Was it possible to change one’s name during one’s life? Was this welcomed by the Jewish religion?

– During life, names did not change, with the exception, of course, of converting to another religion. But there is a small group of “protective” names that could be given in addition to the already existing ones. It includes, first of all, the male names Chaim (“life” in Hebrew), Alter (“old man” in Yiddish), Zeide (“grandfather” in Yiddish) and their female equivalents Chaya, Alta and Boba/Buba, the above-mentioned Yiddish names were practically never given at birth. These names were given to children during serious illnesses, or to children whom their parents tried to protect in this way, deceiving the angel of death. By the way, allegorical associations associated with the name Zeide are the leitmotif in the novel “Like a Few Days” by Meir Shalev (my favorite work in Israeli literature).

– What do Ashkenazi and Sephardic names have in common and how do they differ?

– Many names of Hebrew origin (including biblical ones) were used by both groups. There are, however, exceptions. The masculine Nissim and the feminine Mazaltov are very common names in the East, but they were not found among the Ashkenazis. On the other hand, Zev, Arie, Tzvi and Dov are purely Ashkenazi names that first appear in sources only in the 16th century.

These names are translations (calques) into Hebrew of the common Yiddish names Wolf (wolf), Leib (lion), Hirsh (deer) and Ber (bear). Names derived from Yiddish or Slavic languages, of course, are not found among Sephardim, and names with Spanish or Arabic roots are not found among Ashkenazis. It is interesting, however, to note one important feature, common to the names of all Jewish communities: women's names are very often derived from words of the spoken language with positive, often romantic, associations.

A few examples: (a) Eastern Europe: Reizel (rose), Feigel (bird), Bluma (flower), Glicka (happiness), Eidel (noble), Sheina (beautiful), Freida (joy), Golda (gold), Malka (queen);

(b) medieval Czech Republic: Zlata, Dobrish, Slava, Cherna, Libusha, Sladka (all of them were still used in the 19th century in the Russian Empire), Mlada, Krasna, Dushana, Vesela;

(V) medieval France: Bela (beautiful), Dolza (tender), Gentil (noble), Reina (queen) [from them come the Yiddish Beila, Tolza, Entel and Reina, respectively], Joya (joy) and Shera (darling);

(d) Florence in the Renaissance: Bella, Colomba (dove), Diamante (diamond), Perla (pearl), Regina (queen), Rosa, Stella (star), Fiore (flower),

(e) Sephardic communities of the Ottoman Empire: Bella Donna, Blanca (white), Buena (good), Oro (gold), Gracia, Sol (sun), Luna, Senora, Ventura (luck), Rose.

In modern times, a similar trend in Europe was characteristic primarily of Jews. The Germans and Eastern Slavs, for example, “meaningful” names were very common in pagan name books, both for men and women, but they were gradually replaced by the names of Christian saints.

It is interesting that during the period of romanticism in Germany (at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries), German authors suggested that their compatriots abandon foreign names that were alien to German culture, and start calling girls such “noble” German names as Bluma, Golda ( Golda), Edela, Freudina, Glück or Schöne. These authors, of course, were not familiar with Ashkenazi culture, and did not suspect that they were offering typically “Jewish” names. The situation becomes even more curious if we consider that many of these names were not invented by Jews, but were borrowed during the early Middle Ages from the Germans, but the latter gradually “forgot” them, and the Jews continued to use them for many centuries...

– Which names were the most popular and what explains this?

– The names of the biblical characters most important for the Jewish religion were very popular among Jews, starting from the Middle Ages: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel and Leah, Joseph and Judah, Moses and Samuel, David and Solomon, Mordechai and Esther (Esther). It is curious that many of these names were not used at all in ancient times. For example, in the Talmud there is no mention of any Abraham, Asher, David, Gabriel, Isaiah, Israel, Raphael and Solomon, and only one or two Moses and Aaron.

At the same time, in Jewish sources dating back to the beginning of the second millennium of the Christian era, we find these names among the most common in communities in Germany, Spain and the Middle East. It follows that new tradition originated sometime in the second half of the first millennium, and it gradually spread throughout the Jewish world. Above, I already talked about the most common “pleasant-sounding” female names. As a rule, it is believed that for Jewish men the semantics of the name of great importance Did not have. It seems to me that in the late Middle Ages, at least for the Ashkenazim, this idea was incorrect.

