Adi 1 עֲדִי f & m HebrewMeans
"jewel, ornament" in Hebrew.
Adva אַדְוָה f HebrewMeans
"small wave, ripple" in Hebrew.
Aliya 2 עֲלִיָּה f HebrewMeans
"ascent" in Hebrew, a derivative of
עָלָה ('alah) meaning "to ascend, to climb". This is also a Hebrew word referring to immigration to Israel.
Ariel אֲרִיאֵל m & f Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"lion of God" in Hebrew, from
אֲרִי ('ari) meaning "lion" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play
The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem
The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film
The Little Mermaid (1989).
Ayala אַיָּלָה f HebrewMeans
"doe, female deer" in Hebrew.
Ayelet אַיֶלֶת f HebrewMeans
"doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase
אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר ('ayelet hashachar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.
Batel בַּת־אֵל f HebrewMeans
"daughter of God" in Hebrew.
Beylke ביילקע f Yiddish (Rare)Diminutive of
Beyle. This is the name of a daughter of Tevye in late 19th-century Yiddish stories by Sholem Aleichem, on which the musical
Fiddler on the Roof was based.
Carmel כַּרְמֶל f English, JewishFrom the title of the Virgin
Mary Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
כַּרְמֶל (Karmel) (meaning "garden" in Hebrew) is a mountain in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the site of several early Christian monasteries. As an English given name, it has mainly been used by Catholics.
Chesed חֶסֶד f & m HebrewMeans
"kindness, goodness" in Hebrew.
Dafna דַּפְנָה f HebrewMeans
"laurel" in Hebrew, of Greek origin.
Daniela דניאלה f Italian, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Hebrew, EnglishFeminine form of
Daniel.
Danya 1 דַּנְיָה f HebrewFeminine form of
Dan 1. It can also be considered a compound meaning
"judgement from God", using the element
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God.
Dar דַּר f & m HebrewMeans
"mother-of-pearl, nacre" in Hebrew.
Diklah דִּקְלָה m & f Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"palm grove" in Hebrew or Aramaic. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Joktan. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name.
Dor דּוֹר m & f HebrewMeans
"generation" in Hebrew.
Eden עֵדֶן f & m Hebrew, English (Modern)Possibly from Hebrew
עֵדֶן ('eden) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian
𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people,
Adam and
Eve, lived before they were expelled.
Ela 3 אֵלָה f HebrewModern Hebrew form of
Elah, usually used as a feminine name.
Estee f JewishDiminutive of
Esther. A famous bearer was the American businesswoman Estée Lauder (1908-2004), founder of the cosmetics company that bears her name. Her birth name was Josephine Esther Mentzer. Apparently she added the accent to her name
Estee in order to make it appear French.
Ester אֶסְתֵר f Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Czech, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, HebrewForm of
Esther used in several languages.
Esther אֶסְתֵר f English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekPossibly means
"star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess
Ishtar. The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor
Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin
Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was
Hadassah.
... [more] Fruma פֿרומאַ, פֿרומע f YiddishFrom Yiddish
פֿרום (frum) meaning
"pious". This is the name of a character (appearing as a ghost) in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Galia גַּלְיָה f HebrewElaboration of
Gal 1. It could also be considered a compound meaning
"wave from God", using the element
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God.
Gili גִּילִי f & m HebrewMeans
"my joy" in Hebrew.
Golda גאָלדאַ, גאָלדע, גּוֹלְדָּה f YiddishFrom Yiddish
גאָלד (gold) meaning
"gold". This is the name of Tevye's wife in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964). It was also borne by the Israeli prime minister Golda Meir (1898-1978).
Hadar הָדָר f & m HebrewMeans
"splendour, glory" in Hebrew.
Hallel הָלֵּל f & m HebrewDerived from Hebrew
הָלַל (halal) meaning
"praise". This is the name of a Jewish prayer, consisting of several psalms. The more traditional name
Hillel, which is typically only masculine, is spelled the same but is vocalized with a different vowel.
Hanna 1 חַנָּה f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, German, Dutch, Icelandic, Hungarian, HebrewForm of
Channah (see
Hannah) in several languages.
Hila הִילָה f HebrewMeans
"halo, aura" in Hebrew, from the root
הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".
Hodel האָדל f Yiddish (Rare)Diminutive of
Hode. This is the name of Tevye's second daughter in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on late 19th-century stories by Sholem Aleichem.
