Naming Children

Can you Give Me Some Tips on Naming Children?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

For starters, one might want to consider giving only one name to children if they plan calling him later by only one name. However, if when calling the child two names one plans to actually call him by the two names then it is not a problem.

One should not name children after people who lived before Avraham Avinu, as such people were not Jewish and did not perform any mitzvot.

It is forbidden to name a child after someone who was wicked, and it is said that such a child will not be successful in life. One may name a child with a name that was shared by both righteous and wicked people, and when calling the name at the Brit, to have intent that he is calling the child after the Tsadik.

As well as names of those who repented from their evil ways towards the end of their lives, one should still have in mind to name the child after someone with the same name who was more righteous.

One should name the exact name when naming a child after a departed relative, there is no value in merely using a similarly sounding or similarly spelled name, as well or even adding another name. 

Ashkenazi custom is not to name a child after living relatives. In many Sephardic communities, however, it is customary to name children after living relatives, some even have the minhag to name even after a living parent. 

It is permissible to name a child after a deceased sibling. One is discouraged from naming a child after someone who had a particularly bad life or one who died in a tragic manner, especially if it was at a young age. “Young” for these purposes is younger than fifty years old. One who insists on naming a child after one who died young should have in mind when naming the child at the brit of another person who lived a long life.

Pitchei Teshuva, YD 265:6;  Yoma 38b with Tosfot, Tosfot Yeshanim, and Rabbeinu Chananel;  Tosfot, Ketubot 104b s.v. Shnei;  Sefer Chassidim 244, 460;  Shabbat 134a; Chullin 47b; Bava Metzia 84b;  Minchat Elazar 4:27