Jewish Names
In Judaism,
one's name has always been considered to be extremely
important. As names were bestowed, the meaning of the
name was the prime consideration of its selection. The
name often embodied characteristics that the parents
wished the infant to have, or experiences surrounding
the birth or the look of the infant.
The close association between the name and
the person led to the common belief that changing a
name would prevent the evil spirit from harming the
person. If the name were changed, the evil spirit would
not recognize the person. This belief is embodied in
the Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 16b): "Four things can abrogate
the decree of man and they are: charity, supplication,
change of name and change of action."
These superstitions carried over in Eastern
Europe to the naming of children. In Poland,
for example, when several people have died in a family,
a newborn child is given a name that is never uttered,
so as not to give the evil spirit any opportunity. Often,
a nickname was given to the child, such as "Alte"
(Old One), Chaim (Life), or Zaida (Grandfather). This
was a way of deceiving the angel of death. A similar
practice was adopted for the extremely ill.
In Ashkenazi Judaism, the custom arose to name a child after a deceased
relative. Infants were not named after the living because
the angel of death might mistake the infant for the
adult and take the wrong one. Some felt that using the
name of a living relative might rob the adult of their
soul, as the name was tied very closely to the soul.
Sources: Shamash |