Interfaith families should find ways to incorporate names from both religions when naming their children. Fortunately, many Hebrew names are also meaningful for Christians. And when one parent is Catholic and the other is Jewish, many Saints' names were originally Hebrew names from the Old Testament so it's easy to choose baby names of significance to both religions.
Jews Marry Catholics
Why talk, specifically, about Jewish / Catholic marriages? Because Jews who marry out of their faith, often end up marrying Catholics, and this pattern is obvious to anyone who knows any Catholics or Jews. No one knows the reason for this trend, but the Jewish / Catholic phenomenon has been confirmed in a study called "The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey", conducted by The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, in 2008.
Observers speculate that Jews are meeting and marrying Italian Catholics because the two groups live near each other in the Northeast. However, on the West Coast, the Catholic spouses often come from French American, German American, or Irish American families.
Catholic Saint Names for Girls
In some Jewish families, grandchildren’s names (or middle names) are selected to honor a recently departed family member. Children are either given the names of beloved relatives or they get names that use the same first letter of the name of the late grandparent, aunt, or uncle.
The best way for interfaith Catholic / Jewish families to honor both religions, is to find a Hebrew name that also belongs to a Catholic saint.
Girls' Names Starting With Letter A, E, I, J, or M
Using the first letter of the name:
- For Letter A: Abigail, the wife of King David, would be a perfect name. She’s important in the Old Testament and St. Abigail would inspire and guide a little girl who is blessed with this name. Many women (and men) from the Old Testament are Catholic Saints, even though these Saints lived long before the Church was established.
- For Letter E: If looking for a way to honor a great-aunt Esther, and Esther is not a parent's favorite name, consider using Saint Elizabeth or Eliza.
- For Letter I: Many of the top 100 names for girls are Hebrew names. Isabella (variant of Elizabeth), means “devoted to God” in Hebrew. And, Saint Isabella is the patron saint of brides, which sounds perfect for any little girl.
- For Letter J: Baby names can honor a relative of the opposite gender, so any "J" names would be fabulous for continuing the memory of a late Uncle Jacob. The name Judith is cute and easy to tuck in as a middle name.
- For Letter M: Uncle Morris could be honored when a baby girl adopts the name Miriam.
Hebrew Names for Boys
So many names are both Hebrew names and Saints’ names. However, Christians should remember that different types of Jewish families have different customs. Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews name their children in different ways, and secular Jews may be happy with almost any name as long as it’s not Christopher or Christine. Examples for boys:
- For Letter D: The names Daniel and David are popular names for Jewish boys and the Catholic Church recognizes several St. Daniels, while St. David is the patron of Wales. Try to find names that are favorites in both religions.
- Letter L: The name Levin is a form of Levi, and there is a Celtic St. Levan, which is sometimes spelled Levin. Voila!
With about 7 to 9 months' time and a partner who knows something about the Hebrew language (or Catholic Saints), it could be fun to hunt for the perfect name. A child’s parents-to-be usually ask family members for input, and the new parents will, hopefully, consider grandma's feelings on the subject. (Other ideas might come from Ask the Rabbi or Ask a Priest.)
Secular Names
Sometimes the Jewish members of a family don't care whether or not the baby is given a Hebrew name. In this case, almost any secular name, with the correct first letter, will make a grandparent happy. Here’s an example:
Letter R: A mother-in-law would like to honor Reuven, her father who passed away. If the Catholic family doesn't care about Saints' names, then any name that starts with "R" is fine. Just don't stray into Greek Gods or any names related to Christmas.
Choosing a name that is reasonably acceptable to all grandparents may take time, but it might be worth it, because these names will continue meaningful and well-established traditions from both sides of the family. And, middle names were probably invented to deal with these types of naming customs.
More Articles:
Punk Baby Beanie Hats & Newborn Headbands for Funky Baby Clothes
Punk Rock Baby Clothes for Boys: Funky Newborn Onesies & Rompers
Cute Newborn Baby Girl Clothes: Hippie, Rock Star, Punk, Baby Tutus
Cute Nicknames for Girls With Unique Old Fashioned Baby Names
Christina Gregoire - Christina Gregoire writes about divorce, fashion, and baby boomers. Her forte is explaining complex ideas in simple language.
Join the Conversation