Animal names as first names in Hebrew
Encyclopedia
The Hebrew Language has many given name
s which are animal names, some of which are derived from the Bible
, while others are more modern.
have animal names, most of them of smaller animals and herbivores. Several of these are still in Hebrew use (mainly female names), and have also passed into various other languages, mainly via Christianity
.
Other animal names of characters in the Bible did not become common names in later times, among them:
Note: the Bible mentions a character named Zeeb זאב—Wolf—a name which did become common among Jews in later time and up to the present (now pronounced Ze'ev). This usage is unlikely to be derived from the Biblical character, who was an enemy of the Hebrews, a Midian
ite King killed by the Judge Gideon—while the Jewish custom was to adopt only the names of Biblical characters whose original bearers were deemed righteous. Therefore, the later appearance of the name among Jews, simultaneously with the names of other large animals, is more likely to be a complement to the name Benjamin
, who is compared to a "ravenous wolf" in Genesis 49:27.
Typically, bi-lingual names were used, the animal name appearing first in Hebrew (the Holy Language for these communities), often as companion name to the name of one of the Twelve Tribes, followed by the corresponding name (that is, having the same meaning) in Yiddish (the vernacular of daily life).
Harav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin
(more commonly known by the acronym Netziv) was sometimes referred to as Reb Hirsh Leib, a Yiddish version of his Hebrew name. Naftali
, another member of the Twelve Tribes, is represented by the deer, as he is compared in the Bible to an אילה שלוחה, or "swift hind". However, tsvi is Hebrew for a gazelle. While deer
and gazelle
s may appear similar superficially, they are in different taxonomic families: deer are Cervidae and gazelles are Bovidae. But since gazelles are unknown in Europe, the name Tzvi was transposed onto deer, the most similar animal. The relatively common practice of naming children Naftali Zvi or "Zvi Hirsch" originated with this error, and has continued on in the tradition of naming offspring after deceased relatives.
With the advent of Zionism
, Hebrew became the spoken language and Yiddish fell into disuse (and until the 1950s, was actively campaigned against). Accordingly, use of Yiddish names was discontinued and only the Hebrew ones retained in the Hebrew-speaking society built up in Ottoman- and British-ruled Palestine
, from which Israel
eventually emerged.
To the above-mentioned Tzvi צבי (gazelle), Israeli society added:
Both words exist in the Bible as the names of the animals concerned, but became given names only in the 20th century.
Also, Aryeh אריה (Lion) is often shortened to Ari ארי.
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
s which are animal names, some of which are derived from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, while others are more modern.
Biblical names
Many characters in the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
have animal names, most of them of smaller animals and herbivores. Several of these are still in Hebrew use (mainly female names), and have also passed into various other languages, mainly via Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
- RachelRachelRachel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is a prophet and the favorite wife of Jacob, one of the three Biblical Patriarchs, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She was the daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah, Jacob's first wife...
רחל—Little LambDomestic sheepSheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
or EweDomestic sheepSheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries... - LeahLeahLeah , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is the first of the two concurrent wives of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob and mother of six of sons whose descendants became the Twelve Tribes of Israel, along with at least one daughter, Dinah. She is the daughter of Laban and the older sister of Rachel, whom...
לאה— Based on Akkadian parallels, probably means cow, and therefore a counterpart to her sister Rachel's name - DeborahDeborahDeborah was a prophetess of Yahweh the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel, counselor, warrior, and the wife of Lapidoth according to the Book of Judges chapters 4 and 5....
דבורה—BeeBeeBees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila... - ZipporahZipporahZipporah or Tzipora is mentioned in the Book of Exodus as the wife of Moses, and the daughter of Reuel/Jethro, the priest or prince of Midian...
ציפורה—BirdBirdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from... - YaelYaelYael is a character mentioned in the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible, as the heroine who killed Sisera to deliver Israel from the troops of king Jabin...
יעל—Mountain GoatMountain goatThe Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
, literally Ibex (ascending) - JonahJonahJonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
יונה—DoveDovePigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably... - CalebCalebCaleb is a male given name. A character called Caleb is named in both the Bible and Quran.-Caleb:When the Hebrews came to the outskirts of Canaan, the land that had been promised to them by God, after having fled slavery in Egypt, Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan to report on what was...
could be a variant of Kelev—DogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, even though its most plausible origin is a transposition of the name as found in other Semitic languages such as Phoenician and Ugaritic, meaning "servant of the Lord" http://mikranet.cet.ac.il/pages/item.asp?item=12328. The name has become popular in North America, but is not commonly used in Hebrew-speaking Israel.
Other animal names of characters in the Bible did not become common names in later times, among them:
- Hamor חמור—DonkeyDonkeyThe donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
- Nahash נחש—SnakeSnakeSnakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
- AchborAchborAchbor is a name that means "gnawing" and is, by extension, used as the word for "mouse"...
