Top 10 Baby Names for Jewish customs

The top 10 baby names in Hebrew may sound a bit different from the English, but the process of choosing a name in any language is essentially the same. For religious Jews living in America, baby-naming can be tough. Many traditions require a Hebrew name, such as being called to read publicly from the Torah in synagogue, or standing under a Chupah to get married. It has become very common for religious Jews to choose not one, but two different names for their children - one to be used in Jewish rituals, and one to be used in the secular world, ie College and the workplace.

To narrow down the choices, it is common to choose a Hebrew and English name that begin with the same letter, such as Linda in English and Leah in Hebrew. A set of names might two versions of the same name, like John in English and Yonatan in Hebrew. Or, an English name might be a translation from the Hebrew - for instance, Vered in Hebrew and Rose in English.

Here are some popular Jewish names, taken from the 1990 U.S. census.

Male Names Aaron (Aharon) Adam Benjamin Daniel David Jonathan (Y'honatan) Joseph Joshua (Y'hoshua) Michael Samuel (Sh'mu'el)

Female Names Deborah Elizabeth (Elisheva) Judith (Y'hudit) Mary (Miriam) Rachel Rebecca (Rivka) Ruth Sarah Sharon (a place name in the Bible) Susan (Shoshanah)

You can read more about Jewish names at Judaism 101.