See exactly what goes on a ketubah – names, parents’ names, Hebrew text, and witness signatures – and how the wording changes across Jewish traditions.
A ketubah records the Hebrew date and city of the wedding, the couple’s names and their parents’ names, the groom’s core obligations, and the signatures of two witnesses – traditionally in Aramaic, with Hebrew names and, often today, an English translation alongside.
If you’re staring at a blank ketubah worksheet wondering what actually goes where, you’re not alone – this is one of the questions our team hears most, right after “what text should we even pick?” Let’s walk through it piece by piece, so nothing on your wedding day feels like a surprise.
What information is included on a ketubah?
A ketubah includes the Hebrew date and city of the wedding, the full Hebrew names of both partners and their parents, the core marriage obligations, and lines for two witnesses to sign. The legal text is traditionally written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew – the names within it are in Hebrew – though Conservative texts are also available in Hebrew, and modern or egalitarian ketubot often add an English translation and personal vows alongside the original.
Exactly how each of these elements looks depends on your tradition. Here’s how the details typically break down:
| Orthodox | Conservative | Reform & Egalitarian | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name order | Groom’s name and declaration come first (“[Groom], son of [father], said to this maiden…”) | Follows the same traditional order as the Orthodox text | Often mutual, reversed, or simply the couple’s choice |
| Parents’ names | Father’s name only | Often both parents’ names, but at least the father’s name | Both parents, or whatever the couple prefers |
| Hebrew names | “[Name] ben/ bat [father]”; add “Kohen” or “Levi” for priestly/ Levitic lineage | Same format, with “ve [mother]” often added | Same format, often paired with an English name |
| Witnesses | Two adult, observant Jewish men, unrelated to the couple or each other | Two witnesses, with women permitted since two responsa approved by the CJLS in 2001 | Two witnesses of any gender |
| Additional clause | — | Often includes the Lieberman clause (see below) | — |
Egalitarian isn’t only a Reform option – the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) approved an egalitarian ketubah text for Conservative use in 2020, so a Conservative couple can choose either that or the traditional text. Worth asking your rabbi which they work from.
Ready to see what these texts actually look like side by side? Our library of ketubah texts walks through the traditional, Conservative, Reform, and egalitarian versions in full.
Whose name goes first on a ketubah?
On a traditional ketubah, the groom’s name comes first – the document is framed as his declaration to the bride (“[Groom], son of [father], said to this maiden, [Bride], daughter of [father]…”). In egalitarian and many modern texts, the order is mutual, reversed, or simply whatever the couple prefers.
Do parents’ names appear on a ketubah?
Yes, parents’ names are a core part of how a ketubah identifies each partner. In the traditional Orthodox text, this usually means the father’s name only (“ben/ bat [father]”).
Conservative ketubot follow the same format, though many couples choose to add the mother’s name as well – a widespread practice rather than a formal requirement. Reform and other modern ketubot generally leave the choice to the couple.
What if I was adopted, have a non-Jewish parent, or a parent who converted?
Jewish tradition has a few accepted ways to handle these situations, and your rabbi or officiant is the right person to confirm which fits your family. If your father isn’t Jewish, the most common approach identifies you by your mother’s name alone, following Shulchan Aruch, Even ha-Ezer 129:9; some Reform communities instead use a maternal grandfather’s name.
If you were adopted, one option identifies you by your adoptive parent, with an added phrase – ha-megadlo for a son, ha-megadlah for a daughter – meaning “who raised him” or “who raised her.”
If a parent converted to Judaism, no special formula is needed: they’re identified by their Hebrew name like any other Jewish parent. If you or your partner converted, the traditional formula is “ben/ bat Avraham Avinu” (son/ daughter of our father Abraham), often extended to “ben/ bat Avraham ve Sarah Imenu” (Abraham and Sarah together), reflecting your new spiritual lineage rather than your birth parents.
How are Hebrew names written on a ketubah?
Hebrew names on a ketubah follow the pattern “[given name] ben [father]” for a man, or “[given name] bat [father]” for a woman – ben meaning “son of” and bat meaning “daughter of.” Conservative and modern texts often add the mother’s name too, joined with “ve” (“and”). Someone with rabbinic lineage may add “Rav,” and those with priestly or Levitic ancestry add “Kohen” or “Levi.”
Curious how this all comes together in practice? We break it down fully in our article about Hebrew names.
