New Name Dictionary [Paperback]

A. Kolatch (Author), Alfred J. Kolatch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1994

A greatly expanded version of the highly popular Name Dictionary, first published in 1967, containing over 10,000 entries, including hundreds of English and Hebrew names of recent vintage. This is an invaluable guide for parents searching for a Hebrew name with the same meaning as an English name or for an English name with the same meaning as a Hebrew name. The definition of each name is given, and all Hebrew (and Yiddish) names are spelled out in Hebrew characters. Contains a comprehensive index of all Hebrew names in transliterated form.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A useful and easily accessed reference source that is not duplicated by anything else." -- Booklist

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. From 1941 to 1948 he served as rabbi of congregations in Columbia, South Carolina, and Kew Gardens, New York, and as a chaplain in the United States Army. In 1948 he founded Jonathan David Publishers, of which he has since been president and editor-in-chief.

Rabbi Kolatch has authored numerous books, the most popular of which are Great Jewish Quotations, How to Live a Jewish Life, What Jews Say About God, This Is the Torah, and the best-selling Jewish Book of Why and its sequel, The Second Jewish Book of Why. Several of his works deal with nomenclature, about which he is an acknowledged authority. The New Name Dictionary and The Complete Dictionary of English and Hebrew First Names are his most recent works on the subject. Other books by the author include Our Religion: The Torah, The Jewish Heritage Quiz Book, The Jewish Mourner's Book of Why, Who's Who in the Talmud, and The Family Seder.

In addition to his scholarly work, Rabbi Kolatch is interested in the work of the military chaplaincy and has served as president of the Association of Jewish Chaplains of the Armed Forces and as vice-president of the interdenominational Military Chaplains Association of the United States.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Jonathan David Publishers (January 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824603761
• ISBN-13: 978-0824603762
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #922,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good book for naming your Jewish child, June 13, 2006

By 

SSL (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Name Dictionary (Paperback)

This is a pretty complete book that lists the meaning of the names (mostly Hebrew, Yiddish, some "modern English"), as well as Hebrew equivalents and opposite-gender Hebrew equivalents (useful for naming your daughter after your father, for example). It also gives the Hebrew spelling of the Hebrew names. There are also appendices of Hebrew Unisex names, Yiddish names (in English) and Hebrew names (in Hebrew) without any explanations. This is good for a quick glance through the names, and you can check out more details in the main part of the book for the names you like.

There are a few detractors from the book: it is inconsistent. Some names have quite a bit more information than others. He leaves out equivalents at times, and on one name (I don't remember which) it listed an equivalent, and I flipped through to check it out, but that name wasn't listed! Also, some names are missing (not many), but the strange thing was that one of the names on the Hebrew list (Ruchama) was not in the main part of the book. Although the book mentions when a name is an alternate spelling of another name (it also lists pet forms), "Lee" and "Li" were listed as having totally different origins. And one last thing--it would be nice if the author listed the original biblical person for the names that this information is known.

5.0 out of 5 stars An expert consultation, August 21, 2006

By 

NY Rabbi (NY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Name Dictionary (Paperback)

As a rabbi who formally gives Hebrew names to infants (and often their parents), I have found this book to be an invaluable resource. Spellings, meanings, and background to many Hebrew names are offered in a clear and easy to follow format. This is a terrific resource for me and anyone who is fascinated by the meaning of our names.