You Name It

I recently learned from Xiu that Chinese names have meaning. Her full name Yi Xiu means "happy" and "pretty" in Chinese, and if you visit her January Winds you will see that her name is worthy of the girl, or rather the girl is more than worthy of her name.

English speakers may find the idea of names having meaning strange. I think most Anglos get their names because they sound nice or dignified. Lately a lot of Americans name their kids with surnames as first names, like little boys being named "Bailey" and little girls being named "Linsey" and somewhere there is a poor little boy being picked on during recess called "Sassasportshvilli". (That's the longest and strangest name I've ever run into.) But really, English names don't mean anything.

All Hebrew names have meaning. When I came to Israel, one of the first things I did was to change my name. I chose Ami, "my people" (hence the name of this blog), because I wanted to express my identification with my new nation.

My wife is Yael. That is a kind of mountain goat, which at first may seem not very complimentary, but if you have ever seen one of the gentle and graceful creatures that inhabit the Judean desert you will see that the name fits her.

I chose my oldest daughter's name like an American. The name sounded nice. Maayan means a water spring or fountain. She volunteered for a year in a home for abandoned children after high school and even in the army her job was to care for other soldiers with personal problems. Now she is studying to be a social worker in
Jerusalem. She is like a mountain spring; bubbling with life, sustaining others without depleting herself. I guess I named her well after all.

After Maayan was born, there was a long barren period in our family. Eventually Yael and I believed that we wouldn't be having any more children. But just then we were blessed with the first of our miracle children. I told Yael that we have to show our gratitude to the Giver of such a gift, and we named our son Netanel (Nathaniel), which is "God gave" in Hebrew. Our second miracle was equally unexpected three years later. We called her Odelia, "I will thank the Lord". Every time we say their names it is praise, thanks to the giver of all blessings.


I've heard of families with a sick baby that changed the name to Rafael, which means "God will heal", and their son revived. (I don't know what you could call a girl.) Sometimes they add "Chai" (life) to a name. The name Tom (which means innocence and is pronounced "Tome") has the same letters as the word for death, so people change the spelling to ward off the grim reaper.

The ancient Romans had a saying, "nomen es omen" – the name is a sign. Maybe it's true. I have to admit that the names of people I know fit them.

But you can't take it too far. Once people believed that if a name that was too good it would invite bad luck. They would name their kids with negative meanings to ward off the evil eye. I wouldn't worry too much if you have a name like that, but if any of you go by the name Caleb, just so you know, the name means "dog".