Otherwise, how to explain that, starting from the 14th century. Among the most common names we find those that come from words meaning “deer” (Hirsch/Hertz), “lion” (Leib/Leb), “wolf” (Wolf), “bear” (Ber). Usually in rabbinical literature their distribution is associated with the biblical Jacob’s blessing of his sons, which I already spoke about above. In this case, it is argued that Hirsch and Hertz are a “symbolic” replacement for the name Naftali. Leib appeared instead of Judah, Wolf - instead of Benjamin, and Ber - instead of Issachar, who in the Bible is compared, of course, to a donkey, but, given the not very flattering associations associated with the donkey in European culture, the latter had no chance of survival , and it was replaced by a “nobler” animal, namely a bear.

For all these names, with the possible exception of Leib, given explanation- an obvious anachronism: the fact is that, for example, the names Issachar and Naphtali are almost not mentioned in medieval Jewish sources, and Benjamin appears very rarely in them. At the same time, a study of the naming traditions of the Germans and Slavs of Central Europe shows that among the former, among the most common names were those that begin with the root Ber, Wolf and Eber (“boar”). And for the second - Helen and the Bear, that is, with the exception of Eber, who, of course, could not take root in Jewish culture, we meet the same animals, symbols of strength and courage.

If I were a professor of linguistics or history at Tel Aviv University (and my name was Paul Wexler or Shlomo Sand), then I would certainly take this data as direct evidence that the Ashkenazi descend from Slavs and Germans who converted to Judaism. Being neither one nor the other, I think that such a “bold” hypothesis is a little out of place here. This information simply shows us that in the Middle Ages, Jews were not isolated from the influence of the surrounding population, as is often believed.

Jewish history knows of at least two cases in which a common name completely disappeared due to one bearer. The first example, Bogdan, refers to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which at that time included Lithuania, Belarus and most of Ukraine. This name, one of the very rare examples of borrowing from the Eastern Slavs, was very common until the mid-17th century, i.e. to the bloody pogroms committed by the Cossacks under the leadership of Bogdan Khmelnitsky. The second, Adolf, was very common among German Jews (often as a replacement for the name Abraham) in the first third of the 20th century...

– What names were in use in Eastern Europe?

– For the first time, Jewish names are found in a document from Kyiv, compiled in Hebrew in the 10th century. It was signed by local community leaders. Among the 16 names, we mainly find biblical ones, but six are not mentioned in any other Jewish sources: one of them, Gostyata (as suggested by Abram Torpusman) is of Slavic origin, the others are most likely Khazar. Over the next few centuries there is no new data.

At the turn of the 15th-16th centuries, in the communities of Ukraine and Belarus, we find, along with biblical ones, a number of rare names, mainly of Slavic origin. Ryzhko, Volchko, Domanya, Zhidka, Zhiwnitsa, Bogdana, Detko, Pcholka, Shanya. Apparently, we are dealing with representatives of small Slavic-speaking communities that formed in these territories before the arrival of the Ashkenazim from heterogeneous elements: descendants of the Khazars who converted to Judaism, Jews from the Crimea, the Byzantine Empire and the Czech Republic. Apparently, representatives of the latter group were the most numerous, because from them the names that I have already mentioned above survived until the 20th century. Only by the middle of the 16th century were typically Ashkenazi names originating from German or Yiddish, and also including French and a large group of names with Hebrew stems, but pronounced in Ashkenazi (for example, Moisha/Movsha, not Moshe/Moses, Srol, not Israel /Israel, Passover, not Passover, Sorah and Rochel, not Sarah and Rachel/Rachel, etc.) become dominant. Until the end of the 19th century, names with new roots no longer appeared, but thousands of new ones were created diminutive forms, mainly using Slavic suffixes. Take for example the name Yosef/Joseph.

For him we find the following options: Yos, Iosko, Ioshko, Iosek, Ioshek, Ioshchik, Iosefka, Esifets, Eska, Es, Esya, Esipka, Yuzek, Yosel, Yosele, Yozel, Ezel, Yeizel, Evzel. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, several new “fashionable” names appeared, brought from Western Europe, for example, Betty and Fanny, in common parlance - Betya and Fanya. They were mainly given instead of the much more traditional Beila and Feiga, respectively. Some Jews began to use Slavic forms of biblical names to communicate with the surrounding Slavic population: Isaac instead of Itzek/Itzik, Baruch instead of Boreh/Burich, Yakov instead of Yankev/Yankel, Reuben instead of Ruven/Rubin, Rebekah instead of Rivka, etc. Others replaced their names with Christian ones (often from Western Europe), having several letters in common with their real Jewish name: Isidore (Israel), Bernard (Ber), Leon (Leib), Efim (Chaim), Rosalia (Reyzya), Sonya ( Sarah or Shayna). During the Soviet period, this trend was further developed, with numerous Grishas (Girsh), Arkadys (Aron), Vovas (Wolf), Levs and Lenyas (Leib), Marks (Mordechai), Boriss (Ber), etc.

