Find Your Hebrew Name
No Jewish tradition turns a birth date or an English name into a Hebrew name. Jewish names are chosen by family, often to honor a relative, and adults can choose one later in life. Spin below for a real Hebrew name with its spelling, pronunciation, and meaning, just for fun.
How Hebrew and Jewish Names Work
A Hebrew name has two parts: a given name and the name of the parents. A boy is "ben" (son of) and a girl is "bat" (daughter of), so a full Hebrew name reads like Avraham ben David or Leah bat David, and many communities now include both parents, as in Leah bat David v'Sarah.
This is the name used in Jewish ritual. It is how a person is called up to the Torah, starting at a bar or bat mitzvah, how they appear in a ketubah, the marriage contract, and how friends pray for them when they are sick. In the Mi Sheberach prayer for healing, the custom is to use the mother's name.
Jewish Naming Traditions
Most names honor someone. Among Ashkenazi Jews, whose families came from Central and Eastern Europe, the custom is to name a baby after a relative who has died, and naming after a living person is avoided. Among Sephardic Jews, with roots in Spain, North Africa and the Middle East, children are often named after grandparents who are still living, frequently in a set order that starts with the paternal grandparents.
Boys traditionally receive their Hebrew name at the brit milah, on the eighth day after birth. Girls are traditionally named in synagogue when the Torah is read, and many families also hold a celebration for a new daughter, such as a simchat bat or the Sephardic zeved habat. You can read more in our guide to Jewish naming traditions.
Hebrew Name vs. English Name
Many Jews outside Israel have two names: an everyday name in English or another language, and a Hebrew name for Jewish life. The two are often connected, but not always. In the United States the link is usually a sound or a first letter, so a Molly might carry the Hebrew name Malka. Sephardic families have more often matched the meaning instead.
That is why there is no true "translator" for names. Some names already exist in Hebrew, such as Sarah, Daniel or Michael. For others, families pick a Hebrew name with the same first letter, a similar sound, or a similar meaning, often in memory of a relative. Our post on Jewish names and their meanings covers how names moved between languages.
Can You Find a Jewish Name by Your Birth Date?
No. Jewish tradition has no rule for working out a person's name from their date of birth, so a calculator that claims to do it is offering entertainment, not tradition. Names come from family, memory and meaning.
A birth date can inspire a choice. Some families look to a holiday near the birth, for example Esther or Mordechai for a baby born around Purim, or to a name in that week's Torah portion. If you are curious about your own date, the Hebrew birthday finder converts it to the Hebrew calendar and shows the Torah portion of that week.
Choosing a Hebrew Name as an Adult
Plenty of adults never received a Hebrew name, or have lost track of it. If you had one, your parents, a naming or bar or bat mitzvah certificate, a ketubah, or the synagogue where you grew up may have it on record. Adults who are taking a Hebrew name now, including people converting to Judaism, usually choose one with a rabbi. A convert is traditionally called the son or daughter of Avraham and Sarah.
About This Name Generator
The generator picks at random from a short list of real Hebrew names used in Jewish life, each with its Hebrew spelling, a pronunciation guide and a common meaning. Filter for boy, girl or gender-neutral names and spin as often as you like.
It is a fun way to explore names, not a ritual authority. For a baby naming, a bar or bat mitzvah, or a conversion, talk with your family and a rabbi. To see what the letters of a name add up to, try it in our gematria calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out my Hebrew name?
If you were given one as a baby, ask your parents or check a naming certificate, a bar or bat mitzvah certificate, your ketubah, or the records of the synagogue where you grew up. If you never had one, you can choose one now, ideally with a rabbi.
Can I find my Jewish name by my date of birth?
No. There is no Jewish tradition for deriving a name from a birth date. Some families take inspiration from a holiday near the birth or from that week's Torah portion, but that is a choice, not a rule.
How do I translate my English name into Hebrew?
There is usually no exact translation. If your name is biblical, such as Sarah or Daniel, it already exists in Hebrew. Otherwise people choose a Hebrew name with the same first letter, a similar sound, or a similar meaning, often to honor a relative.
Do Ashkenazi Jews name babies after living relatives?
Traditionally no. Ashkenazi custom is to name a child after a relative who has died. Sephardic Jews often name children after living grandparents, which is considered an honor.
What do ben and bat mean in a Hebrew name?
Ben means son of and bat means daughter of. A full Hebrew name joins the person's name to a parent's, as in Yosef ben Avraham, and many communities include both parents.
Is this generator a real way to get a Hebrew name?
It shows real Hebrew names with their meanings, but it picks at random and is just for fun. A Hebrew name for a ceremony is chosen by family, usually with a rabbi.