Inbal עִנְבָּל f HebrewMeans
"tongue of a bell" in Hebrew.
Inbar עִנְבָּר, עִינְבָּר f HebrewMeans
"amber" in Hebrew.
Irit עִירִית f HebrewMeans
"asphodel (flower)" in Hebrew.
Judith יְהוּדִית f English, Jewish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish, French, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוּדִית (Yehudit) meaning
"Jewish woman", feminine of
יְהוּדִי (yehudi), ultimately referring to a person from the tribe of
Judah. In the Old Testament Judith is one of the Hittite wives of
Esau. This is also the name of the main character of the apocryphal Book of Judith. She killed Holofernes, an invading Assyrian commander, by beheading him in his sleep.
... [more] Keren קֶרֶן f HebrewMeans
"horn" or
"ray of light" in Hebrew.
Kinneret כִּנֶּרֶת f HebrewFrom the name of a large lake in northern Israel, usually called the Sea of Galilee in English. Its name is derived from Hebrew
כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) meaning "harp" because of its shape.
Lea לֵאָה f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Italian, HebrewForm of
Leah used in several languages.
Leah לֵאָה f English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
לֵאָה (Le'ah), which was probably derived from the Hebrew word
לְאָה (le'ah) meaning
"weary". Alternatively it might be related to Akkadian
littu meaning
"cow". In the Old Testament Leah is the first wife of
Jacob and the mother of seven of his children. Jacob's other wife was Leah's younger sister
Rachel, whom he preferred. Leah later offered Jacob her handmaid
Zilpah in order for him to conceive more children.
... [more] Liat לִיאַת f HebrewMeans
"you are mine" in Hebrew.
Lihi לִיהִי, לִיהִיא f HebrewMeans
"she is mine" in Hebrew.
Lior לִיאוֹר m & f HebrewMeans
"light for me" in Hebrew.
Liraz לִירָז m & f HebrewMeans
"secret for me" in Hebrew.
Liron לִירוֹן m & f HebrewMeans
"song for me" or
"joy for me" in Hebrew.
Maayan מַעֲיָן f & m HebrewMeans
"spring of water" in Hebrew.
Marganita מַרְגָנִיתָה f HebrewFrom the name of a type of flowering plant common in Israel, called the scarlet pimpernel in English.
Michal 2 מִיכַל f Biblical, HebrewPossibly means
"brook" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of
Saul. She was married to
David, but after David fled from Saul he remarried her to someone else. Later, when David became king, he ordered her returned to him.
Miriam מִרְיָם f Hebrew, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Biblical, Biblical HebrewHebrew form of
Mary. It is used in the Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of
Moses and
Aaron. She watched over the infant Moses as the pharaoh's daughter drew him from the Nile. The name has long been popular among Jews, and it has been used as an English Christian name (alongside
Mary) since the Protestant Reformation.
Mor מוֹר f & m HebrewMeans
"myrrh" in Hebrew.
Moran מוֹרָן f & m HebrewMeans
"viburnum shrub" in Hebrew.
Naomi 1 נָעֳמִי f English, Hebrew, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
נָעֳמִי (Na'omi) meaning
"pleasantness". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of
Ruth. After the death of her husband and sons, she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth. There she declared that her name should be
Mara because of her misfortune (see
Ruth 1:20).
... [more] Neta נֶטַע f & m HebrewMeans
"plant, shrub" in Hebrew.
Nili נִילִי f HebrewAcronym of the phrase
נצח ישׂראל לא ישׁקר (Netzach Yisrael Lo Yishaker) meaning
"the eternity of Israel will not lie". This phrase appears in the Old Testament in
1 Samuel 15:29. It was used as the name of a Jewish spy network in Palestine during World War I.
Noam נוֹעַם m & f Hebrew, FrenchMeans
"pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.
Noga נֹגַה f & m HebrewModern Hebrew transcription of
Nogah, usually used as a feminine name.
Noy נוֹי f & m HebrewMeans
"beauty" in Hebrew.
Nurit נוּרִית f HebrewMeans
"buttercup (flower)" in Hebrew (genus Ranunculus).
Ofra עֹפְרָה, עוֹפְרָה m & f HebrewModern Hebrew form of
Ophrah. Originally it was a masculine name, but it is now used for females too.
Ofri עֹפְרִי, עוֹפְרִי f & m HebrewMeans
"my fawn" in Hebrew.
