Hebrew Word for Daughter: בת

The word bat appears over 500 times in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). Beyond its literal meaning, it is used poetically and figuratively:

• Bat Zion (בת ציון) — “Daughter of Zion,” used by the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah as a tender name for Jerusalem and the Jewish people.
• Bnot Zelophehad (בנות צלפחד) — The five daughters of Zelophehad (Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah) who petitioned Moses for inheritance rights and changed the law (Numbers 27:1–11).
• Bat Pharaoh (בת פרעה) — Pharaoh's daughter, who rescued baby Moses from the Nile (Exodus 2:5–10).
• Bat Sheva (בת שבע) — Bathsheba, literally “daughter of the oath,” mother of King Solomon.

The Talmud and Midrash further expand on the spiritual significance of the word bat. The term bat kol (בת קול) — “daughter of a voice” — refers to a form of divine communication, an echo from heaven that guides and comforts.

In Jewish tradition, a daughter's Hebrew name is given at a naming ceremony — called zeved habat, simchat bat, or brit bat, depending on the community. The name is then used throughout her life in prayer, at her bat mitzvah, at her wedding, and in synagogue.

Many families name a daughter after a beloved relative — Ashkenazi Jews typically honor the deceased, while Sephardi Jews often name after living grandparents. Others choose names based on meaning, biblical connection, or the gematria value of the Hebrew letters.