Jewish Names

This once-cool nickname-y name now belongs to the grandma generation.

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

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.

Ido is a multicultural name seldom heard in modern America but popular in the Middle East. As transliterations, Ido and its other form Iddo are equally correct.

See Zac.

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).

Most parents would choose the more contemporary Simon.

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

A Near Eastern favorite, with an agreeable, evocative sound.

Yochanan Ben Zakkai is a prominent figure in Jewish history.

This unusual variation of Margaret is the real first name of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. It can make a distinctive way to honor an ancestral Margaret or a different long form for such nicknames as Maggie, Meg, or Margo.

A widely used Hebrew form of Joseph, with a sophisticated and continental air.

In its original form, Shiloh is a soft unisex name, with connections to both the Bible and American history. While it is often associated with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter, born in 2006, Shiloh ranks in the US Top 500 for girls and boys.

Benevolent name found in Israel in several forms, including Doran and Doroni.

The Selma-Thelma-Velma connection dates it.

The biblical husband of the queen of Sheba; an unusual name with an interesting sound, rhyming with lanai.