First names in Hebrew

First name Yitro: meaning, origin and its Hebrew spelling

יתרו

Gematria value: 616

Its spelling

In Hebrew, Yitro is written יתרו

Meaning and origin

What does Yitro mean?

Meaning: "he added"
Origin: Hebrew

Yitro is the Hebrew name of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. It comes from yeter, "what is extra, the surplus". Rashi explains: he was called so because he added a passage to the Torah (Rashi on Exodus 18:1).

Gematria

Yitro = 616

In Hebrew, every letter is also a number. Added together, the letters of the name give its value: this is gematria. יתרו has 4 letters:

• יthe letter Yod10
• תthe letter Tav400
• רthe letter Resh200
• וthe letter Vav6
• Total616

The verse of the name

From the letter Yod to the letter Vav

An ancient custom gives each person a verse: the one that begins with the first letter of their name and ends with the last. For Yitro, from י to ו:

יְהִי שְׁמוֹ לְעוֹלָם לִפְנֵי־שֶׁמֶשׁ יִנּוֹן שְׁמוֹ וְיִתְבָּרְכוּ בוֹ כׇּל־גּוֹיִם יְאַשְּׁרוּהוּ׃

“May his name endure forever; as long as the sun shines, may his name flourish. May all nations be blessed through him and call him happy.”

Psalms 72:17

The book of your first name

Yitro, in nine pages

• Yitro, in Hebrew
• Letter by letter
• The number of your name
• The verse of your name
• The portrait of Yitro
• Yitro, day to day
• What tradition says about names
• The sources

Frequently asked

Yitro in three answers

How do you write Yitro in Hebrew?
In Hebrew, Yitro is written יתרו.

What is the gematria value of Yitro?
Written יתרו, Yitro is worth 616: the letter Yod (10) + the letter Tav (400) + the letter Resh (200) + the letter Vav (6).

What does Yitro mean?
He added (origin: Hebrew). Yitro is the Hebrew name of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. It comes from yeter, "what is extra, the surplus". Rashi explains: he was called so because he added a passage to the Torah (Rashi on Exodus 18:1).