Jewish Names

Strong, interesting nature name reminiscent of Biblical favorites Ezra and Boaz.

Zusa is a sweet (literally!) and sparky Yiddish name which has real potential in today's naming climate, given the popularity of high-value Scrabble letters like Z.

The extra N in Anael adds a dose of femininity.

Cute nickname with multicultural appeal — in addition to Yoav, Yovi could be short for names such as Yovan and Yovani.

In the Bible, Elim is an oasis where the Israelites stopped during their Exodus from Egypt. It is a place of plenty representing the natural blessings of God, with twelve springs of fresh water and seventy date palm trees to provide food and shade.

Eliyahu is the Hebrew form of the increasingly popular Biblical prophet name Elijah, also found in forms Elias and Eli. There were 100 boys given the name Eliyahu in the U.S. in 2012. Its upside is that it's one of the most distinctive forms of the name, but that final yahoo may prove difficult.

Hila is a name that has grown in popularity in recent years, placing it firmly within Israel's Top 20 for girls. It is sometimes written as Hilla or Hilah. In Pashto, it means "hope" and is also spelled Heela.

Certainly qualities desired for our sons.

Naviʾ is the Hebrew word for "prophet," while neviʾa is "prophetess." Both ultimately derive an Akkadian word meaning "to proclaim" or "to summon."

Fashionable choice in modern Israel, also a place-name there, not likely to succeed here.

From Hebrew, Oria is a variation of Oriya, created by combining Ori meaning "light" with yah indicating God. From Italian, it is a variation of the Latin Aurea, a golden Saint name, once popular in Spain.

Too close to yenta.

Itta is a cute old-fashioned name that arose parallelly as a nickname for Yehudit, used among Ashkenazi Jews, and a variation of Ita, an Irish name.

Spelling variation of Meital.

The Biblical name of a great prophet and judge who helped organize an army and effect a major victory over the Canaanites. Sounds much fresher than the Anglicized Deborah.