לכל איש יש שם

Every time a man increases the number of good deeds he performs, he adds to his good name. You find that a man is known by three names: the name by which his father and mother call him, the name by which other men call him, and the one he earns for himself; the most important name is the one he earns for himself.

Continuing on the topic of names, the Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the name Ruth? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: That she had the privilege that David, who inundated the Holy One, Blessed be He, with songs and praises, would descend from her. The name Ruth [Rut] is etymologically similar in Hebrew to the word inundate [riva].

The Maharsha explains that God’s actions are sometimes influenced by a person’s name.

(1) Remember the days of yore; understand the years of each generation: Always should a man check the names to call his son one that is fitting to be righteous - as sometimes the name causes good or causes bad, as we found by the scouts (Numbers 13:4-15): Shamua son of Zakur, since he did not listen (shama) to the words of the Omnipresent, and it was as if he asked his male (zikhuro) organ (a type of divination), as it states (I Samuel 15:23), "For rebellion is like the sin of divination"; Shafat son of Chori, since he did not judge (shafat) his [evil] inclination, and he was made a hole (chori) from the earth; Yigal son of Yosef, since he put out (perhaps alluding to the word, reveal - yigal) evil speech, hence he was gathered (neesaf) before his time; Palti son of Rafu - he removed (palat) good deeds, and his hands were weakened(rafu); Gadiel son of Sodi - he spoke words as harsh as tendons (gidim); Gadi son of Susi - he threw words [accusingly] towards the Above and brought up grief (sisia), [as] he was the one that said, "it is a land that consumes its inhabitants" (Numbers 13:32); Amiel son of Gemali - he soured (haamah) his strength, since he said, "since it is stronger than us" (Numbers 13:31), and he caused (gamal) himself that he did not enter the Land of Israel; Setur son of Michael, since it was in his heart to contradict (listor) what is written - who is like God (mi hu ke'El), the Lord, as it states (Deuteronomy 33:26), "There is none like the God of Yeshurun"; Nachbi son of Vofsi - he hid (hechbi) the truth and ended (pasah) faith from his mouth - as in "the faithful ones have ended (pasah) among people" (Psalms 12:2) - to say lying words about the Holy One, blessed be He, and he became weak (makh).