The Name Game -Parshas Shmos

 ואלה שמות

According to Mori V’Rabi, Harav Hagaon R.Shlomo Miller Shlita, naming a child after a non-Frum family member is acceptable & at times even recommended. 

The main reason we name after an individual who passed away is to honor him or his living relative. It is usually done as הכרת הטוב. (Gratitude)

הכרת הטוב overrules all the reasons for not naming after a non-Frum person.

We find בני ישראל as a הכרת הטוב named their children after Alexander the Goy


This part is from ספר יוסיפון. It is a continuation of the story in the  (גמרא (יומא ס"ט ע"א.

שמעון הצדיק took Alexander on a tour of the .בית המקדש Alexander, wished to donate gold to have an image of himself placed in the בית המקדש. שמעון הצדיק told him that it was forbidden for the Yidden to have images, and certainly not in the בית המקדש. He suggested that he instead give the gold to the poor. And as for memorializing the occasion,שמעון הצדיק suggested an even better way: all-male כהנים born that year would be named “Alexander.”

Alexander liked the idea, and the Yidden, who were very thankful to Alexander for all that he did for them, including sparing the בית המקדש from destruction, gratefully named their children after him. Thus, the name Alexander forever became a Jewish name.