– Were there double names in use and what was the explanation for this?

– Double names are found among Ashkenazi Jews already in medieval Germany, although during this period they were rather exceptions. Gradually, this tradition developed: in the 19th century in the Pale of Settlement and the Kingdom of Poland, 30-40% of Jews had two names. I see several independent reasons here. For men, the dichotomy “synagogue name” - “everyday name”, which I spoke about at the beginning of our conversation, was very important.

Historically, it was combinations of these two names that produced the first double names. In modern times, among the common combinations from this category we find: Judah Leib, Menachem Mendel, Asher Anshel, Eliezer Lipman, Naftali Hirsch, Dov Ber. Secondly, until the 19th century, Jews did not have surnames, and even after they were assigned for many decades, these official names had no meaning for Jewish psychology. The use of double names allowed an additional element to be introduced to distinguish different people. Thirdly, giving a double name could honor the memory of two deceased relatives (and thus satisfy the wishes of the few living ones that these names suggested), or give one name in honor of someone, and the other simply because it was liked .

In principle, combinations of any two names were possible, but not all of them were used. I conducted a statistical analysis of double names adopted in the 19th century in a number of Polish communities, and it turned out that there were many patterns even for names in which the two parts do not form the traditional pair “synagogue name” - “household name”. For example, the most common male names begin with the name of the first patriarch Abraham: Abram Moshek, Abram Yankel, Abram Leib, etc. But the most frequent of them: Abram Itsek (Isaac), i.e. including the name of the son of this biblical patriarch. Chaim very often appears in the first position of a double name. Most likely, this is due to the “protective” associations of this name, which I mentioned above. For women, the most common combinations were: Sorah Rivka (combining the names of the wives of Abraham and Isaac), Rokhlya/Rokhlya Leah (combining the names of Jacob's wives; note that the beloved wife Rachel comes first, although she is the youngest), Esther Malka ( reminiscent of the biblical Esther becoming Queen of Persia).

Alexander Bader combined his five-year research into Jewish names in the monograph “A Dictionary of Ashkenazi Given Names: Their Origins, Structure, Pronunciation, and Migrations,” which was published in 2001 in the USA in the Avoteinu publishing house, specializing in the field of Jewish genealogy.

– Alexander, from what sources did you draw material for your research?

– The first group includes about a hundred collections of historical documents about Jews, published in the 19th and 20th centuries in various European countries. Among the most important: the Nuremberg Martyrology, which includes extensive lists of Jews killed in some communities in Germany during the pogroms of 1096, 1298 and 1349, a large collection of Latin and Hebrew documents from Cologne (1235-1347), extensive collections of materials about medieval Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Erfurt, Vienna, as well as entire regions such as Bohemia, Moravia, Austria, Hungary and Silesia. This also includes several fundamental collections relating to Eastern Europe: two volumes of the “Russian-Jewish Archive”, published in 1882 by the first major historian of Russian Jewry S.A. Bershadsky (who, by the way, came from the family of an Orthodox priest) and three volumes published in 1899-1913 under the title “Regests and Inscriptions”.

These five books include a large number of historical documents from the 15th to 18th centuries that mention Jews living in what is now Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania. The second group includes books that contain the original text of tombstone inscriptions from Jewish cemeteries of various Ashkenazi communities. Among the most detailed are books about Frankfurt, Hamburg, Vienna, Prague and Krakow. The third important source is rabbinical treatises on divorce (16-19 centuries). They traditionally contain lists of Jewish household names and their synagogue “equivalents.” For the names that were in use in the 19th century among the Jews of the Russian (including the Kingdom of Poland) and the Austro-Hungarian empires (primarily Galicia), I used extracts from many thousands of civil registries, kindly provided to me by American lovers of Jewish genealogy and based, primarily on microfilms made in the archives of Eastern Europe by representatives of the Mormon Church, as well as several published pre-revolutionary collections of names compiled mainly by government rabbis.