Omer עוֹמֶר m & f HebrewMeans
"sheaf of wheat" in Hebrew.
Ophir אוֹפִיר m & f Biblical, HebrewFrom Hebrew
אוֹפִיר ('Ofir), meaning unknown. This is the name of a son of
Joktan in the Old Testament (where it is also used as a place name).
Or אוֹר m & f HebrewMeans
"light" in Hebrew.
Ori אוֹרִי m & f HebrewMeans
"my light" in Hebrew.
Orli אוֹרְלִי f HebrewMeans
"light for me" in Hebrew.
Osher אוֹשֶׁר, אֹשֶׁר m & f HebrewMeans
"happiness" in Hebrew.
Rachel רָחֵל f English, Hebrew, French, Dutch, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
רָחֵל (Rachel) meaning
"ewe". In the Old Testament this is the name of the favourite wife of
Jacob. Her father
Laban tricked Jacob into marrying her older sister
Leah first, though in exchange for seven years of work Laban allowed Jacob to marry Rachel too. Initially barren and facing her husband's anger, she offered her handmaid
Bilhah to Jacob to bear him children. Eventually she was herself able to conceive, becoming the mother of
Joseph and
Benjamin.
... [more] Ravid רָבִיד m & f HebrewMeans
"ornament, necklace" in Hebrew.
Raz רָז m & f HebrewMeans
"secret" in Hebrew.
Reut רְעוּת f HebrewMeans
"friendship" in Hebrew, making it a variant of the biblical name
Ruth.
Romi רוֹמִי f HebrewMeans
"my height, my exaltation" in Hebrew.
Roni 1 רוֹנִי f & m HebrewMeans
"my joy" or
"my song" in Hebrew.
Rotem רוֹתֶם m & f HebrewFrom the name of a desert plant (species Retama raetam), possibly derived from Hebrew
רְתֹם (retom) meaning "to bind".
Sara שָׂרָה f Greek, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, Catalan, Galician, Romanian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Macedonian, Polish, English, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Biblical GreekForm of
Sarah used in various languages.
Sarah שָׂרָה f English, French, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Hebrew, Arabic, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"lady, princess, noblewoman" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of
Abraham's wife, considered the matriarch of the Jewish people. She was barren until she unexpectedly became pregnant with
Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally
Sarai, but God changed it at the same time Abraham's name was changed (see
Genesis 17:15).
... [more] Shai שַׁי m & f HebrewEither from Hebrew
שַׁי (shai) meaning
"gift" or else a Hebrew diminutive of
Isaiah.
Shprintze שפּרינצע f Yiddish (Rare)Possibly a Yiddish form of
Esperanza. This is the name of Tevye's fourth daughter in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on the late 19th-century Yiddish stories of Sholem Aleichem.
Simcha שִׂמְחָה f & m HebrewMeans
"happiness, joy" in Hebrew.
Sivan סִיוָן, סִיווָן f HebrewFrom the name of the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar (occurring in late spring). It was adopted from the Babylonian calendar, derived from Akkadian
simānu meaning "season, occasion".
Stav סתָו, סתיו f & m HebrewMeans
"autumn" in Hebrew.
Tahel תָּהֶל f HebrewMeans
"you will shine" in Hebrew, from the root
הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".
Talia 1 טַלְיָה, טַלְיָא f HebrewMeans
"dew from God" in Hebrew, from
טַל (tal) meaning "dew" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God.
Tam 2 תָּם m & f HebrewMeans
"honest, innocent" in Hebrew.
Tamar תָּמָר f Hebrew, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"date palm" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Tamar was the daughter-in-law of
Judah and later his wife. This was also the name of a daughter of King
David. She was raped by her half-brother
Amnon, leading to his murder by her brother
Absalom. The name was borne by a 12th-century ruling queen of Georgia who presided over the kingdom at the peak of its power.
Tom 2 תּוֹם, תָּם m & f HebrewMeans
"the end, innocence, simplicity" from Hebrew
תּוֹם (tom). It can also be an alternate transcription of
תָּם (see
Tam 2).
Tzeitel צייטל f Yiddish (Rare)Yiddish diminutive of
Sarah. This is the name of Tevye's oldest daughter in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on Sholem Aleichem's stories from the late 19th century.
Uria אוּרִיָה m & f HebrewModern Hebrew form of
Uriah, also used as a feminine name.