Jewish Girl Names

  1. Ayala
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "doe, gazelle"
    • Description:

      This animal-themed name is among the most popular for girls in contemporary Israel. Parents who want to move beyond the mega-popular Aliyah and sisters might want to consider Ayala. The male form is Ayal.
  2. Michal
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "brook"
    • Description:

      In the Bible, daughter of King Saul and wife of King David.
  3. Kelilah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "crown, laurel"
    • Description:

      Kelilah, also spelled Kelila, is a lovely and unusual name that would make a perfect substitute for the trendy Delilah.
  4. Shaina
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful"
    • Description:

      Despite its Irish sound, this commonly used word name has usually been confined to Jewish families.
  5. Chava
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "life"
    • Description:

      The Hebrew, Biblical form of Eve. While English speakers will likely find the forms Ava or Eve easier in everyday life, Chava is a lovely variation for a family that speaks Hebrew or Yiddish - plus, English speakers could always learn.
  6. Lailah
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Layla
    • Meaning:

      "night"
    • Description:

      A lesser-used spelling variation of Layla, Leila et al. In Jewish mythology, Lailah is the name of an angel associated with the night and fertility.
  7. Netta
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of names ending in -ette or -etta, or variation of Neta, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "plant"
    • Description:

      Netta ranked in the US Top 1000 in the 1880s, when it was often used as a short form of names such as Jeanette, Annette, and Antoinette. In Jewish families, Netta was typically seen as a variation of the Hebrew name Neta.
  8. Nuri
    • Origin:

      Short form of Nuria or Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "my fire"
    • Description:

      Nuri might be a nickname for the place name Nuria, popular in Spain and Portugal as a honorific for the Virgin Mary. Nuri is also a usually-masculine name heard in the Middle East, but to the Western ear it might work for girls or boys.
  9. Becky
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Rebecca
    • Description:

      One of those casual down-home names last popular in the 1960s.
  10. Charna
    • Origin:

      Yiddish
    • Meaning:

      "dark, black"
    • Description:

      Popular name in Israel, worth considering for a dark-haired daughter with a bit of a bohemian cast.
  11. Tzofia
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "a scout of Jehovah"
    • Description:

      The "Tz" beginning of Tzofia represents the Hebrew letter tzadi, which is pronounced more like ts. So Tzofia sounds like Sofia with a light t at the beginning — intriguing, but a difficult sound for a native English speaker to reproduce. While Tzofia is a distinct name from the megapopular Sophia and Sofia, many people will hear it as a cognate and pronounce it the same...or like Zofia.
  12. Malka
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "queen"
    • Description:

      Nonbiblical Hebrew name used as an affectionate nickname since the Middle Ages.
  13. Simona
    • Alannah
      • Origin:

        Gaelic
      • Meaning:

        "child"
      • Description:

        This form of Alannah was derived directly from the Gaelic term a leanbh, meaning "child." Though not as popular as the more traditional Alana spelling, it has consistently charted in the US since 2007. Alannah Myles is popularizing this spelling of Alana.
    • Shoshanna
      • Origin:

        Spelling variation of Shoshana, Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "lily"
      • Description:

        Shoshanna is a variation of one of the best-known original Hebrew baby names for girls , the original of Susanna. This is the spelling used by Shoshanna Lonstein, a designer who creates the Shoshanna clothing line and also the name of one of the four leading characters on the TV show Girls, Shoshanna Shapiro.
    • Zehava
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "gold, golden"
      • Description:

        The more dignified and attractive Hebrew equivalent of Golda or Goldie.
    • Shalom
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "peace"
      • Description:

        Supermodel Shalom Harlow glamorized this name, which is heard as a greeting every day in Israel.
    • Shari
      • Origin:

        Anglicized variation of Hungarian Sari, variation of Sarah
      • Meaning:

        "princess"
      • Description:

        This once-cool nickname-y name now belongs to the grandma generation.
    • Bluma
      • Origin:

        Yiddish
      • Meaning:

        "flower"
      • Description:

        This floral name, related to bloom and Blossom, is common in the Jewish community, but not often heard outside it. Other Yiddish nature names are Ita (star), Masha (rising water), and Mayim (water).
    • Risa
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "laughing"