Jewish Naming Traditions: Ashkenazi vs Sephardi Customs

Two Traditions, One People

When an Ashkenazi Jewish family has a baby, the question is: which deceased relative should the child be named after? When a Sephardi Jewish family has a baby, the question is: which living grandparent gets the honor?

These two customs — naming after the dead versus naming after the living — are among the most visible and emotionally significant differences between the world’s two largest Jewish cultural communities. They reflect different philosophies about memory, honor, and how family ties are maintained across generations.

The Ashkenazi Custom: Honoring the Dead

In Ashkenazi tradition, children are named after deceased relatives — never after the living. A baby boy might be named after a grandfather, great-uncle, or other relative who has passed away. A baby girl might receive the name of a grandmother or great-aunt.

The custom serves as a form of memorial. By giving a child the name of a departed relative, the family keeps that person’s memory alive. The child becomes, in a sense, a living memorial — carrying the name forward into a new generation. There is also a mystical dimension: some believe that the soul of the deceased finds continued expression through the child who bears their name.

The flip side is a strong taboo against naming a child after a living relative. This superstition — that giving a baby a living person’s name could somehow harm the older person — has no basis in Jewish law, but it is deeply rooted in Ashkenazi folk culture. Many Ashkenazi Jews feel genuinely uncomfortable when asked if they would name a child after a living parent or grandparent.

The Sephardi Custom: Honoring the Living

Sephardi tradition takes the opposite approach. Naming a child after a living grandparent is one of the greatest honors a family can bestow. The typical order is:

1. First son: named after the paternal grandfather
2. First daughter: named after the paternal grandmother
3. Second son: named after the maternal grandfather
4. Second daughter: named after the maternal grandmother

This system creates a predictable naming pattern that strengthens family bonds across generations. A grandfather who sees his grandchild carry his name experiences a living tribute — not a posthumous one. The child grows up with a tangible connection to the person they are named for.

One practical consequence is that large Sephardi families often have multiple cousins with identical names — all named after the same grandparent. This can cause confusion at family gatherings but is also a source of warmth and humor.

Origins and Reasoning

Neither custom is mandated by Jewish law. The Torah and Talmud do not prescribe naming rules, and both Ashkenazi and Sephardi practices developed as communal customs (minhagim) over centuries.

The Ashkenazi taboo likely has roots in Germanic and Eastern European folk beliefs about the power of names. The Sephardi practice may reflect Mediterranean cultural values, where honoring living elders is paramount.

Both customs achieve the same ultimate goal through opposite means: they use names to bind generations together. Ashkenazi naming binds the present to the past. Sephardi naming binds the present to the living.

Hebrew and Secular Names

In both traditions, the child typically receives a Hebrew name (used for religious purposes) and a secular name (used in daily life). The Hebrew name usually follows the naming tradition more strictly, while the secular name may be an adaptation. An Ashkenazi child named Avraham after a deceased grandfather might go by “Adam” or “Avi” in daily life. A Sephardi child named Yosef after a living grandfather might be called “Joe.”

When Worlds Meet

As Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews increasingly intermarry — particularly in Israel, where the two communities have lived side by side for generations — naming decisions can become complicated. Whose tradition takes precedence?

There is no single answer. Some couples alternate between traditions for different children. Some find creative compromises. Rabbis generally advise that either tradition is valid and that family harmony should guide the decision.

Names as Identity

In both traditions, a name is far more than a label. It is a statement of identity, a link to family history, and an expression of hope for the child’s future. The Hebrew phrase shem tov — “a good name” — refers to both one’s given name and one’s reputation. Jewish naming customs, whether Ashkenazi or Sephardi, reflect the conviction that the name a child carries shapes who they will become.