Yiddish Names

A name commonly heard on New York's Lower East Side at the turn of the last century.

Mendel is an Old World Jewish name that is also the surname of the founder of genetics.

Hava is an anglicization of the Hebrew name Chava, which, like its English form Eve, means "life". In some accents, it may sound like "have a", so it's worth considering if this will be an issue combined with a last name. But overall, it's an elegantly simple name with a great meaning.

Rarely used cerebral-sounding name that is actually the Yiddish form of Ezekiel.

Yeshua is often considered the "real" name of Jesus, via the Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English evolution of Yeshua to Iesous to Iesus to Jesus. It is also used as a common alternative of Yehoshua in the later parts of the Hebrew Bible, making it a variation of Joshuah.

A super quirky and upbeat choice, if it can ever shake off its ubiquitous-guy Woody Allen identity.

Too close to yenta.

More familiar now via its Salman form, thanks to author Rushdie; this is an unusual biblical alternative.

Old-fashioned enough to the American ear that literally no baby girls received the name in the US in the most recent year counted. Though might Pessa provide a more unique spin on Tessa? It certainly has a lovely meaning, one shared with Margaret.

Appealing name because, in German and Yiddish, it also means "dear" or "heart".

Still heard in some religious Jewish communities, however diminutive Gitty is more common as a given name.