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Hebrew names have their origins in either the Old Testament or modern Hebrew vocabulary.
Local language versions of biblical names of Hebrew origin such as Hannah and David are still widely internationally popular today.
Modern Hebrew names are often derived from Hebrew vocabulary, for example Aviva (spring) and Dov (bear).
Children of Jewish heritage are usually given a Hebrew name for religious purposes and are sometimes also given a local language version of that name for secular purposes.
By custom, Ashkenazi Jews (Jews of German or Eastern European descent) name their children after deceased relatives. This is in order to honor the deceased relative, keep their name and memory alive, and to form a bond between the soul of the baby and the deceased relative so that they can live on within the newer generation.
Sephardic Jews (Jews of Spain, Portugal and the Middle East) in contrast, name their children after living relatives or deceased relatives. The father's parents names are generally used first and then the mother's parents names.
Neither Ashkenazi or Sephardic Jews will name a baby after one of the parents.
After a child is born, the father is given an aliyah (religious honor to bless the reading of the Torah). After this a blessing is said for the health of the mother and child. If the baby is a girl, she is named at this time. If the baby is a boy, he will be named during his brit milah (ritual circumcision) generally eight days after birth.
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