Your Hebrew Name and Birthday

Have you ever wondered about the meaning and origin of your Hebrew name and Hebrew birthday or thought about what happened on your birthday in Jewish history?

About Jewish Names:

A Jewish name is profoundly spiritual. In Hebrew, a name is not merely a convenient conglomeration of letters. Rather the name reveals its essential characteristic. The Midrash tells us that the first man, Adam, looked into the essence of every creature and named it accordingly. The same idea applies to names of people. For example, Leah named her fourth son Judah (in Hebrew, Yehudah). This comes from the same root as the word "thanks." The letters can also be rearranged to spell out the holy Name of God. The significance is that Leah wanted to particularly express her "thanks to God." (Genesis 29:35)

Ashkenazi Jews have the custom of naming a child after a relative who has passed away. This keeps the name and memory alive, and in a metaphysical way forms a bond between the soul of the baby and the deceased relative. Sefardi Jews also name children after relatives who are still alive.
Some customarily choose a name based on the Jewish holiday coinciding with the birth. Similarly, names are sometimes chosen from the Torah portion corresponding to the week of the birth. Many names and events are mentioned in each Torah portion, offering a spiritual connection between the baby and that particular biblical figure.
Ultimately, it's what you make of your name that counts. For at the beginning we are given a name, and at the end of life a "good name" is all we take with us.

Aish.com now has an app where you can enter your name and birthday and find out what your name means and what happened in Jewish history on the day you were born.