Q. I noticed that with all of the sons of Jacob, the mothers named them. For Benjamin, his mother and father named him. How come Jacob did not name his sons? Is this a sign or message from the Torah that the women are supposed to name the children? Is there a mesorah from Moshe Rabbeinu who is supposed to name the children? What does the Halacha say?
A. There seems to be no clear-cut rule as to who historically should or would give the name to the newborn. By the first name ever given to a child, born to the primordial couple, it is mentioned; and she conceived and bore Cain, and she said, "I have acquired a man with G-d." (Bereishis 4: 1); it would seem that she gave him his name. Similarly with their third son it says: "and she bore a son, and she named him Sheis: (ibid. 25), while Sheis gave Enosh his name (ibid. 4: 26). Lot's daughters named their offspring (19: 37-38)
However, Avrohom Ovinu named both Yishmoel and Yitzchok (ibid. 16: 15, 21: 3), while the offspring of Yitzchok, were either named by the people, as with Eisov (Rashi ibid. 25: 25), or by Hashem, as in Yaakov's case, (Rashi's first interpretation) or by his father (second interpretation).
It is noteworthy that Yaakov's wives named most of their children. The exceptions were Levy, where Rashi quoting Midrash, claims that Hashem named him, and Binyomin whose name was given by Rochel, and was different from the one Yaakov named, and he prevailed.
By Tamar it says: "Again she bore a son, and she named him Shelah" (Bereshis 38: 5). Ramban (ad loc.) quotes those who opine (Maharam M'Rottenbourgh, Rabboseinu Baalei Hatossafoss and Radak) that they had the custom that the father gave the name of the first child and the mother the second one. The father would have named the third one, but, "he [Yehuda] was in Chezib when she gave birth to him". Ramban disagrees with the above.
Yosef gave a name to his children (ibid. 41: 50-52), also Moshe Rabbenu named Gershom (Shemos 2: 22), but Chana named Shmuel (Shmuel 1: 1: 20), and their respective mothers named both Shimshon (Shoftim 13: 24) and Yavetz (Divrei Hayomim 1:4:9). As to Shlomo Hamelech there is a K'ri and K'siv discrepancy who named him (Shmuel 2: 12: 24-25, see Radak that asserts Shlomo's name was given by Hashem, but his father called him Yedidya).
From the above it appears that both parents have rights in naming their offspring. For how this translates in actual Halacha today, see next answer.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit"a.
Important Numbers
