Cheshvan

Gender: masculine
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: 8th month of the Jewish calender which corresponds with October-November in the Gregorian Calender. Possibly meaning “bitter month.”
חֶשְׁוָן
(HESH-vahn; the CH is very gutteral).

Cheshvan is the second month of the civil year and the eight month of the ecclesiastical year, it is an autumn month that corresponds with October and November in the Gregorian calendar and it is usually composed of 29 days. In complete years it is 30 days.

The name of the month is believed to be of Akkadian origins and is composed of the Semitic roots y-r-ḥ which means “moon; month”  and s-m-n the Semitic root for “eight.” Originally the month’s name was Marcheshvan, the first two letters מַר (mar) were interpreted as meaning “bitter” since the month had no holidays or celebrations.

It is traditionally believed that the Great Flood started on Cheshvan. In the Old Testament, before the great Babylonian Exile, the original name of the month was Bul.

Today in Israel, and among Jewish families, the name is used for baby boys born during the month of Cheshvan.