Definition:

A ceremony of welcoming for a baby. Often, particularly for a girl, this is where the Hebrew name is officially given and announced.

A baby blessing is a ritual in the synagogue, usually as part of the Shabbat morning service, which involves welcoming the infant into the congregation as a member of the Jewish people and giving them a Hebrew name.

The Brit Milah (circumcision) ritual signifies the covenant between God and the Jewish people and symbolizes bringing the baby into that covenant. However, Brit Milah is a ritual which takes place in the home and obviously only involves baby boys.

The baby blessing may involve an aliyah (blessings for the Torah) for one or both of the parents. This often takes place a few weeks after the birth so that all parents and the baby can be present.  In the naming of both boys and girls, the name of the new born is the recited in the prayer together with the name of the parents. When a boy or girl is named, they are given two names. A holy or special name which will be in Hebrew and an English name.