The Baby's Hebrew Name: How to Choose It (and Share It)?

Choosing your child's Hebrew name is one of the most emotionally loaded decisions a new family makes. Honoring a grandparent who has passed, carrying forward a family story, choosing a biblical or modern name. Here are the 4 major traditions, the right timing to reveal it, and how to announce it elegantly on the invitation.

Tradition 1 — Naming in Honor of Someone Who Has Passed (Ashkenazi)

The classic Ashkenazi tradition: the baby is given the name (or initials) of a relative who has passed away — often a grandparent or great-grandparent. This practice is considered a great honor — the deceased 'lives on' through the child. For both boys and girls, parents look within the family for someone whose memory they want to carry forward. This tradition is so strong that many Ashkenazi couples only choose a modern name as a middle name.

Tradition 2 — Naming in Honor of a Living Relative (Sephardic)

The reverse of the Ashkenazi tradition: Sephardic families often give the name of a grandparent who is STILL LIVING, as a gift of honor. Many Sephardic families alternate between the paternal and maternal grandfather: the first son takes the paternal grandfather's name, the first daughter takes the maternal grandmother's name, and so on. The living grandparent is often moved to tears at the brit milah or the zeved habat.

Tradition 3 — The Strong Biblical Name

Many families choose a name straight from the Torah or the Prophets, carrying strong spiritual meaning. Some popular examples in 2026: Yael (אֱיָעֵל, valiant), Eitan (איתן, steadfast), Liora (ליאורה, my light), Avner (אבנר, my father is light), Mayan (מַעֲיָן, spring of water), Hila (הילה, halo). Always check the meaning — some Hebrew names carry difficult connotations (e.g., Esau, Jezebel) that are best avoided.

Tradition 4 — The Modern Israeli Name

For parents who want a name that works across both cultures, many choose a modern Israeli name that's also easy to pronounce in English: Noa, Liam, Ari, Maya, Or, Tom, Roni. These names have the advantage of being 100% Israeli (so they hold weight in the Jewish community) and 100% usable day-to-day in an English-speaking environment (school, doctor's office, non-Jewish friends). This is the strongest trend among young parents in 2026.

When to Reveal the Name? The Ritual Timing

For a boy: the name is officially announced at the brit milah (8th day). The mohel recites the traditional formula: 'Let his name in Israel be called [name] ben [father's name].' It's only at this moment that the name becomes public. Before that, many families keep it secret — an old superstition meant to 'protect' the newborn.

For a girl: in the Ashkenazi tradition, at the first Torah reading after the birth, the father is called up to the Torah and announces the name there (Mi Sheberakh). In the Sephardic tradition, it happens at the zeved habat ceremony (often 30 days after birth). In both cases, the name is only made public at the ceremony.

How to Write It on the Invitation

Recommended format for a brit milah or zeved habat: '[Everyday name] ([Hebrew name]) — bat/ben [father's Hebrew name]'. Example: 'Sarah Leah (שרה לאה) — bat David ben Avraham'. This format honors both modern usage (the legal given name) and traditional Hebrew genealogy. Tov.events offers this format directly in the brit milah invitation editor.

To announce your child's Hebrew name beautifully, with optional Hebrew calligraphy, head to Tov.events — free brit milah and zeved habat invitations.