Maayan מַעֲיָן f & m HebrewMeans
"spring of water" in Hebrew.
Malachi מַלְאָכִי m Hebrew, English, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
מַלְאָכִי (Mal'akhi) meaning
"my messenger" or
"my angel". This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Malachi, which some claim foretells the coming of Christ. In England the name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.
Marganita מַרְגָנִיתָה f HebrewFrom the name of a type of flowering plant common in Israel, called the scarlet pimpernel in English.
Meir מֵאִיר m HebrewMeans
"giving light" in Hebrew.
Menahem מְנַחֵם m Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
מְנַחֵם (Menachem) meaning
"comforter". This was the name of a king of Israel, appearing in the Old Testament. His reign was noted for its brutality.
Mendel מענדל, מֶנְדְל m YiddishOriginally this was probably a Yiddish diminutive of
Manno. It is now used as a diminutive of
Menahem.
Meyer מֵאִיר m HebrewAlternate transcription of Hebrew
מֵאִיר (see
Meir). It also coincides with a German surname meaning "mayor, leader".
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.
Miron 2 מִירוֹן m HebrewFrom the name of the highest mountain in Israel, Mount Meron. It is also the name of a village on its slopes, thought to be on the same site as the ancient Canaanite city of Merom.
Mor מוֹר f & m HebrewMeans
"myrrh" in Hebrew.
Moran מוֹרָן f & m HebrewMeans
"viburnum shrub" in Hebrew.
Mordecai מָרְדֳּכַי m Biblical, HebrewMeans
"servant of Marduk" in Persian. In the Old Testament Mordecai is the cousin and foster father of
Esther. He thwarted a plot to kill the Persian king, though he made an enemy of the king's chief advisor
Haman.
Moses מֹשֶׁה m English, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh), which is most likely derived from Egyptian
mes meaning
"son", but could also possibly mean
"deliver" in Hebrew. The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of
"drew out" from Hebrew
משה (mashah) is probably an invented etymology (see
Exodus 2:10).
... [more] 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.
Nir נִיר m HebrewMeans
"plowed field" in Hebrew.
Niv נִיב m HebrewMeans either
"speech, expression" or
"fang, tusk" in Hebrew.
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).
Ofer עֹפֶר, עוֹפֶר m HebrewMeans
"fawn" in Hebrew. This makes it a modern variant of the Classical Hebrew name
Ophrah.
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.
Omri עָמְרִי m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"life" or
"servant" in Hebrew (or a related Semitic language). This was the name of a 9th-century BC military commander who became king of Israel. He appears in the Old Testament, where he is denounced as being wicked.
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.
Orel אוֹרְאֵל m HebrewMeans
"light of God" 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.
Raanan רַעֲנָן m HebrewMeans
"fresh, invigorating" 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.
Reuben רְאוּבֵן m Biblical, Hebrew, EnglishMeans
"behold, a son" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the eldest son of
Jacob and
Leah and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Reuben was cursed by his father because he slept with Jacob's concubine
Bilhah. It has been used as a Christian name in Britain since the Protestant Reformation.
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".
Sagi שָׂגִיא m HebrewMeans
"elevated, sublime" in Hebrew.
Samuel שְׁמוּאֵל m English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Jewish, Amharic, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el) meaning
"name of God", from the roots
שֵׁם (shem) meaning "name" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Other interpretations have the first root being
שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear" leading to a meaning of
"God has heard". As told in the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges. He led the Israelites during a period of domination by the Philistines, who were ultimately defeated in battle at Mizpah. Later he anointed
Saul to be the first king of Israel, and even later anointed his successor
David.
... [more] 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] Saul שָׁאוּל m Biblical, Jewish, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
שָׁאוּל (Sha'ul) meaning
"asked for, prayed for". This was the name of the first king of Israel, as told in the Old Testament. Before the end of his reign he lost favour with God, and after a defeat by the Philistines he was succeeded by
David as king. In the New Testament, Saul was the original Hebrew name of the apostle
Paul.
Shai שַׁי m & f HebrewEither from Hebrew
שַׁי (shai) meaning
"gift" or else a Hebrew diminutive of
Isaiah.
Sharon שׁרון f & m English, HebrewFrom an Old Testament place name, in Hebrew
שָׁרוֹן (Sharon) meaning
"plain", referring to a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel. This is also the name of a flowering plant in the Bible, the rose of Sharon, a term now used to refer to several different species of flowers.
... [more] 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".
Solomon שְׁלֹמֹה m Biblical, English, Jewish, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomoh), which was derived from Hebrew
שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". As told in the Old Testament, Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of
David and
Bathsheba. He was renowned for his wisdom and wealth. Towards the end of his reign he angered God by turning to idolatry. Supposedly, he was the author of the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
... [more] 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.
Tevye טבֿיה m Yiddish (Rare)Yiddish form of
Tobiah. This is the name of the central character in stories written by the Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem in the late 19th century, as well as the later musical adaptation
Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
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.
Uriel אוּרִיאֵל m Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
אוּרִיאֵל ('Uri'el) meaning
"God is my light", from
אוּר ('ur) meaning "light, flame" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Uriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition. He is mentioned only in the Apocrypha, for example in the Book of Enoch where he warns
Noah of the coming flood.
Vered וֶרֶד f HebrewMeans
"rose" in Hebrew, originally a borrowing from an Iranian language.
Yaara יַעֲרָה f HebrewMeans
"honeycomb" and
"honeysuckle" in Hebrew.
Yaniv יָנִיב m HebrewMeans
"he will prosper" in Hebrew.
Yaron יָרוֹן m HebrewMeans
"to sing, to shout" in Hebrew.
Yente יענטע, יענטאַ f Yiddish (Rare)From French
gentille meaning
"noble, aristocratic". This is the name of a gossipy matchmaker in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on late 19th-century stories by Sholem Aleichem. Due to the character, this name has also acquired the meaning "gossiper".