– What can you learn about the life of the Jewish community based on names?

– The name of every nation is an important part of its culture. Studying the history of traditional names gives us the opportunity to learn a lot about the past. Let's take, for example, such an aspect as the relationship of Jews with the surrounding majority. In classic studies of Jewish community life in medieval Germany, it is generally believed that the isolation of Jews began with the pogroms associated with the first crusade(1096). If we carefully study the sources of that period, it turns out that for another 250 years (i.e. until the events of the “Black Death” of 1349) German Jews continued to borrow Christian names, not only those that were of German origin, but even Christian forms of biblical names. From here, for example, such Ashkenazi names as Zalman (Salomon), Zimel (from Simon), Zanvel (Samuel) arose.

The fact that during the same period the Jewish spoken language was phonetically no different from the surrounding dialects of German is evidenced, for example, by the fact that in some Jewish names we see clear traces of the phonetic shifts that took place in the Christian dialects. For example, among the Germans, the long [i] turned into a diphthong [ai], and the initial [v] into [f], and in full accordance with this, the Hebrew name Vivus, which arrived in Germany from France, began to be pronounced Faivus. The name Aizik was formed in a similar way: from the German form of the name Isaac, with a long initial “I”. From these examples we see that names provide valuable information about the spoken language of the Jews.

Several examples of this kind can be found in Eastern Europe. It is known that in Poland and Ukraine (but not in Lithuania and Belarus), the stressed long [o] of Yiddish turned into [u]. (Because of this, for example, one of my grandmothers, from Belarus, said “tokhes”, and another, from Ukraine, mentioned only the form “tukhis”).

At what point did this phonetic transition occur? There is no direct evidence of this; this is also not reflected in the writing of Yiddish. Onomastics may prove indispensable here. In Slavic documents about the Jews of Ukraine, at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, we find references to the same person, first as Monish, and then as Munish. Starting from the 20s of the 18th century, forms with [u] - such as Srul, Sukhar, Tsudik - begin to appear regularly in sources. The name can give an indication of what language was used in everyday life and help track the dynamics of its replacement. For example, above I mentioned a number of Slavic names that were used by the Jews of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until the mid-16th century. Some of these names are not found among Christians, and there is a high probability that they were formed by Jews.

This kind of inventing new names can only occur on the basis of spoken language, and therefore there is no doubt that for large quantity Jews who lived on the territory of Belarus and Ukraine, say, until the 16th century, had East Slavic as their native language. With the arrival of numerous immigrants from Central (and much less frequently, Western) Europe, this language disappeared from everyday life - all communities switched to Yiddish. Documents from different regions(for example, Belarusian Mogilev and Ukrainian Kremenets) show that in the second half of the 16th century the transition to Yiddish was already completed. It is curious that in different communities this replacement occurred at very different rates.

For example, many Christian sources from the first half of the 16th century relating to Grodno and Brest have been preserved, i.e. two largest communities in Belarus at that time, which mention the names of dozens of local Jews. In the first community we find such names as Iguda, Yatsko, Bogdan, Goshko, Esko, Ganko, Krivonya, Golosh, Stekhna, Drobna, Dobrusa and only two typically Ashkenazi names: Lipman and Breina.

In Brest, many such names as Isaac, Mendel, Shmerlya, Mikhel, Gershko, Lipman, Kalman, Goetz, Zelikman, Berman and Zelman are striking.

There is no doubt that Yiddish was spoken in the Brest community during this period, but in Grodno this is not at all clear; it is even more likely that we are mainly dealing with Slavic-speaking Jews. By the way, it was through Brest that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was settled by Ashkenazis, and if I were asked to symbolically name three cities whose role in the formation of the Yiddish communities of Central and Eastern Europe was most significant, then there would be no doubt for me: Prague, Krakow and Brest. And I came to this conclusion, first of all, based on the analysis of names...

Often people looking for a Jewish name for themselves want it to be in tune with an existing non-Jewish one. This table shows Jewish analogues of the most common names in Russia, echoing them in sound or meaning.

Abram

From ancient Hebrew Abraham, father of many (nations); the name of the biblical patriarch from whom the people who settled Palestine descended.

