Jewish Names

Also an English surname, Sender derives from Alexander and has an attractive modern sound. Though given to only a handful of baby boys per year, it nevertheless is in step with the brotherhood of er-ending choices fashionable today.

A jewel-encrusted choice, far more unusual than Pearl.

The name of a High Priest in the Hebrew Bible.

This unisex Hebrew name has held rather steady for boys while falling for girls in Israel.

Tehila may at first appeal as a distinctive choice. Danger: might tend to sound like a mispronunciation of tequila.

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.

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.

The name of the mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses in the Old Testament. Yocheved was also the name of one of the three daughters of the medieval Talmudic scholar, Rashi.

Appealing name because, in German and Yiddish, it also means "dear" or "heart".

Perhaps too similar to the word "idol," but Eidel is a pretty (and largely forgotten) Yiddish name.