Order for changing or adding a woman’s name

A traditional text for changing or adding a woman’s name. The choice of name and order of recitation are guided by a rabbi and the community’s custom. Adding a name is a spiritual practice and does not replace medical treatment when needed.

Text of the prayer

“With the permission of the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, with the consent of the heavenly court and the earthly court, we replace, exchange, turn, add to and change the name of this woman,
whose previous name was ________, daughter of ________ (old name).
From this day onward she shall no longer be called ________, daughter of ________ (old name), but
________, daughter of ________ (new name), shall be her name.
________, daughter of ________ (new name), shall be her remembrance.
She shall be addressed as ________, daughter of ________ (new name).
She shall be remembered by the name ________, daughter of ________ (new name).
She shall be called to mind by the name ________, daughter of ________ (new name).
She shall be known by the name ________, daughter of ________ (new name).
As her name has changed, so may her fortune change from death to life, from painful illness to healing and recovery, from a mortal wound to a remedy that binds it, from a failing and weakened heart to restoration and cure, from a dimmed spirit to relief and healing, from anguish of soul to rest and renewal, and from distress and pain to good and near compassion. May the King in His mercy have compassion on her. May the King in His mercy restore her and give her life. May the King in His mercy send His word and heal her. May the King in His mercy fulfill in her the verses written: ‘Heal me, LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved.’ It is also written: ‘Creating the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to the far and to the near, says the LORD, and I shall heal him.’ And: ‘For you who revere My Name, a sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings; you shall go out and leap like calves from the stall.’ And: ‘Then your light shall break forth like dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.’ And: ‘For I shall restore health to you and heal your wounds, declares the LORD, because they called you an outcast: This is Zion, for whom no one cares.’ And: ‘The LORD shall remove every illness from you; none of the evil diseases of Egypt that you knew shall He place upon you, but He shall put them upon all who hate you.’ And: ‘He said: If you diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, do what is upright in His eyes, heed His commandments and keep all His statutes, I shall not place upon you any of the diseases I placed upon Egypt, for I am the LORD your healer.’
Then everyone says: “All the sick of Israel are included in this petition for mercy, and let us say: Amen.”
Afterward, it is preferable to recite the entire psalm beginning “A psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings.”
A psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings; ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His Name; bow to the LORD in holy splendor. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD over mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare; in His temple all proclaim: Glory! The LORD sat enthroned at the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as King forever. May the LORD give strength to His people; may the LORD bless His people with peace.