Alexander

Sasha, Sanya, Shurik - a Greek name from two roots Alex- and Andr-, literally a courageous defender. From this we can conclude that all the “semantic” advice we gave regarding the names Andrey and Alexey is quite applicable here. If you love your name and would like to keep it, in this case you can tell the Israelis that your name is Alex, and they will easily understand this (of course, a bearer of the name Alexey can do the same if he does not want to be called by a Jewish name). The name Alexander has been adopted among Jews at various points in history, beginning with the conquests of Alexander the Great, who was known to favor the Jewish population of the Middle East. If you are often called Shura or Shurik and you are relatively young, you can, based on the principle of consonance, take the name Shir, which means “song” or “poem”. Who is most often called Sanya, you can choose another consonance - Nissan (the name of one of the Jewish spring months, when Passover is celebrated. In Israel, this name is most often given to boys born in this month, and this circumstance is worth taking into account). Which biblical hero became famous as a courageous defender of his people? First of all, the heroes of the book of Judges are Gideon and Shimshon (the same as Samson), and the latter is a little similar to “Alexander” in sound.

Alexei

Alyosha is a name of Greek origin. Means “protector”. A direct translation into Hebrew is possible - Magen - “shield”, “protection” (hence the widely known word Magen-David or mogendovid - shield of David, also one of the names of the Almighty). But in Israel a name is given very rarely, and if you are not a fan of exotic things, it is preferable to turn to consonances. - Elisha - the name of one of the most famous biblical prophets, a student and associate of Eliyahu (Elijah), who is described in great detail in the book of Kings - sounds very similar to “Alyosha”. In a religious or traditional environment, such a name is quite accepted. It is also suitable for an elderly person, regardless of religiosity. For secular youth, we can offer a modern name - Eshel, also partly consonant with “Alyosha”, with the meaning “tamarisk” (a beautiful Mediterranean tree, mentioned more than once in the Bible).

Alla

The etymology of the name is unknown. We offer consonances: Ela (spelled in Hebrew in the same way as Alla) - the name of the tree, Ayala (another version of the same name - Ayelet) - “doe”.

Alice

The exact meaning of this name is not clear. In Hebrew there is a very close consonant - Aliza, which means “cheerful”.

Anatoly, Tolya

A resident of the ancient eastern country of Anatolia. Since the meaning is not a common noun, it will not be possible to translate it, so it is better to turn to consonances. You can, like instead of “Anton,” take the name Nathan, Nati, or you can (especially for a young or middle-aged person) Tal (in Hebrew “dew”, a very fashionable name in Israel, both male and female), sounding looks like “Tolya”. Another consonance is possible - Naphtali is the name of one of the sons of Yaakov. If this was the name of one of their deceased ancestors (and among Russian Jews the name Naftali was often found), then this is the best option, although today this name does not sound very modern.

Angelina or Angela

From the word “angel”. You can take the feminine version of one of the names of angels known in the Jewish tradition - Gabriela, Michaela or Raphaela.

Andrey

Greek name meaning “man”, “courageous”. Of the Hebrew names, the closest in meaning is Gabriel (the same as Gabriel or Gavrila) from the roots - “man” and “G-d”. The accepted diminutive is Gabi. In addition, you can choose any name with the meaning “strength”, “courage”, for example: Oz or - Uzi (strength), - Eyal (strength, courage), but the latter is not suitable for older people, because it came into use relatively recently. Perhaps (again mainly for young people) the name is Adir (powerful, strong). This name is quite rare, but it is similar to “Andrey” both in meaning and in sound. In addition, you can offer an original “translation”: - Reuven (in the Bible, the eldest son of Jacob). This Hebrew name is made up of two words: “look” and “son.” In all likelihood, the foremother Lea, who gave such a name to her first-born, wanted, in particular, to emphasize that it was a son, a man, who was born.

Anna

Anya is the European version of the Hebrew name - Hana. This was the name of one of the people’s favorite biblical heroines - the righteous woman, the mother of the prophet Shmuel (Samuel). You can read about it at the beginning of the First Book of Samuel. The accepted abbreviation is Hani, and for a young girl, especially a secular one, this option is preferable. As an alternative, a popular name in Israel, Anat, can be suggested, simply by consonance.

Anton

In Greek, “entering into battle,” “competing in strength.” The meaning is the same as for the names Alexey and Alexander. Sounds like Nathan, one of the most famous biblical prophets. The accepted abbreviation is Nati. Another, close option is Jonathan. This name is one of the most beloved among both secular and religious Israelis. In the Bible, Jonathan is the son of King Saul (Shaul) and a friend of King David. It is worth reading about this courageous young man in the book of Kings, then you will understand why his name was so loved by the Israelis, and besides, why it is similar to “Anton” not only in sound, but also in meaning.

