Hebrew Names

Double exposure: 1970s rock sensation (Mamma Mia) and scholar/diplomat name in Israel.

The Hebrew version of Joel has a pleasant, almost jolly sound.

Tanya with a G.

More common -- when it was common -- with the Meyer spelling.

Variant of Enoch with little appeal.

Prince of the tribe of Zebulon in the Exodus, everyone will misunderstand this as Elias, with a stuffed nose.

Joab is the biblical name of an advisor of David, who led many military victories, and is surely much more usable than the burdened Job. A similar option is Joah, a possible replacement for Jonah or Noah.

Hilda with a stuffed nose.

An alternative to the formerly male Ariel, which is now in the grasp of "The Little Mermaid."

Along with Shem and Japheth, a son of Noah with a name that's almost never used -- for more obvious reasons than those of his brothers.

This is another form of the name the angel Raphael assumes for himself when he becomes human. One of the few attractive Biblical names that has not yet been discovered by modern parents, Azarias is certainly ripe for the taking.

Panna is a name with many allusions — in addition to those above, a serene and sacred city in India and the Italian word for cream. Panna might make a fresh alternative to Anna or Hannah.

An important biblical name, being the wife of Moses in Exodus. Has a number of spelling variations, including Tziporah, Zipora(h), Zippora(h), Tzipor and Tzipori. The Yiddish forms are Tzeitl and Tzertel.

The double a makes it special.

Like Bethany and Shiloh, a meaningful biblical place-name.

The name recently given to their daughter by Susan and Robert Downey, Jr. is pronounced like Avery and may be seen as a kree8tiv spelling variation of that popular unisex name or a girlish short form of Avraham, the Biblical Hebrew form of Abraham.

Could be used to honor a Joel.

Aleeza is one of the most energetic of the legion of Alyssa/Alicia/Eliza names. Another spelling of Aleeza: Aliza.

Leeza may feel like the flagging Lisa or Liza, but its pronunciation is a hybrid of the two and it's a name that's distinct on its own.