Using two relatives names

amother

Thu, Aug 18 2022, 5:48 pm

Is it ok to use two relatives names for the same child? Halachically? I want to name after my grandmother - her name was Baila, but I don’t love the name Baila. I think it’s much better combined with another name. Ex:
-Sara Baila
- Chava Baila

amother

Mauve

Thu, Aug 18 2022, 5:57 pm

amother OP wrote:

I am named after two people, I have some cousins named after two people. I have one child named after two people with the same first name but different middle names, so we only used the first name. I don’t think there is really any halacha about it.

amother

Stonewash

Thu, Aug 18 2022, 6:33 pm

They're called "naming traditions" because that's what they are: traditions, not halacha, and they're based on your family history. Mizrachim name children to honor living relatives, while Ashkenazim would consider this tantamount to murdering the relative so honored. You can always check with your rabbi, but there's nothing wrong with naming a child after two or more people. How do you think people got all those double, triple and quadruple names in the first place? Contrary to popular thought, giving a child the name of a deceased person does not transfer that person's soul to the child. He won't have multiple souls struggling for ascendancy over his character.

amother

Mintcream

Thu, Aug 18 2022, 6:51 pm

Everyone does it. But when I added a name because of arelative who died young I chose a name that was a direct ancestor to this relative, that I heard nice things about in case my child ever decided that s/he wanted that name instead of the primary name.
As a grandmother now I leave it all up to my kids. They don't have to choose relatives. But if they do from our side I told them I prefer they stick to one person.

amother

Latte

Thu, Aug 18 2022, 10:38 pm

I'm sure there's no halacha not to, because plenty of people do. But lots of minhagim and many rabbanim with different opinions.

Our Rav said if we want to get whatever zchusim there are for naming after someone, it has to be the same exact name, and the child needs to be called by that exact name at least sometimes.

So if Great-grandma's named was Rochel Leah, the baby (according to this opinion) would need to be named Rochel Leah, not Rochel or Leah or Rochel Perel or Yaakov or simcha because she was so b'simcha.
And if the baby went by Rochel, you'd need to sometimes use "Rochel Leah".

Of course, that doesn't mean you CAN'T name the baby Leah or Perel or Fraidel, just that (according to this opinion) that wouldn't be considered naming after Alta Bubby.

amother

Carnation

Fri, Aug 19 2022, 5:39 am

amother Mintcream wrote:

Your preference don't really matter. It's not YOUR family. It's their family members too.

amother

Mintcream

Fri, Aug 19 2022, 10:58 am

amother Carnation wrote:

Your preference don't really matter. It's not YOUR family. It's their family members too.

I told them they have the ruach hakodesh, before anything else. But if they ask....

yonabets

Mon, Aug 22 2022, 2:39 pm

The most important is that you and your dh love the name.If you don't like baila ,you add a name without thinking twice....good luck.

amother

Azalea

Mon, Aug 22 2022, 2:47 pm

amother OP wrote:

There’s a sefer about naming babies, forgot the name, but it said when you name after2 different people, it’s like you haven’t named after either one. So think carefully before deciding.