Antonina, Tonya

Feminine for “Anton”. Let's think about which of the biblical heroines was inclined to engage in battle. In fact, this activity is not typical for Jewish women. Even the prophetess Deborah was exclusively engaged in “political education,” that is, she called on her compatriots to war, but she herself never entered into battle. But Yael became famous precisely because she personally sent Sisera, the king of the Philistines, to a better world. You can read about this in the book of Judges. In consonance - Anat.

Arkady

Resident of Arcadia. Like the name Anatoly, it cannot be translated. In Israel, the name Arik (usually a diminutive of Arie) is very common; as a rule, our Arkadies are called exactly that.

Artem, Tema

Derived from the name of the Greek goddess Artemis. Artemis in Greek mythology is the goddess of the hunt, and in the Jewish tradition hunting is not particularly revered, so the path of searching for consonances will apparently be more effective. We suggest the following names: Itamar (the same set of consonants) - the name of a tree, in the Bible the name of one of the sons of the high priest Aaron, Tomer - a modern name (i.e. suitable for youth and middle age), meaning one of the varieties of palm trees, Rotem - also the name of the plant, and this consonance is perhaps the closest, or Yotam is the name of one of the kings of Judah.

Asya

Anastasia, Nastya, Asya - in Greek “resurrected”. It can be translated as - Thiya - “resurrection”, “rebirth”. This name is suitable for a woman of any age and circle. Based on the consonance with “Nastya”, we suggest the name - Nissan (from the name of the month Nissan, especially suitable if you have a birthday in Nissan). A warning for those who want to keep the name Asya unchanged: Israelis will pronounce it Asiya, and in Hebrew it is the name of the continent “Asia”. The closest consonance with “Asa” (by the way, accepted among new repatriates) is Esti, short for Esther.

Boris

Borya is a name most likely of Slavic origin, the meaning is not precisely established. The immediate replacement of this name with Baruch (in the Bible, Baruch ben Neriah is a companion of the prophet Jeremiah), accepted among new repatriates, is a good, but by no means the only option. For a boy or young man, especially (but not only) of a secular orientation, the name Barak is perhaps even more natural. In the Bible, Barak ben Abinoam is a military leader during the time of the prophetess Deborah (see Song of Deborah in the book of Judges, chapter 5). In Russia, the name Boris was often given in Jewish families as consonant with the name Ber (in Yiddish - “bear”), but the Hebrew original source of this name is Dov. In this example, you can see how, when moving from language to language, the principle of translation and the principle of consonance are consistently used. Diminutives are accepted for the name Dov: Dovi, Dubi. There is another good consonance with “Boris” - Boaz. You can read about Boaz in the TaNakh in the book of Ruth (Ruth).

Vadim

Means “bully”. Is it worth translating such a meaning, not to mention the fact that you won’t find anything like that in Hebrew? By consonance, discarding the first and last letters, we get a beautiful and very fashionable name in Israel - Adi, which means “decoration” (used as both a male and female name). If you prefer traditional names to modern ones, take the name - Ovadya, the name biblical prophet. True, in modern Israel this name is most often worn by Sephardic Jews - but not exclusively.

Valentine

Valya - from the Latin root val - “healthy”. It can be translated as Eitan - “healthy”, “strong”, “strong” or, say, Tsur - “rock”, “stronghold”. In consonance with “Valya” we suggest the name Yuval.

Valery

Same root as Valentin, so the same translation is possible. According to the consonance, in addition to the name Yuval, Lior is suitable, which means “light for me.”

Valeria, Lera

Female version of the name “Valery”. Possible consonances with “Lera”: Liora (female version of the name Lior), Liron (“me” + “song”, “rejoicing”).

Basil

In Greek, “royal”. You can take the name Malkiel from the roots “king” and “G-d”, but in Israel it is, frankly speaking, rare. For those who do not really like the exotic, we suggest choosing one of the names of the kings of Israel: Shaul (Saul), David, Shlomo (Solomon) - depending on which of the royal heroes of the Bible is closer to you, which of these names is found among your deceased ancestors , and also which one, in your opinion, sounds more beautiful. You can, of course, use other names of kings.

