Hebrew Names

Popular in Israel, sounds a lot more current than Doris.Brings to mind Dickens' Little Dorrit, though Dorrit was the surname of its heroine Amy.

Rarely used biblical choice -- he's a son of Jacob -- with a bit of a white-bearded image.

The name of several minor Biblical characters seems streamlined and modern.

Phinnaeus is the antique spelling of the antique name single-handedly revived by Julia Roberts. Finn is the nickname she uses that you might find appealing too.

Related to the Arabic Warda, Vered is a strong sounding nature name with a sweet floral meaing.

Sami is cute if overused in its more familiar Sammy form.

This Old Testament name borne by a grandson of Jacob would not rate high in the classroom.

Also a synonym for the Hebrew month of Iyar, which usuually falls in May, would work and play well with others like Zev and Lev.

The name of two Old Testament kings that seems as ripe as you can get for modern use, given the popularity of sound-alike Biblical brethren Jadon and Jacob (and even mythological Jason). Note that different sources give wide-ranging meanings for Jabin, but we think "perceptive" is the most authoritative, not to mention appealing.

Also an Israeli place-name, this is an unusual, feminine choice.

This name of an Old Testament king is reminiscent of the woodsy nature name Hazel. Given to just 22 boys in 2023, it could make a similar but less popular option than Top 1000 Azael.

This biblical name, pronounced ahr yeh, is a not uncommon boys' name in Israel. It can also be spelled Aryeh , the most popular form by far, or Arieh. The feminine equivalent is Levi'a. Possible down side: Its similarity to the hot girl name Arya or Aria.

A less common, Biblical alternative to Liam, Elliott, Elias, and Eli. Eliam joined the Top 1000 for the first time in 2021 and was given to around 430 babies in a recent year. In Puerto Rico, it's a Top 50 choice.

Mattie ranked among the Top 1000 for boys a century ago, in the heyday of the nickname-name. Today, few parents would dream of putting it on the birth certificate, preferring it as a short form for the perennially-popular Matthew. Mattie is in the Top 1000 in the U.S. for girls.

A little bit Aliyah and a little bit Elijah equals an invented name that moves into the girls' column with its choice by Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Bassett for their daughter. While there is good reason for this name to feel feminine, if you're not aware of the spelling variation, you're likely to just hear Elijah, both traditional and popular for boys. Then again, Noa is doing well for girls, so it wouldn't feel entirely out of place.

Idiosyncratic Hebrew choice.

Unknown but eminently usable choice, especially for Jewish parents, with lovely meaning.

Funky choice with za-za-zoom. Zaza could be used as a nickname for almost any name with the "za" cluster, including Elizabeth and Esperanza.

This Biblical bird name, a variant of Ephron, suddenly feels like it could be usable thanks to actor Zac Efron. However, in reality, few if any parents seem to be using it yet.

Unusual Daniel relative.