Naming Son After Grandfather
Question
I had a very close relationship with my maternal grandparents. My grandfather died ten and my grandmother six years ago. When my grandmother was dying, she had me make a promise to her that when I got married someday, if I had a son, I would name him after my grandfather, to which I agreed. Now, I have a dilemma. I just got engaged to someone with a different English name, but with the same Hebrew name as my grandfather. My fiancé doesn’t even call himself by his Hebrew name most of the time, but obviously I can’t give that name to a child. What should I do when the time comes?
Answers
First, Mazal Tov! May you and your Chattan merit to build a Bayit Ne’eman b’Yisrael – a beautiful Jewish home – and may Hashem bless you with many, many years of health, contentment and continued growth together.
When it is not possible to use a name, the accepted norm is to use another name that is similar. Either the way that it sounds or by using a name that starts with the same first letter. So, for example, If your grandfather’s name was Shlomo, to call your son Shmuel. Or, if your grandfather’s name was Michael, to call your son Michel.
Please allow me to add that you should not feel the least bit guilty that you are not able to fulfill your grandmother’s wishes because of a reason completely out of your control.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team