What if I don’t have a Hebrew name?
This comes up more than you’d think – and it’s simple to solve. If you don’t have a Hebrew name, your officiant or ketubah provider can transliterate your English name into Hebrew letters, so it reads phonetically, rather than translating its meaning.
At Ketubah.com, this is one of the most common personalization questions our team helps couples through – nobody should feel stuck over it. It’s still worth checking with your rabbi first, since not every officiant treats a transliterated name the same way as a traditional Hebrew one.
What does the ketubah text say?
At its core, a traditional ketubah records the groom’s obligations to his wife – to provide food, clothing, and marital care – along with a financial settlement, historically set at 200 silver zuzim (100 for a widow or divorcée), payable if the marriage ends.
Modern and egalitarian texts often reframe these as promises the couple makes to each other. We’ve covered the full range of options – traditional, Conservative, Reform, and egalitarian – in our article on what the ketubah says, including exactly how each one differs. If you’re ready to see the options for yourself, you can also browse ketubah texts by tradition.
Who signs the ketubah?
A ketubah is validated by the signatures of two witnesses (eidim) – not by the couple or the officiant. In Orthodox practice, the two witnesses must be adult and observant Jewish men, unrelated to the couple or to each other.
Conservative practice has, since two responsa approved by the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards in October 2001, permitted women to serve as witnesses on the same terms as men, including for documents affecting personal status such as the ketubah. Reform and egalitarian communities accept witnesses without regard to gender.
Many modern ketubot also add separate signature lines for the couple and the officiant – a meaningful addition, but traditionally it’s the two witnesses whose signatures make the document valid.
For the full walkthrough of who qualifies and how the signing itself works, see our article about signing the ketubah, and if your circle includes someone who isn’t Jewish, we’ve also written an article about whether a non-Jew can sign.
Can you have more than two witnesses?
Whether you can add more witnesses is up to your officiant. Some Reform clergy will accept three or four so you can honour more of the people close to you. In Orthodox and Conservative settings the two formal witnesses usually stand alone, and couples who want to include others often do so on a separate signing certificate or on the mat around the framed ketubah.
If you’d like extra signature lines on the ketubah itself, raise it with your officiant before ordering, since where those lines sit on the document can affect its validity.
Do the rabbi and couple sign too?
Often, yes – but it’s worth understanding what that signature does. In Orthodox practice, only the two witnesses are required to sign. If more signatures are included on the Ketubah, then the witness lines are kept separate from the officiant: the rabbi guides the ceremony and oversees the signing, and two independent witnesses sign as the eidim. In Reform and other liberal ceremonies, the rabbi might sign as one of the witnesses – your officiant will tell you how they handle it.
Many modern ketubot also include a separate line for the officiant and the couple to sign. It’s a meaningful, values-affirming addition – but it’s distinct from the two witness signatures that make the document binding.
FAQ
Is a ketubah written in Hebrew or Aramaic?
A traditional ketubah is written in Aramaic, not Hebrew – Aramaic was the everyday legal language of the Jewish community when the text was standardized, centuries ago. The personal names within it are in Hebrew, and many modern ketubot add an English translation or personal vows alongside the original text.
Are last names included on a ketubah?
Often, yes – though it varies. Traditionally, a ketubah identifies each partner by first name and parent’s name (“Sarah, daughter of David”), rather than a family surname, but many traditional ketubot include family names as well, alongside the Hebrew patronymic.
Some couples add family names specifically for clarity on an English portion. Check with your rabbi or officiant on what’s right for yours.
What happens if there’s a mistake in a name?
If a name is misspelled or incorrect, the ketubah may need to be corrected or reissued – Jewish law holds that a couple shouldn’t be without a valid, accurate ketubah, so a competent Orthodox rabbi should be consulted right away to determine next steps.
This is exactly why we always send a proof for you to review and approve before your ketubah is finalized – it’s your chance to catch anything before it matters.
Getting your details right
Getting the details right on your ketubah doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. When you fill in your personalization form, you can send it straight to your rabbi or officiant to review before it comes to us – and once your personalized text is ready, we send a proof to everyone who needs to see it. Nothing goes to print until you and your officiant have approved every name, date, and word.
If you haven’t settled on your wording yet, our ketubah text collection is a good place to start – from traditional Aramaic to fully egalitarian options, there’s a version that will feel like yours.