Jewish Name Consultation
Find the perfect Jewish name
with help from
the experts
The Shemantics team brings decades of experience with:
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Mission-driven names for organizations and initiatives
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Baby names inspired by Jewish tradition
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Ritual Hebrew and Yiddish names creatively connected to honorees
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Name changing upon conversion and embracing Jewish observance
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Gender-affirming name changing
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Coined surnames for merged families
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Multilingual wordplay in names for dogs, cats, and other pets
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Deciphering signatures on ketubot and inscriptions on gravestones
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Researching the origin and meaning of family names
Founder, lead consultant
Dr. Sarah Bunin Benor leads the naming process for each client. She has a PhD in linguistics and decades of experience teaching undergraduates at USC and rabbinical and Jewish nonprofit management students at HUC. She has taught courses on Jewish names, in which students research Jewish baby names and consult for Jewish nonprofits about their organization names. Dr. Benor has lectured and published widely about Jewish names, for both academic and general audiences.
Our process
We begin with a conversation via phone or Zoom and a personalized name rating exercise to clarify your preferences and parameters. Dr. Benor then generates answers or name recommendations using name dictionaries, biblical and rabbinic texts, and other tools for historical research. She consults with a team of experts and creative thinkers. For organizations, the process involves additional layers of interviews and market research.
L’shem tov – pro bono – for a good cause/name
Our team volunteers their time, and your payment is a tax-deductible donation to the HUC Jewish Language Project.
Pricing
Dr. Benor and all consultants volunteer their time. All proceeds go to the HUC Jewish Language Project to support our research, education, and community building around the diverse world of Jewish languages and names.
Organization name: $5,000
Organizational initiative name: $2,500
Baby name: $800
Adult name change or Hebrew/Jewish ritual name: $600
Pet name: $360
Email consultation about historical family names: $180+
Name your price / price your name:
If these prices are beyond your budget, we can offer an attenuated process led by students, guided by Dr. Benor. Pay what you can.
Why Shemantics?
The name Shemantics combines shem, Hebrew for 'name,' with the English word antics. But it also implies the importance of meaning, semantics, with a fancy-shmancy Jewish twist. It's just a taste of the multilingual creativity this service offers.
Mission
To apply name research and the treasury of Jewish texts, culture, and history to help individuals and organizations select fitting names that will prompt the response, “That’s a great name.”