עכבור, a variety of Achbar עכבר—MouseMouseA mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles... - ShaphanShaphanShaphan is a scribe or court secretary mentioned several times in the Old Testament .-Biblical account:...
שפן—HyraxHyraxA hyrax is any of four species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. The rock hyrax Procavia capensis, the yellow-spotted rock hyrax Heterohyrax brucei, the western tree hyrax Dendrohyrax dorsalis, and the southern tree hyrax, Dendrohyrax arboreus live in Africa... - HuldahHuldahHuldah was a prophetess mentioned briefly in , and . After the discovery of a book of the Law during renovations at Solomon's Temple, on the order of King Josiah, Hilkiah together with Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah approach her to get the Lord's opinion....
חולדה—WeaselWeaselWeasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....
or RatRatRats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus... - OrebOrebOreb, a Hebrew Old Testament name meaning raven.By the time of the Judges, the Midianites, led by two princes Oreb and Zeeb were raiding Israel with the use of swift camels, until they were decisively defeated by Gideon. Oreb was slain along with Zeeb...
עורב—RavenRavenRaven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
Note: the Bible mentions a character named Zeeb זאב—Wolf—a name which did become common among Jews in later time and up to the present (now pronounced Ze'ev). This usage is unlikely to be derived from the Biblical character, who was an enemy of the Hebrews, a Midian
Midian
Midian , Madyan , or Madiam is a geographical place and a people mentioned in the Bible and in the Qur'an. It is believed to be in northwest Saudi Arabia on the east shore of the Gulf of Aqaba and the northern Red Sea...
ite King killed by the Judge Gideon—while the Jewish custom was to adopt only the names of Biblical characters whose original bearers were deemed righteous. Therefore, the later appearance of the name among Jews, simultaneously with the names of other large animals, is more likely to be a complement to the name Benjamin
Benjamin
Benjamin was the last-born of Jacob's twelve sons, and the second and last son of Rachel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin. In the Biblical account, unlike Rachel's first son, Joseph, Benjamin was born in Canaan. He died in Egypt on...
, who is compared to a "ravenous wolf" in Genesis 49:27.
History
At least since the first decade of the 18th century, animal names which had not been used as given names in Biblical times (most of them being the names of large predators) are evident among the East European Yiddish-speaking Jewish communities.Typically, bi-lingual names were used, the animal name appearing first in Hebrew (the Holy Language for these communities), often as companion name to the name of one of the Twelve Tribes, followed by the corresponding name (that is, having the same meaning) in Yiddish (the vernacular of daily life).
- Dov דב Ber בער – BearBearBears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
(of which "Ber" is the Yiddish equivalent). Among those having the name can be mentioned:- Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch
- Rabbi Sholom Dovber SchneersohnSholom Dovber SchneersohnSholom Dovber Schneersohn was an Orthodox rabbi and the fifth Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement. He is also known as "the Rebbe nishmosei eiden" and as "the Rebbe Rashab" .His teachings represent the emergence of an emphasis on outreach that later Chabad Rebbes would develop...
- Dov Ber Berochov (the Socialist Zionist thinker)
- AryehAriehArieh was a biblical character who, along with , was one of the body-guard slain with Pekahiah at Samaria by the conspirator Pekah....
אריה Leib לייב – LionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
.- Rabbi Aryeh Leib HaCohen HellerAryeh Leib HaCohen HellerAryeh Leib Heller-Kahane was a Rabbi, Talmudist, and Halachist in Galicia. He was known as "the Ketzos" based on his greatest work, Ketzot Hachoshen, קצות החושן.-Biography:...
- Rabbi Aryeh Leib ben Asher GunzbergAryeh Leib ben Asher GunzbergAryeh Leib ben Asher Gunzberg , also known as the Shaagas Aryeh , was an Ashkenazi rabbi and author....
- Rabbi Aryeh Leib MalinAryeh Leib MalinRabbi Aryeh Leib Malin was a Rabbi, Talmudist, and Mussarist in both Europe and America.-Biography:Rabbi Malin was born in Białystok. In his early years, Reb Leib learned in Grodno under Rabbi Shimon Shkop. Later, he learned by Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman and Rabbi Baruch Ber Lebowitz...
- Rabbi Aryeh Leib Jelin
- Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib AlterYehudah Aryeh Leib AlterYehudah Aryeh Leib Alter , also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes, was a Hasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, as the av beis din and Rav of Góra Kalwaria, Poland , and succeeded the Rebbe, Reb Heynekh of Alexander, as Rebbe of the Gerrer...
