Jewish Names

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.

Little-known name from the Old Testament.

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).

Despite being one of the rare boy names that mean life, Chaim barely survived early Jewish immigration, being watered down to Hyman and Hymie. Today, the original seems like the most promising form of the name, familiar thanks to bestselling author Chaim Potok.

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.

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.

An Old Testament warrior whose name still sounds tough.

One of those casual down-home names last popular in the 1960s.

A zippy, lively name that has never been popular, but has never completely disappeared. It is best known for writer and wit Gore Vidal, and hairdresser Vidal Sassoon and his many products.

A symbolic name for boys born during a period between Passover and Shavuot.

Aryeh, which can also be spelled Arye or Arieh, is a Biblical name sometimes heard in modern Israel. In the US, this is the most popular spelling by far, given to 100 boys last year. But the girls' form Ariyah is much more popular than that, given to nearly 500 baby girls.

Popular name in Israel, worth considering for a dark-haired daughter with a bit of a bohemian cast.

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.

The name of the father of Jonah in the Old Testament. Has a cool, energetic sound.

A strong, masculine name hardly heard outside the Hebrew-speaking community.

Nonbiblical Hebrew name used as an affectionate nickname since the Middle Ages.

Gender-neutral nickname typically used for Yuval, the modern Hebrew form of Jubal.

Most parents would choose the more contemporary Simon.