Yiddish Names for Boys
Updated Tue Jun 09 2020
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Yiddish names for boys originate in the language spoken by Ashkenazic Jews and brought to the US a century or more ago. Today, many Jewish parents are reviving beloved Yiddish baby names, along with the Yiddish language.
If you're looking for a Yiddish name for your son, browse our full list of Yiddish names for baby boys here. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
If you're looking for a Yiddish name for your son, browse our full list of Yiddish names for baby boys here. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
- Liev
Origin:
Yiddish variation of LevMeaning:
"heart"Description:
Liev Schreiber's birth name is Isaac Liev, Liev after his mother's favorite Russia author, Leo Tolstoy. Though Liev is increasing in popularity in the secular world thanks to the actor, it originated as a Yiddish diminutive.
- Feivel
Origin:
YiddishMeaning:
"brilliant one"Description:
This comes from Faivish, the Yiddish form of Phoebus, the Greek sun god...and it's also the little mouse in "An American Tail."
- Brick
Origin:
Word name, various originsDescription:
This is an Anglicized form of various names; the Irish Gaelic O Bruic; German, Bruck or Breck, meaning "swamp" or "wood"; Yiddish, Brik, "bridge"; and Slovenian, Bric, "dweller from a hilly place." Gosh, and we thought it was just a macho word name invented by Tennessee Williams for the hero of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
- Moshe
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"son or deliver"Description:
Moshe is the original Hebrew form of Moses, also spelled Mosheh. In the past it was changed to names like Morris, Moe and Maurice.
- Adi
- Shlomo
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"his peace"Description:
Rarely, if ever, heard outside the Jewish community.
- Lazer
Origin:
Yiddish variation of Eliezer or LazarusMeaning:
"God helps"Description:
Lazer has some biblical cred as a form of Eliezer, Eleazar, or Lazarus, all relatives, and it's also a modern bad boy name a la Ranger and Breaker. Our recommendation would be to use one of the biblical forms as the proper name and Lazer as a nickname.
- Shem
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"name"Description:
This down-to-earth Bible name is surprisingly little-used, considering the popularity of other Old Testament names. Shem was Noah's eldest son, and is the origin of the term Semitic (as in the language family).
- Issur
- Evron
- Tevel
- Moishe
Origin:
Yiddish variation of Moses, EgyptianMeaning:
"delivered from the water"Description:
A name commonly heard on New York's Lower East Side at the turn of the last century.
- Mendel
Origin:
Yiddish variation of MenachemDescription:
Mendel is an Old World Jewish name that is also the surname of the founder of genetics.
- Shmiel
- Mende
- Haskel
Origin:
Yiddish variation of EzekielDescription:
Rarely used cerebral-sounding name that is actually the Yiddish form of Ezekiel.
- Yeshua
Origin:
Variation of Joshua, HebrewMeaning:
"the Lord is my salvation"Description:
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.
- Zelig
Origin:
Yiddish variation of SeligMeaning:
"blessed, happy"Description:
A super quirky and upbeat choice, if it can ever shake off its ubiquitous-guy Woody Allen identity.
- Beinish
- Anshel