The names that Jews choose for themselves and their children can reveal much about Jewish history, experiences, and values. Names often honor historical and biblical figures, express piety, or serve as a tribute to a family member. Hebrew names, used primarily in religious observances, link individuals to their parents. Some Jews have names in Yiddish or Ladino, the languages often spoken at home or in the Jewish community at the turn of the century.  By the 1900's, most Jews also used names taken from the local language, reflecting their growing opportunity to live and work as part of the larger world. Many Jews adopted family names that described occupations. Others borrowed the names of a country or city. At times, Jews chose non-Jewish names to feel less like outsiders or to escape persecution. In these and other ways, Jewish names trace the varied experience of a people spread around the world.