Jewish Given Name Variations

Jews used different given names in different localities and for different purposes. Typically Jews were given a Hebrew name. This name would be used in religious rituals and within the Jewish community. Historically, Jews have also taken on local names to match the local customs of the area in which they lived. The local name was usually a translation of the person’s Hebrew name into the local language or was related to the Hebrew name in some other way. Sometimes there was no difference between the Hebrew and local name except for pronunciation. The Jewish Gen Given Names Database captures the different given names used by Jews in a specific country as well as the given name changes from one country to another. For example, if your great grandfather immigrated to the United States as “Morris” it is possible he travelled under a different given name like “Moses” and had even another different given name in the country where he came from such as “Moshe”.