The Hidden Power of Names in Jewish Wisdom

1. Influence on Channels of Abundance, Destiny, and Character
Jewish teachings explain that each letter carries a special spiritual energy that can influence a person for good or not-so-good. The letters used to create the world are full of spiritual light, and when they’re combined, they form forces that shape what happens in the world. The letters in a person’s name create a personal spiritual connection. They can affect personality and even guide a person’s path in life, depending on the light within those letters.

2. The First Letter is the Most Important
Rabbi Zamir Cohen writes in his book The Code that just like our thoughts, feelings, and desires work in order—mind, heart, and body—the letters in a name also have an order of power. He explains that the first letter is the most active and important, like the soul of the name. The second letter is like the spirit, and the third has the least influence. This means the beginning of a name carries the most meaning and strength.

3. Letters Matching the Soul's Root
Rabbi Shalom Twauma Migalanitza teaches in Or Torah (Parashat Noach) that a person’s name is given based on the root of their soul. Each letter is chosen with spiritual care so that it matches the soul’s inner holiness. This spiritual connection to the name affects a person’s talents and strengths. As he explains, that’s why someone might be good at one thing but not another because their soul is linked to specific spiritual roots. Some great Torah scholars can understand a person’s path just by knowing their name not because of prophecy, but through deep knowledge of names and their meanings.

4. How to Choose a Name?
Names of our ancestors like the patriarchs, matriarchs, prophets, and righteous leaders from earlier generations are strongly recommended. Rabbi Zamir Cohen explains that these names were chosen with divine wisdom, and that’s why they’re full of light. In The Code, he quotes from Noam Elimelech (Parashat Bamidbar), which says that giving a child a righteous name brings down holy light and can help the child grow into a righteous person. That’s why it’s important to avoid non-Jewish names, which don’t carry the same spiritual strength and may even bring negative energy.

5. Name Compatibility Calculators
Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Stern, Rabbi of West Bnei Brak, writes in Shivivei Esh that some people today try to match names of couples using certain calculations. If the names “don’t match,” they suggest changing or adding names.
But when he asked Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky about it, he said clearly: these methods are nonsense. His father, Maran the Beit HaLevi, used to laugh at such things. The truth is, Jewish sages have always taught that names shouldn’t be changed lightly. A name should only be changed with the guidance of great Torah scholars who truly are devoted to Hashem.