Why do some Jews have three or four names?

[IslamIsCancer]

e.g.

Yacov Menashe Ben Rachamim
Yehudit Bat Noah
David Ben Ze'ev Ariyeh
Gam Bashan veGam Gilad

Thanks

[Haim_Ben_Shimon_3JFB]

From my knowledge;
well firstoval "ben" means son so its "NAME" son of "NAME" obviously second name is their fathers. Reason why people sometimes have two or more names are: lets see easiest example i could give, if someone is terribly sick he gets a name Chaim which means Life with hope that he will be well and actually live longer. For each case different names, depending on each situation. Hope that helped   

[IslamIsCancer]

Thanks.
Does that mean that Jews can [theoretically] have like 10 names?

[Zelhar]

e.g.

Yacov Menashe Ben Rachamim
Yehudit Bat Noah
David Ben Ze'ev Ariyeh
Gam Bashan veGam Gilad

Thanks

For start Gam Bashan veGam Gilad is a forum nickname meaning Both the Bashan and the Gilad, (Two Israeli teritories east of the Jordan river that are currently occupied by Syria and Jordan).

and the answer to your question is that many Jews have two personal names. For example many Haredi Jews have a hebrew name and a Yidish name, many other Israelis have two hebrew names, the second of them may be that of a dead relative. Jews in the exile often have an English name and a Hebrew one.
Usually only the first name is used however their full name in formal name is for example Meir David Kahane. Ben (and also Bar) means so or son of, so many hebrew family name are of the form Bar David, Ben Harush, ... Bat is the feminine form of ben however as a family name we use Ben/Bar both for women as well like: "Datia Be-Dor"

Moreover Ben is also a personal name in modern Israel so we have Israelis with names like "Ben Cohen" and Ben is their name not a shortening of Benjamin.

Finally names Like Chaim Ben Pesach as are common in our forum are compounds of:
{the personal name(S) of the person} + Ben (son of) + {The personal name(s) of his father}, this is the traditional form of Jewish naming since before use of surnames has begun and this is how we still use in prayers, I hope it answers your question.

[Zelhar]

For start Gam Bashan veGam Gilad is a forum nickname meaning Both the Bashan and the Gilad, (Two Israeli teritories east of the Jordan river that are currently occupied by Syria and Jordan).

Bashan is under Israeli rule because it is part of what is now called The Golan Heights.

It's the other way around- the Golan is part of the Bashan.

[IslamIsCancer]

Thanks 

[q_q_]

From my knowledge;
well firstoval "ben" means son so its "NAME" son of "NAME" obviously second name is their fathers. Reason why people sometimes have two or more names are: lets see easiest example i could give, if someone is terribly sick he gets a name Chaim which means Life with hope that he will be well and actually live longer. For each case different names, depending on each situation. Hope that helped   

Yes, Ben means son of.. So     A Ben B.  So 2 names there.
And Jews tend to have an english name and a hebrew name.

But I have never heard of people being given new names atdifferent times in their life.

Can you give me any example of that happening ?

Any well known jew who had many names ?

The only thing I can think of related to that, is  G-d changed Avram's name to Avraham. Sarai to Sarah.  Yaakov to Yisroel.     But that is in Tenach, and by G-d.   
Any example since Tenach?  And the more recent the better.

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

From my knowledge;
well firstoval "ben" means son so its "NAME" son of "NAME" obviously second name is their fathers. Reason why people sometimes have two or more names are: lets see easiest example i could give, if someone is terribly sick he gets a name Chaim which means Life with hope that he will be well and actually live longer. For each case different names, depending on each situation. Hope that helped   

Yes, Ben means son of.. So     A Ben B.  So 2 names there.
And Jews tend to have an english name and a hebrew name.

But I have never heard of people being given new names atdifferent times in their life.

Can you give me any example of that happening ?

Any well known jew who had many names ?

The only thing I can think of related to that, is  G-d changed Avram's name to Avraham. Sarai to Sarah.  Yaakov to Yisroel.     But that is in Tenach, and by G-d.   
Any example since Tenach?  And the more recent the better.

 Modana became Ester  , just kidding.

 (googled)
"Yungerman (Yackov ben Toiba) - who suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest. The next day, at the P’sak of Maran Hagon Rav Shmuel Berenbaum Shlita, the name Refoel was added to his name"
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?s=mispallel&paged=2

[Haim_Ben_Shimon_3JFB]

From my knowledge;
well firstoval "ben" means son so its "NAME" son of "NAME" obviously second name is their fathers. Reason why people sometimes have two or more names are: lets see easiest example i could give, if someone is terribly sick he gets a name Chaim which means Life with hope that he will be well and actually live longer. For each case different names, depending on each situation. Hope that helped   

Yes, Ben means son of.. So     A Ben B.  So 2 names there.
And Jews tend to have an english name and a hebrew name.

But I have never heard of people being given new names atdifferent times in their life.

Can you give me any example of that happening ?

Any well known jew who had many names ?

The only thing I can think of related to that, is  G-d changed Avram's name to Avraham. Sarai to Sarah.  Yaakov to Yisroel.     But that is in Tenach, and by G-d.   
Any example since Tenach?  And the more recent the better.

I do not recall any now, if i will i will let you no soon, but i know 99.9% that any Jew could add as many names at any age but he has to have a reason for it lets say he did not choose the right name and he wanted his grandfathers name or something like that he is allowed to add. if you don't believe me ask Chaim or any Orthodox Rabbi anywhere

[דוד בן זאב אריה]

Ze'ev Aryeh means Wolf Lion

[Zelhar]

For start Gam Bashan veGam Gilad is a forum nickname meaning Both the Bashan and the Gilad, (Two Israeli teritories east of the Jordan river that are currently occupied by Syria and Jordan).

Bashan is under Israeli rule because it is part of what is now called The Golan Heights.

It's the other way around- the Golan is part of the Bashan.

I thought all of The Bashan is under our rule.

The Golan is in fact a small portion of it.

http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%91%D7%A9%D7%9F

[takebackourtemple]

   When my brother was born we didn't have any dead relatives to name him after. This was right after the Rav was murdered, so we named him Mier.

[q_q_]

   When my brother was born we didn't have any dead relatives to name him after. This was right after the Rav was murdered, so we named him Mier.

because  "i before e, except after c "   ?

[takebackourtemple]

   They still are, but were never part of the JDL. He was more of a Rabbi(from a religious perspective) and friend to my family(including grandparents on my mother's side) than a political leader. Of course they agreed with him. I do know that they used to help out with Kahane dinners.

[takebackourtemple]

   It was my parents who thought of the idea. I was just in agreement.

[takebackourtemple]

   It was my parents who thought of the idea. I was just in agreement.

What did you know about Rabbi Kahane then?

   I never knew the Rav on a personal level. I wish I did. Everything I heard was second hand. What I did know was that he was a Jewish hero who fought against antisemitism. Maybe I spoke to quickly and don't deserve the credit for what my parents did, but I sure am proud of it.