Taking on a Hebrew name?

[Director Michael]

Thanks for your question! The feminine form of Jacob, for a girl, would be Jacoba.

Or if you want it to be closer to the sound of the actual Hebrew name (Yakov or Yaakov for a male), it would be Yakova or Yaakova for a female.

[Mattityahu ben Noach]

Yes, a Noahide may do that if he/she wishes. Although a Noahide would normally retain his/her father's name, e.g. Iyov ben [son of] [his father's given names], unless there is a particular reason that the Noahide doesn't want to do so.

Suppose one's father wasn't particularly righteous, such that keeping his name alive be a reproach?
In Ezekiel 18 it says that if there is a son of a man who had sinned, and the son repents and removes himself from his father's sin, the sins of the son will not be remembered against him, and the chapter begins by assuring us that the sins of the father do not fall upon the son. Would it be better to put the past aside, and move forward (take a new name), or to keep mindful where one has come from to provide incentive not to return to that place?

[Director Michael]

The meaning of Ezekiel 18, and the meaning of "put the past aside, and move forward," is not that the person should take a new name. The meaning is that the person should repent and abandon his own past sinful ways that he learned from his parent(s). He should start leading a life of observing his commandments (the Noahide Code if one is a Gentile, and the Mosaic Code if one is a Jew), doing acts of goodness and kindness and following the path of righteousness in his everyday activities (in thought, speech and action).

But your legal name, as well as the name you normally go by, is a matter of your own choice.

[Mattityahu ben Noach]

On another forum I chose a name that I thought sounded Jewish/Hebrew. The name I chose was Pi-thu-el. I chose it because of a play on words. A supervisor I once had once told me I had a "proclivity to laxity," so I chose "p-to-l" as my name in this other forum, but I spelled it "Pi-Thu-El" (pronounced as "pee-tu-el"). Later, I was informed that "Pethuel" is a name found in the book of Joel. I have read the entire Tanakh, so I must have read that name before, but I didn't recall the name being there, and when I went to look up "Pithuel" I didn't find anything. (Note the 'i' instead of the 'e').
Is the fact that a name I chose for myself actually exists and is in the Bible coincidental?
I understand the name "Pethuel" means something like, "openminded to G-d". Can you confirm that, or tell me anything about the name or about the person in the Book of Joel that had that name?
Thanks.

[Director Michael]

With the transliteration rules used by Judaica Press, the first verse of the Book of Joel is given in English as "The word of the L-rd, which came to Joel son of Pethuel." The actual pronunciation of the Hebrew name at the end of the verse is P'soo'ayl ('oo' as in "moon").
Rashi's explanation: "to Joel son of Pethuel" - The son of Samuel the prophet who persuaded [pheetah]
G-d [l'ayl] with his prayer.
Certainly it was Divine Providence that you made up that name for the other forum. If you don't see anything providential about it now, maybe you will in the future.

[NickJT]

Shalom, Greetings and thank you to everyone on this forum for your very enlightening information. I have just joined and was interested in finding out the exact Hebrew translation for my name 'Nicholas' I found one site which translated my name to 'Netzach' would this be correct? and how is it pronounced exactly.. Net-ZaH ? Thank you.

[Director Michael]

The name "Nicholas" comes from the Greek expression for "victorious people." The Hebrew word "Netzach" means "victory" or "eternity." It ends in the Hebrew letter "?" (chet). This letter is symbolized in English letters by "ch," but it does not have an equivalent sound in the English alphabet. The sound is a gutteral rasp from the back of the tongue on the back of the palate. The pronunciation is the same as the "ch" in German, as in "ich" or "achtung."

[excited_for_life]

Does the name "Liam" have any meaning in Hebrew? I've read somewhere that it means "my people" or "my nation"
Is this true?
If so, I would think that's incredible, because for my son I am pregnant with, I wanted the name "Abram," which is "leader of nations or multitudes," but my husband preferred "Liam," which I eventually agreed on... The possible similarities in the meanings of the two diverse names makes me think of an article I read where a Rabbi was saying that parents get to play prophet for a short time when choosing a name for their son or daughter.

[Director Michael]

> I've read somewhere that it means "my people" or "my nation"

That is correct.

[Director Michael]

B"H. Question: I feel a need to change the name that I go by publicly, and maybe even change my legal name also. What is the Torah perspective about this for Noahides?

Answer:

The general principle of this subject is that a person has authority and freedom of choice over his name.

However, this is a matter that should not be taken lightly. A person needs to keep in mind that his internal spiritual-life force is bestowed to him from the Heavenly realms, while the physical things that maintain his physical life, like food and drink, etc., are only external factors. A person's name is one of the conduits through which those spiritual influences come into, sustain and effect his life. But the person's degree of righteousness or sinfulness in G-d's eyes is the most immediate issue at hand, so the person needs to get those things in order as his highest priority. Many Gentiles find that repenting from past sins and sinful ways, and accepting to serve the One G-d as a pious Noahide (both of which they are obligated to do, regardless of what is happening in their lives on an external level), and increasing in deeds of goodness and kindness, brings more fulfillment and blessings into their lives.

There is good reason to just stay with the name that one is given at birth by one's parents, because (a) parents may be gifted with ru'ach hakodesh (spiritual insight) in the matter of choosing the name for their child, and (b) everything happens by Divine Providence. But on a case by case basis, a particular name that is inappropriate for a particular person may be channeling negativity or other challenges into that person's life.

If a person is experiencing a lot of difficulty in his life, it might be that the name that he was given is contributing to that. But it might have more to do with the people that he is associating with, and/or the location that he's living in (and/or his actions or lack of self-refinement, as mentioned above). Or, his name might be causing him embarrassment or internal conflict (for example, if he was given a name of, or based on, a false deity). In any case, it does sometimes happen that a person feels that he needs to consider changing his name. But since a name change may have spiritual (and therefore leading to physical) consequences for his life, which he is not privileged to see beforehand, it's worthwhile for him to seek advice from a (and hopefully his) reliable, trusted and spiritually sensitive Rabbi or spiritual adviser ("mashpia"), as to whether he needs to change his name, and if so, what he should consider changing it to.

Also note that if it is someone else who is urging the person to change his name, the person needs to be very cautious as to whether that other person really has his best interests at heart, or if that other person might have some hidden, and less than good, agenda in mind.