Sforno explains “call them (Ephraim and Menashd) by my name” to mean they should be worthy of having the names of the Patriarchs linked with theirs. When one is still young, and has not yet earned his reputation, he is recognized not in his own right, but rather by his ancestry. He is referred to as the son or grandson of his parents or ancestors. Yaakov blesses his grandsons by wishing that his own name and that of his ancestors be known, revered, and extolled because of their works and merits. There is a great nachas when a father is dignified as a result of the exemplary conduct of his children and grandchildren.
