Jewish Names

With Katya catching on, this sound-related name could too, though there is the Batgirl association. Basha, Basya, Batyah, Bitya, Peshe, Pessel (Yiddish).

A unisex season name that's rare in the US: it hasn't been in the charts for boys or girls since the early 2000s.

Hebrew name with a bright sheen.

The name of a High Priest in the Hebrew Bible.

Old-fashioned enough to the American ear that literally no baby girls received the name in the US in the most recent year counted. Though might Pessa provide a more unique spin on Tessa? It certainly has a lovely meaning, one shared with Margaret.

More familiar now via its Salman form, thanks to author Rushdie; this is an unusual biblical alternative.

Gila and its variants have joyous meanings in Hebrew, but other kids might connect them to the monster.

Mattel is experiencing a revival in the Orthodox Jewish community, where it's becoming increasingly common as a first and middle name. It's the feminine version of Mottel, itself the Yiddish form of Mordecai. Mattel was commonly Anglicized as Matilda during emigration in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Traditional Hebrew name that has never entered the American mainstream, though it is popular among Hasidic parents and was found to be the quirky favorite girls' names of New Jersey in our survey of baby names that enjoy outsized popularity in each state.