יום שישי, י״ח תמוז תשפ״וFriday, July 3, 2026
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Despite the original Shulamit not being a name (but rather a description), in post-Biblical times, that word came to be used as a personal name given to Jewish girls, and in the last generation or so has actually become quite popular.
When we recall the story of Chanuka, we think not only of the Hasmoneans’ stunning victory over the Seleucid Greeks, but also of the special gift that followed: the miracle of the oil. In the newly rededicated Temple, a single sealed jar of pure olive oil was found, enough for just one day – yet it burned for eight.
As you likely know, the Jewish surname Barber originates specifically within the Ashkenazic Jewish community. While this doesn’t entirely rule out possible Hebrew or Aramaic origins, it makes them less likely.
One of the problems with the Mabit’s position that the Chida focuses on is how Moses was able to name his son Eliezer, if that name is clearly from the time before Abraham (as we mentioned)?
The earliest instances of Lavi as a first name that I know about are all found in the halachic responsa of the Algerian Sage Rabbi Yitzchak bar Sheshet (1326–1408), also known as the Rivash.
There are several leniencies in applying this restriction when the names do not totally match up. For example, if the names do not match exactly – such as a father-in-law named Yaakov Yosef and a son-in-law named Yosef – some poskim permit the marriage.
The name Maya ranked as the fifth most popular name for Jewish girls born in Israel in 2023.
What do Pope Benedict XVI, Barack Obama, Naftali Bennett, and Hosni Mubarak all have in common? Yes, they were all political leaders in the early 21st century, but this column is about names, not politics. So, my answer is actually that all their names are related to each other. Let me explain.
I am anticipating a deluge of angry letters from people listing off important persons named Elimelech that I’ve ignored, but the truth remains that despite the continued use of that personal name since Biblical times, Elimelech was always a fairly rare name until the times of the Noam Elimelech.
Just as acronyms serve modern convenience, they also hold a unique place in Jewish history and culture, where many family names actually derive from meaningful acronyms. These surnames serve as more than mere identifiers.
Interestingly, some argue the exact opposite: her original name was Batya, but she changed it to Bitya as an act of humility.
As an interesting aside that only etymologists like myself could appreciate, the name Juanacita itself sort of has a connection to Chanukah. This is because that name derives from the name Juan/John, which is a Latinization of the Hebrew name Yochanan.
In which we also explore the names Edna, Eidel, Ettel, and more.
...even though Avshalom the person might have been a wicked fellow, since his name has a positive meaning (father of peace, or my father is peace or something along those lines), it is still appropriate to use this name in naming our children.
While it is true that most typically Jewish names are simply taken from Tanach or Chazal (especially male names), not all do.
July 3, 2026 
