Entering the service of a foreign royal court often comes with a complete shift in identity, beginning with the assignment of new names. This practice symbolizes the attempt to assimilate young captives into the local culture. The chief officer assigned the four youths new Babylonian titles to be used alongside the Hebrew names they received at birth [מצודת דוד]. Changing a person's name was a well-known custom for those rising to greatness and entering the service of a king, much like when Pharaoh renamed Joseph in Egypt [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. There was also a highly practical reason for this change. Hebrew names held no meaning in the Chaldean language, and replacing them saved the king and his officers the trouble of having to learn and pronounce foreign words [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Beyond practical convenience, there was a deeper, ideological motive behind the renaming. The Babylonians intended to shower the young men with honor and respect, hoping this royal treatment would draw them toward the local idol worship. However, despite their noble lineage and the prestige of their new titles, the youths refused to become arrogant and remained entirely faithful in their reverence for God [אלשיך].
The exact meaning of these new names is a subject of discussion. One perspective suggests that the Chaldean names were simply direct translations of the original Hebrew meanings [מצודת דוד]. Yet, the primary approach among commentators is that the new titles were deeply rooted in the Babylonian language and its pagan gods. For instance, Azariah was given the name Abed-nego, meaning the servant of Nego. Some identify Nego as the Babylonian idol Nebo [אבן עזרא בשם רב סעדיה גאון, ביאור שטיינזלץ], though this exact identification is debated [אבן עזרא]. While certain scholars believe that all the new names were based on local idols [אלשיך], others maintain that only Daniel received a name directly tied to pagan worship [מלבי״ם].
Daniel's naming process is given special emphasis to highlight his unique, elevated status above the rest of the youths [אלשיך]. The chief officer granted him the most honorable title of all, Belteshazzar. This name incorporated Bel, the supreme idol of Babylon and the personal deity of King Nebuchadnezzar [רש״י, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This specific designation was ordered by the king himself, who immediately recognized Daniel's extraordinary wisdom and divine qualities [מלבי״ם, אלשיך]. Fittingly, the name Belteshazzar itself also expresses the concept of wisdom in the Aramaic language [רש״י].