Jewish Names

A once-popular nickname for Albert and Bertram now being polished up by hip Brits, but still hibernating in the Land of Nerd over here.

Shmuel is a Modern Hebrew variation of Samuel used almost exclusively by Orthodox Jewish families. Very popular in Israel, Shmuel also appeared on the US Top 1000 list in 2017, 2022, and 2023 and is given to around 240 boys each year.

This botanical Hebrew name is predominantly used on girls, however it is traditionally a unisex name that is used on boys too.

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

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

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.

Commonly heard in Israel, but a rare choice elsewhere.

The Polish form of Ruth has mostly been lost outside of Poland, but though rare, it can still be heard in Polish and Eastern European communities. Ruta has only ever appeared on Illinois' state data, due to Chicago's large Polish population. With Ruth now on the ascent, Ruta may be worth rediscovering.

Lovely name that's been overshadowed by sister ZAHARA, which was chosen by Brad and Angelina for their oldest daughter.

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

Yoav is a variation of Joab, a name featured prominently in the Old Testament.

Most modern parents outside Israel would prefer Aaron.

Although it's a variation of the masculine name Jubal, modern Israelis have taken to using Yuval for girls as well.