Naming a Child an Obscure Biblical Name

Question

Is it permitted to name a child a name that is found somewhere in the Torah, but is not normally used in Jewish tradition, whereas the Torah just mentions that person’s name as someone who existed and doesn’t say anything about that person good or bad?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    The accepted approach to giving Biblical names is to use the names of those who were righteous. May an obscure Biblical name be used? Possibly, but I think that one would need to try to ascertain that the Biblical figure, at the very least, was not wicked.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team

  2. ihaveahome
    December 14, 2023 at 4:25 am

    I was wondering about names in parshiot like Naso and Pinchas. People who are simply mentioned as parts of the lineages of the tribes, but the Torah says nothing about whether they were good or evil.

  3. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team
    December 14, 2023 at 11:08 am

    With the exception of the Nasi of Shevet Shimon, in theory, the names are acceptable to use although I do not know of anyone who is named after them. I also wonder whether it is fair to give a child name that is completely different from anyone else’s name. I have met several people over the years who suffered form the fact that they had unusual names.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team