Our Hebrew Names Tell Our Story

Dror, Dudu, Osnat, Sagi, Yaki, Moran, Yam.

Believe it or not, these are all popular Hebrew names, each with a beautiful meaning. But if you have ever met a Moran in an English context, they will probably tell you pretty quickly that they are not, in fact, a moron.

As humorous as it might be that a lot of Israeli names just straight up don’t work in English, it is more than just a funny linguistic coincidence. During the early years of the mid-twentieth century Zionist movement, pioneers were eager to shed their diaspora identities. They preferred to name their children distinctly Israeli names rather than Yiddish ones. While some continued to use traditional biblical names, many other new olim (immigrants to Israel) began to embrace modern Hebrew words as names—especially those with connections to the physical land, like Rotem, a desert flower, or Geffen, a vine. The new names signaled a new era for the Jewish people and an important reclaiming of our connection with our ancient homeland.

The Jewish Relationship with Names

Since the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel and an ensuing rise in antisemitism around the world, many of us have been reminded of that post-Holocaust era. Will it be safe for our Jewishness to be known? Will Weisses and Steinbergs become Smiths and Joneses once again?

Though a Jewish name can carry the pressure and danger of publicly identifying our heritage in times of violent opposition, it can also bear beautiful significance that points us towards a hopeful future.

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, we see that names have always carried the weight of the story of our people.

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, we see that names have always carried the weight of the story of our people. They’ve borne the heaviness of suffering and blazed as beacons of triumph. They’ve communicated spiritual truth and promised a legacy and future hope. They’ve played a role in shaping our collective identity. They have even helped us grapple with our life’s purpose.

The Significance of Names in Jewish Scripture 

Jacob: “Wrestled with God”

The patriarch Jacob experienced what is possibly the most memorable divine name change in the Hebrew Scriptures. Genesis 32 records that while in the middle of a challenging journey, Jacob encountered a mysterious figure, often interpreted as an angel or a manifestation of God.

Jacob wrestled with this divine being throughout the night, resulting in a dislocated hip. Despite the pain, Jacob continued to wrestle and insisted on receiving a blessing. In response, his opponent said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:28).

Jacob means “to supplant” or “to overtake.” He was given this name because he was born grabbing onto his twin brother’s heel—interpreted by his parents as a primal move to supplant his brother. By the time he wrestled with the angel, Jacob had spent much of his life trying to claw his way to success in a culture that told him that as a second-born, he would always be second best. 

Against this backdrop, Jacob’s name change takes on a deeper significance. His journey had not been in vain, and God Himself had seen Jacob as worthy to contend with. The name “Israel” can be interpreted as “He who strives with God,” and it encapsulates Jacob’s willingness to hold on to God and not let go, even amidst pain and struggle. In a single word, the new name of “Israel” affirmed that Jacob was seen, known, and blessed by God. 

Moses: “Drawn Out of the Water”

Moses was born during a time when Pharaoh had ordered the killing of all Hebrew male infants by throwing them into the Nile River. To save his life, Moses’ mother, Yocheved, placed him in a basket in the river. Pharaoh’s daughter discovered Moses in the water and drew him out, saving his life, and embracing him as her son. 

Moses’ name provides a clue that water would continue to be a significant theme throughout his life.

Moses’ name provides a clue that water would continue to be a significant theme throughout his life. One day, Moses would perform a miracle that would turn the Nile River, that very body of water that was meant to end his life, into a river of blood. In doing so, he called for justice for all those who had not been drawn out of the water. 

When the Israelites fled from their Egyptian oppressors, Moses stretched out his staff, and God parted the waters of the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to walk across on dry land before the waters returned and drowned the pursuing Egyptian soldiers. On the other side of being drawn out of this water, Israel entered into the same redemption as that of Moses, as a nation chosen by God as His firstborn son (Exodus 4).

Deborah: “The Mighty Bee”

Deborah was a prophetess, judge, and military leader who played a crucial role in rallying the Israelite troops against the Canaanites, leading them to victory in a significant battle (Judges 4–5). 

The name Deborah is derived from the Hebrew word davar which means “bee.” While it may be a tiny creature, bees are often seen as a symbol of female power. Beehives are famously matriarchal, with a queen bee at the helm of a busy operation. 

Though bees can produce honey, they can also sting. This juxtaposition encapsulates Deborah, a poetic prophetess who also rode into battle. She embodied a breadth of character that points us to the multifaceted character of her Creator. God leads His people with both mercy and justice, tenderness and strength. 

Gideon: “Man of Valor” 

I’m partial to the name Gideon; it’s the name I gave to one of my children. Coming from the same Hebrew root as “great warrior,” the name carries with it a force of strength. But when we first meet Gideon, the ancient judge, in the biblical narrative, he’s hiding from Israel’s enemies—not exactly a position of courage.

God knew who Gideon could become even before Gideon did. He knew the man in hiding could be the man in victory.

Even so, an angel of the Lord addressed Gideon as a “mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12). God knew who Gideon could become even before Gideon did. He knew the man in hiding could be the man in victory. This text implies to every reader, even hundreds or thousands of years later, that God sees us through the lens of His ultimate purpose for our lives, regardless of where we are in our journeys. When Gideon asked God repeatedly to affirm this calling, the Lord ultimately led him and his army to an incredible and unlikely victory. 

Immanuel: “God with Us” 

According to the New Testament accounts, another name for Jesus was Immanuel, meaning “God with us,” taken from the prophet Isaiah (7:14). This ancient prophecy foreshadowed the coming of a Messiah who would serve as a divine presence among humanity, bridging the gap between God and humankind.

The name Immanuel is most often attributed to Jesus during the Christmas season, because of how perfectly it speaks to his birth, a divine entrance into a physical world. The name spoken by the prophet nearly a thousand years prior to Jesus’ birth was meant to signify exactly what Jesus embodied: that God loved us so deeply, He wanted to enter our world, experience our joys and sorrows, our triumphs and tribulations. Even now, this name is a reminder that we are never alone in our journey through life. God is with us.

Your Name Has Purpose

Our names are more than what we are called or what we put on legal forms. Our name shapes our identity.

Within every name is a story. In Judaism today, a boy’s name is given at the same time as his brit milah (bris), the circumcision ceremony that will enter that baby into the covenant between God and Israel. Similarly, baby girls are often named during a simchat bat, a ceremony that encapsulates the joy of a new daughter of our people. These ceremonies remind us that our names are more than what we are called or what we put on legal forms. Our name shapes our identity. As we share names in Hebrew, Yiddish, and so many other languages, their meanings together collectively tell our story as a Jewish people. 

Our name is one of the most central parts of who we are, and yet it’s something we don’t choose. There are pieces of our identity chosen for us, but there are also pieces that we have the power to choose. We can choose to walk with God, who ultimately is the one who reveals the purpose for which we were created. God knows each of us by name, and He has called us to know His (Psalm 91:14; Isaiah 43:7). What else could more powerfully remind us that not only our names, but our very lives, are full of purpose and intention?