Hebrew Names

Talila is a pretty and novel name, somewhere between Talia and Tallulah.

Pronounced as-TAIR-ah, this is one of many frequently heard Israeli flower names. Other floral choices popular in Israel include Dafna, which means laurel; Dailia; Irit, which means daffodil; and Vered, which means rose.

The name of an angel in the Zohar, Nuriel is related to the Arabic name Nur.

Idiosyncratic Hebrew choice.

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.

Intriguing twist on several familiar names, though many people will mistake this for Elsa, Eliza, and so on.

More than the sum of Abby and Ella.

The original Hebrew form of Jacob is resurfacing in the US charts after a several-decade-long hiatus. The Old Testament figure is considered the founding father of the Jewish nation, whose twelve sons descended into the twelve tribes of Israel.

Not a traditional biblical choice, but the Philistine giant isn't a bad character as such, just a champion fighter who lost to the underdog. He has given his name to everything from insect species to roller coasters. In a time when we're seeing more biblical names with chequered associations — Leviathan and Cain spring to mind — Goliath may appeal to some.

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.

An energetic name with an embroidered feel.

A Hebrew name also used for girls, with many variations to choose from. Hadara is another version. The name is associated with the holiday of Sukkot.

Unusual Daniel relative.

Cute nickname but the "gabby" synonym might prove problematic, especially is your daughter is chatty....or not.

Spelled this way, Adine could be a relative of either the Irish Aideen, which means jealousy, or the Arabic Adina, meaning slender. We'll go with the slender.

Think of this as the Hebrew equivalent of Benedict or Benito; best for observant Jews.

Abijah is a truly unusual, truly unisex, truly appealing biblical name. There were several male Abijahs in the Bible, one of them, known as Abijah of Judah, was the fourth king of the House of David, and also a couple of females.