Jewish Names

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.

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

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

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.

Most modern parents outside Israel would prefer Aaron.

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.

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.

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.

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

See NECHAMA.