Faith

Russian name, it means the same as the word faith. The exact translation into Hebrew - Emunah - is found in Israel, although not very often. The name Emunah is more suitable for a religious than a secular girl due to the very semantics of the word. Based on the consonance, we suggest the name - Vered, which means “rose”. Some Faiths familiar to us, on the principle of partial consonance, took the name - Dvora (the same as Deborah) - after the name of the famous prophetess from the book of Judges. The meaning of the name is “bee”. In Israel, this name is usually worn by either religious women or not very young women.

Victor

In Latin, winner. There are no names in Hebrew with this meaning. There is an excellent consonance - Avigdor. This name is suitable for a man of any age and circle. If you wish, you can take the name of one of the biblical heroes who became famous for their victories over the enemy: for example, David, Joshua, etc. at your discretion.

Victoria

Latin for “victory”. If you do not necessarily have a desire to have a name of Jewish origin, it is best to leave it as is. In Israel, the name Victoria is accepted - it is worn by Israeli women not only of European, but also of Eastern (Syrian, Iraqi) origin. The shortened name is usually Vicky. Just remember that in Hebrew the first letter of this name is “vav”. There is (especially in a secular environment) a name - Nitskhona, from the word “victory”. This name, perhaps, has a somewhat modernist connotation, and of course, after another victorious war, the number of newborns with this name increases sharply. Some use the name Vita as an abbreviation for “Victoria”, and in this case the selection of consonance is possible. For example, in the names Avital and Revital, “Vita” is included in its entirety, although with a different emphasis. Both names are considered very euphonious and modern, and they consist of two roots - “dew” and “father”, but in personal names they essentially mean “G-d”, the root meaning “to get drunk”.

Vitaly

From Latin vita - “life”. We offer a translation: Chaim - “life” and consonance Tal - “dew”. The first name is traditional, the second is modern, so if we're talking about about a boy under 20 years old from a completely non-religious family, perhaps the name Tal is preferable. It is important to note that in the Jewish tradition, at least in Europe, any name could be replaced by Chaim or given the name Chaim as an additional name if a person became dangerously ill - the people believed that the bearer of the name “life” was more likely to survive.

Vladimir

Volodya - from the Slavic roots “to own” and “peace”. Almost all Volodyas become Zeevs in Israel. Indeed, in Jewish families in Russia it was customary to give the name Volodya as similar to “Wolf”, “Velvel” (in Yiddish - “wolf”), and the Hebrew original source of this name is Zeev (similar to the case of Dov=Ber=Boris). But for the sake of variety, we can translate the name Vladimir “as such”: Avshalom (Absalom) from the roots - “father”, “master” and - “peace”. Abshalom in the Bible is one of the sons of King David, known for both heroic and bad deeds. Read about him in the Second Book of Samuel and at the beginning of the First Book of Samuel.

Galina

Galya - usually interpreted as “silence” (from Greek). Among Hebrew names, perhaps, there is nothing with such a meaning, except perhaps rare name Shalva - “peace”. But the name Galya (Israelis pronounce Galya) is one of the most fashionable and beloved in Israel today. Hebrew consists of two bases: gal - “wave” and the abbreviation of the name of the Almighty, accepted in personal names, i.e. "G-wave" If you live in the north of Israel and love this area, you can take the name Galila (from the word Galil, as you might guess, i.e. Galilee), because it sounds almost like Galina.

Georgy, Hera, Gosha

In Greek, farmer. In Israel there is a name Yogev with the same meaning. You can take it in consonance with “George”. The name Giora or Hera, similar to “Gosha”, is Goshea (i.e. Hosea, one of the so-called “minor” prophets) - but this name is rare, especially in a secular environment, or Joshua - the leader and military commander of the Jews during the conquest of Canaan after exodus from Egypt, successor of Moses.

Gershen

Possibly from the Hebrew “gershom” - exile

Gennady

From Greek, means “noble”.

Gleb

The name is of Slavic origin, meaning “protected by G-d.” In Hebrew it is almost exactly translated as Betzalel - i.e. “in the shadow of G‑d.” This name is especially suitable for those who are interested in sculpture, architecture or any other type of art. visual arts, because Bezalel in the Bible is the creator of the Ark of the Covenant, traditionally understood as the first work of Jewish art. Based on consonance, we can suggest the following: Gal - “wave”, Gil - “joy” or Levi - a Hebrew name, apparently from the root - “to accompany”. In the Bible, Levi is one of the sons of Jacob, the ancestor of a special, priestly tribe of Levites.