(YehudahJudah (Biblical figure)Judah was, according to the Book of Genesis, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Judah. Biblical scholars, such as J. A...
was one of the Twelve Tribes and is represented by the lion)
- Rabbi Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller
- Zev זאב Wolf וואלף – Wolf
- Rabbi Zev WolfZev WolfZev Wolf of Zbaraz was the third son of Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zlotshov, known as "The Maggid of Zlotshov"....
of Zbarazh - Rabbi Zev Wolf Levitin, (mentioned in MashpiaMashpiaMashpia lit. "person of influence", pl. Mashpi'im is the title of a rabbi or rebbetzin who serves as a spiritual mentor in Tomchei Temimim , in a girls' seminary belonging to the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, or in a Chabad community.-Definition:Although counterparts to the mashpia exist in...
) - Rabbi Yehudah Zev Wolf Kornreich (mentioned in Biala (Hasidic dynasty)Biala (Hasidic dynasty)The Biala Hasidic dynasty originated from Poland. The Rebbes of Biala are descended from Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Rabinowicz, known as the Yid Hakodosh .-Lineage:...
)- Binyamin Zev is another variant, because BinyaminBenjaminBenjamin was the last-born of Jacob's twelve sons, and the second and last son of Rachel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin. In the Biblical account, unlike Rachel's first son, Joseph, Benjamin was born in Canaan. He died in Egypt on...
was another of the Twelve Tribes and is represented by the wolf)
- Binyamin Zev is another variant, because Binyamin
- Rabbi Zev Wolf
- Tzvi צבי Hirsh הירש – GazelleGazelleA gazelle is any of many antelope species in the genus Gazella, or formerly considered to belong to it. Six species are included in two genera, Eudorcas and Nanger, which were formerly considered subgenera...
/ DeerDeerDeer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
(see below)- Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of ZidichovTzvi Hirsh of ZidichovTzvi Hirsh Eichenstein also known as Hirsh Zydaczower, , was famous Hasidic Rebbe, a noted Talmudist, Kabbalist and author of novellae on Torah and Responsa...
- Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Spira (father of Rabbi Chaim Elazar Shapiro)
- Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of Chortkiv (father of Shmelke of NikolsburgShmelke of NikolsburgShmelke of Nikolsburg was one of the great early Chasidic Rebbes. Born Shmuel Horowitz Shmelke of Nikolsburg (1726 Chortkiv, Galicia - 1778 Nikolsburg, Moravia) was one of the great early Chasidic Rebbes. Born Shmuel Horowitz Shmelke of Nikolsburg (1726 Chortkiv, Galicia - 1778 Nikolsburg,...
) - Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Lustig (mentioned in Oholei TorahOholei TorahOholei Torah is the common name of the Lubavitch schools Educational Institute Oholei Menachem and Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah...
) - Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb (a clinical psychologist, who serves as the Executive Vice President of the OUOrthodox UnionThe Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
)
- Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of Zidichov
Harav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin
Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin
Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, , also known as Reb Hirsch Leib Berlin, and commonly known by the acronym Netziv, was an Orthodox rabbi, dean of the Volozhin Yeshiva and author of several works of rabbinic literature in Lithuania.- Family :Berlin was born in Mir, Russia in 1816 into a family of Jewish...
(more commonly known by the acronym Netziv) was sometimes referred to as Reb Hirsh Leib, a Yiddish version of his Hebrew name. Naftali
Naphtali
According to the Book of Genesis, Naphtali was the second son of Jacob with Bilhah. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Naphtali. However, some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the...
, another member of the Twelve Tribes, is represented by the deer, as he is compared in the Bible to an אילה שלוחה, or "swift hind". However, tsvi is Hebrew for a gazelle. While deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and gazelle
Gazelle
A gazelle is any of many antelope species in the genus Gazella, or formerly considered to belong to it. Six species are included in two genera, Eudorcas and Nanger, which were formerly considered subgenera...
s may appear similar superficially, they are in different taxonomic families: deer are Cervidae and gazelles are Bovidae. But since gazelles are unknown in Europe, the name Tzvi was transposed onto deer, the most similar animal. The relatively common practice of naming children Naftali Zvi or "Zvi Hirsch" originated with this error, and has continued on in the tradition of naming offspring after deceased relatives.
With the advent of Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
, Hebrew became the spoken language and Yiddish fell into disuse (and until the 1950s, was actively campaigned against). Accordingly, use of Yiddish names was discontinued and only the Hebrew ones retained in the Hebrew-speaking society built up in Ottoman- and British-ruled Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, from which Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
eventually emerged.
Modern names
In addition to the above animal names, several new ones have appeared in recent decades.To the above-mentioned Tzvi צבי (gazelle), Israeli society added:
- Ayala / Ayelet איילת / איילה - Doe (female name)
- Ofer עפר - Young Deer (male name)
Both words exist in the Bible as the names of the animals concerned, but became given names only in the 20th century.
Also, Aryeh אריה (Lion) is often shortened to Ari ארי.