Jewish Names

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.

Commonly heard in Israel, but a rare choice elsewhere.

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

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.

Most modern parents outside Israel would prefer Aaron.

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

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.

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.

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

Still heard in some religious Jewish communities, however diminutive Gitty is more common as a given name.