Grigory, Grisha

"Awake". New Grisha repatriates usually choose for themselves the name Tsvi (the accepted diminutive is Tsvika) for the reason that Russian Jews replaced the name Girsh with “Gregory,” which means “deer” in Yiddish, just like Tsvi in ​​Hebrew. Zvi is a very beautiful name, but we will try to offer other options. Firstly, a boy or young man may like the name Ofer - “fawn”, “young deer”. This name is more modern than Zvi. Secondly, for lovers of biblical names, we can offer consonances: Gershon (that was the name of the son of Levi and the grandson of Jacob, see the book of Genesis) or Gershom (the name of the son of Moses). Finally, it is possible to translate the name Gregory as such: Eri or Iran from the root “awake” (these latter are not suitable for the older generation).

Daria, Dasha

“Winner.” In some cases, a translation of Nitshon is possible (see commentary on the name Victoria). Good consonances: Dara or Dorit (the latter is more popular and comes from the root - “generation”, “era”)

Denis

On behalf of the Greek god of wine, Dionysius. A sufficiently young person can take the name Karmi - “my vineyard”. According to consonance, regardless of age and socio-religious orientation, the name Dan (diminutive - Dani) is suitable. In the Bible, Dan is the fifth son of Jacob.

Dmitry, Dima, Mitya

On behalf of the Greek goddess of fertility Demeter. You can choose any name associated with the theme of fertility and harvest, for example Yaniv “he will bring the harvest”, Omer or Amir - “ear of ear”. Those who are usually called Mitya may be interested in the consonance Amit - “friend”. Finally, for young people inclined towards modernism, especially from residents of Dimona and the surrounding area, the name Dimon (derived from the name of the city of Dimona) is suitable.

Eve

European version of the Hebrew name Chava. As you know, in the Bible this is the name of the first woman on Earth. Means “life”, “living”. Girls usually prefer the diminutive Javi.

Eugene

In Greek, “noble.” A direct translation is possible: Atsil, but this is a very rare name (modern Israeli). The Hebrew name Idi, which is close in meaning, means “selected”, “best”. You can resort to a more sophisticated translation, for example Aviram from two words: “my father” and “high”, “exalted” (which precisely “indicates” aristocracy) or simply Rami - from the same root.

Evgeniya

Female version of the name “Eugene”. You can follow the same path that is offered to male Zhenyas and take the name Rama - the female version of k. However, there are other options. The name Bruria is found in a variety of Israeli circles, but is especially loved among the religious. The root means to choose, to single out, and in the Talmud it means, in particular, the chosen part of society, the elite. Another translation option is Idit, the female version of the name Idi (see commentary on the name Eugene). The symbol of aristocracy in the Bible is Michal. In all likelihood, the meaning of the name is “stream”. The name Michal is one of the most common and beloved in both the religious and secular parts of Israeli society. But if you choose this name, be sure to read about Michal - the daughter of King Saul and one of the wives of King David - in the Bible (Second Book of Samuel) and find out what her nobility was and why she became a symbol of elitism.

Catherine

“Pure”, “immaculate” - from the same Greek root as the word catharsis. The Hebrew name Tmima has exactly the same meaning. From the consonances we can suggest the following: Kitra or Kitrit from the word “crown” (both of these names are rare), Rina - “song”, “rejoicing”. You can also, due to partial consonance, use the name Keren - “ray”.

Elena

Lena, Alena - in Greek light, luminous. The following Jewish names are closest in meaning: Meira - “illuminating” (the female version of the name Meir, so if one of the deceased relatives in Russia was called Meir or Miron, which is usually the same thing, then Meira is the most suitable option). Ziva from the word “radiance” or Zohar from a word with the same meaning. Consonances: Ilana - in Aramaic and in Mishnaic Hebrew tree - Lenas who moved to Israel often resort to this name. For those who are usually called Alena, there is an ideal, in fact complete consonance: Alona from the word “oak”. Considering that “l” in Hebrew is pronounced softly, like the middle between “l” and “l”, the name remains the same in sound as it was.

Elizabeth

Lisa is the European version of the Hebrew name Elisheva. In the Bible, this was the name of the wife of the high priest Aaron (see the book of Exodus). The name Elisheva consists of two stems: “My God” and “oath.” For those who for some reason do not like the name Elisheva (by the way, suitable for a woman of any age and circle), we can offer an alternative in consonance with “Liza” - Aliza - “cheerful”.

(To be continued)