No! I am delighted to perform baby namings where one or both parents are Jewish. It’s important to me that both parents be involved in the ceremony and its planning. If your family has multiple faith or cultural traditions, I would love to explore ways of honoring those parts of your family’s identity. For instance, some families I’ve worked with have given their baby a Chinese name during the Jewish baby naming ceremony.
Judaism typically recognizes matrilineal descent, meaning that a baby is considered Jewish if at least the mother is Jewish. Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism also recognize patrilineal descent: meaning that a baby is Jewish if either parent is Jewish. I always remind families that your child is Jewish from the moment they are born. The naming ceremony is a way to mark and celebrate this piece of your child’s identity.