THE COMPREHENSIVE DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH & HEBREW FIRST NAMES
Alfred J. Kolatch

Hardcover 
602 pages 6 x 9
List price $35.00

ISBN-10: 0-8246-0455-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8246-0455-4

Since the publication of his These Are the Names, Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch  has been recognized as the world’s leading authority on English and Hebrew names and their meanings. That pioneering work paved the way for the author’s other distinguished books on nomenclature, including The Name Dictionary and Best Baby Names for Jewish Children.

Now, in this most comprehensive work ever prepared on the subject, Rabbi Kolatch expands on his previous efforts by introducing many hundreds of new Hebrew names that have become popular in both Israel and the diaspora. He thereby provides an indispensable resource for parents seeking a name for their newborns, for sociologists analyzing societal trends, and for scholars tracing the evolution of language.

The Comprehensive Dictionary of English & Hebrew First Names begins with an introduction that explains the origins of names and the Jewish naming process. It discusses the Bible as a source of names, names with positive attributes, celebrity names, masculine/feminine interchanges, and more. Wide-ranging in scope, the dictionary also explains the ceremonies traditionally followed for naming a boy and a girl and explores Jewish custom as it relates to naming children after relatives, naming an adopted child, and naming a convert.

Praise for the Works of
Alfred J. Kolatch

“The Complete Dictionary of English & Hebrew First Names is an indispensable guide for parents seeking a name for a child, those wanting to know the meaning of their own names, students of nomenclature, and collectors of Judaica.”
—Libraries Unlimited

“The New Name Dictionary is appropriate for all collections, regardless of the ethnic makeup of the community. . . . This refinement of Kolatch’s other excellent name resources is a useful and easily accessed reference source that is not duplicated by anything else.”
—Booklist

“The Complete Dictionary of English & Hebrew First Names is the leading reference for naming children. . . . A fascinating etymological compendium for word lovers.”
—Canadian Jewish News

About the Author

Alfred J. Kolatch, a graduate of the Teachers’ Institute of Yeshiva University and its College of Liberal Arts, was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, which subsequently awarded him the Doctor of Divinity degree, honoris causa. Early in his career, he served as rabbi of congregations in Columbia, South Carolina, and Kew Gardens, New York, and as a chaplain in the United States Army.

Rabbi Kolatch has authored more than fifty books, the most popular of which are the best-selling Jewish Book of Why and Second Jewish Book of Why, The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah, The Jewish Mourner’s Book of Why, The New Name Dictionary, The Complete Dictionary of English and Hebrew First Names, and The Jewish Child’s First Book of Why. His most recent works include Great Jewish Quotations, The Presidents of the United States & the Jews, and Masters of the Talmud.