Aside from tradition and custom, is there any written laws proscribing the manner of how a newborn child should be named? Must the child be named after a deceased relative, or can the name be chosen and used as the parents wish – say after a celebrity or friend of a parent or of the family, or even some historical figure?
Hi! I assume and hope that congratulations are in order. If so, may you and all of Israel have a lot of Nachas (satisfaction? fulfillment? It’s hard to translate) from the baby.
I have a tradition from my teacher that there are three people who must like the baby’s name: the father, the mother, and the child. So if someone gets an urge to name a baby “Chupim” or “Mupim”, after one of the sons of Benjamin in this week’s Torah reading, he or she may want to think it over, and maybe find an equivalent that’s more common today. The same might apply to Yiddish names that used to be very common but are unusual now.
There is a beautiful tradition to try to name the baby after a relative. But no, there is no requirement to do so; the parents may name the baby whatever they think best. Of course, there is always a requirement to take people’s feelings into account, and that includes relatives! Certainly, a happy occasion should never be allowed to be a cause of strife or discord, by any of the people involved.
Best wishes,
Michoel Reach