Daughter in Hebrew: בת

Bat (בת) is the Hebrew word for “daughter.” It is one of the most fundamental words in the Hebrew language, appearing over 500 times in the Hebrew Bible. The word comes from the Semitic root and is related to the Aramaic brat and Arabic bint.

In Hebrew, bat is used both literally (a female child) and figuratively. The prophets speak of bat Zion (בת ציון) — “daughter of Zion” — as a poetic name for Jerusalem and the Jewish people. Bat kol (בת קול) — “daughter of a voice” — refers to a divine echo or heavenly voice in rabbinic literature.

The plural form is banot (בנות), meaning “daughters.” To say “my daughter” in Hebrew, you say biti (בתי) — one of the most tender terms of endearment in the language.

Every Hebrew letter has a numerical value. The gematria of bat (בת) is 402:

In Jewish tradition, words that share the same gematria value are believed to share a spiritual connection. Parents often explore the gematria of their daughter's Hebrew name to discover hidden meanings and connections to Torah verses.

The Hebrew Bible is rich with stories of remarkable daughters whose names endure as popular Hebrew girl names today:

• Miriam (מרים) — daughter of Amram, sister of Moses. A prophetess who led the women of Israel in song after the crossing of the Red Sea.
• Sarah (שרה) — whose name means “princess.” God changed her name from Sarai to Sarah, making her the mother of the Jewish people.
• Dinah (דינה) — daughter of Jacob and Leah, whose name means “judgment.”
• Bat Pharaoh — Pharaoh's daughter (בת פרעה) who drew Moses from the Nile and raised him as her own. The Talmud gives her the name Bithiah (בתיה) — “daughter of God.”
• Ruth (רות) — a Moabite daughter-in-law who chose the Jewish people. Her loyalty gave rise to the Davidic line and, by tradition, the future Messiah.

The most well-known compound of bat in modern Jewish life is bat mitzvah (בת מצוה) — literally “daughter of the commandment.” When a Jewish girl turns 12 according to the Hebrew calendar, she becomes a bat mitzvah, taking responsibility for her own observance of Jewish law.

The celebration of a daughter's bat mitzvah has grown from a single ceremony in 1922 to a milestone observed across the entire Jewish world. Whether your daughter reads from the Torah, delivers a d'var Torah, or celebrates with family and community — this is her moment.