Yiddish Names

These names are used by Yiddish-speaking Jews. See also about Jewish names.
gender
usage
Alte 1 אַלטע f Yiddish (Rare)
Feminine form of Alter.
Alter אַלטער, אלתר m Yiddish
From Yiddish אַלט (alt) meaning "old". This name was traditionally given to a sickly newborn by Jewish parents in order to confuse the Angel of Death, in the hopes that he would go looking for somebody younger or somebody else.
Anshel אַנשיל m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish form of Anselm, used as a vernacular form of Asher.
Avrum אַבֿרהם m Yiddish
Yiddish form of Abraham.
Baila ביילאַ f Yiddish
Variant of Beyle.
Benesh בענעש m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish form of Benedict.
Ber בער, בֶר m Yiddish
Means "bear" in Yiddish, a vernacular form of Dov.
Beyle ביילע f Yiddish (Rare)
From a Slavic word meaning "white".
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.
Bluma בלומאַ f Yiddish
From Yiddish בלום (blum) meaning "flower".
Breindel בריינדל f Yiddish (Rare)
Means "brunette" in Yiddish.
Charna טשאַרנאַ f Yiddish (Rare)
From a Slavic word meaning "black".
Chatzkel חאַצקל m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish variant of Ezekiel.
Dovid דוד m Yiddish
Yiddish form of David.
Dudel דודל m Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of David.
Eidel איידל f Yiddish (Rare)
Means "delicate" in Yiddish.
Faiga פֿייגאַ f Yiddish
Variant of Faigel.
Faigel פֿייגל f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish פֿויגל (foigl) meaning "bird", a vernacular form of Zipporah.
Faivish פֿייװיש, פייבישׁ m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish form of Phoebus, apparently used as a translation of Shimshon (see Samson).
Fayvel פֿייװל, פייבל m Yiddish (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Yiddish פֿייװל (see Feivel).
Feige פֿייגע f Yiddish
Variant of Faigel.
Feivel פֿייװל, פייבל m Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Faivish.
Feivush פֿייװוּש, פייבוּשׁ m Yiddish (Rare)
Variant of Faivish.
Fishel פֿישל m Yiddish
Means "little fish" in Yiddish, a diminutive of פֿיש (fish) meaning "fish".
Fishke פֿישקע, פישְׁקה m Yiddish (Rare)
Variant of Fishel.
Freyde פֿריידע f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish פֿרייד (freid) meaning "joy".
Fruma פֿרומאַ, פֿרומע f Yiddish
From Yiddish פֿרום (frum) meaning "pious". This is the name of a character (appearing as a ghost) in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Gavrel גבֿרעל m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish variant of Gabriel.
Gittel גיטל f Yiddish
From Yiddish גוט (gut) meaning "good".
Glika גליקאַ, גליקע f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish גליק (glik) meaning "luck".
Glukel גליקל f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Glika.
Golda גאָלדאַ, גאָלדע, גּוֹלְדָּה f Yiddish
From 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).
Goldie 2 f Yiddish
Variant of Golda.
Haskel האַסקל m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish variant of Ezekiel.
Henda הענדע, הענדאַ f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish variant of Hannah.
Hendel הענדל f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Hannah.
Hene הענע f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish variant of Hannah.
Henye העניע f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish variant of Hannah.
Herschel הירשל m American, Yiddish
Variant of Hershel.
Hersh הירש m Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish הירש (see Hirsh).
Hershel הירשל m American, Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh. As a non-Jewish American name (somewhat common around the end of the 19th century), it was likely inspired by the German surname Herschel, borne for instance by the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822).
Heshel העשל, השׁל m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Yehoshua.
Hirsh הירש m Yiddish
Means "deer" in Yiddish, from Old High German hiruz. This was a vernacular form of the Hebrew name Tzvi. The deer is particularly associated with the tribe of Naphtali (see Genesis 49:21).
Hirshel הירשל m Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh.
Hode האָדע f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish short form of Hadassah.
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.
Iser איסר m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish variant of Israel.
Issur איסר m Yiddish (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Yiddish איסר (see Iser).
Kapel קאַפּל m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Yaakov.
Koppel קאָפּל m Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of Jacob.
Kreindel קריינדל f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Kreine.
Kreine קריינע f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish קרוין (kroin) meaning "crown".
Lazer לייזער m Yiddish
Yiddish variant of Eliezer. This is the name of a character in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Leeba ליבאַ, ליבּה f Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish ליבאַ (see Liba).
Liba ליבאַ, ליבּה f Yiddish
From Yiddish ליבע (libe) meaning "love".
Lieber ליבער m Yiddish
From Yiddish ליבע (libe) meaning "love".
Mendel מענדל, מֶנְדְל m Yiddish
Originally this was probably a Yiddish diminutive of Manno. It is now used as a diminutive of Menahem.
Mirele מירעלע f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Miriam.
Moishe משה m Yiddish
Yiddish form of Moses.
Motel מאָטל m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Mordecai. This is the name of a character in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Motke מאָטקע m Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of Mordecai.
Nosson נתן m Yiddish
Yiddish form of Natan (see Nathan).
Perele פּערעלע f Yiddish (Rare)
Variant of Perle.
Perle פּערלע f French, Yiddish
French and Yiddish cognate of Pearl. It is also used as a Yiddish vernacular form of Margalit.
Raisa 2 רייזאַ f Yiddish
From Yiddish רויז (roiz) meaning "rose".
Raisel רייזל f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Raisa 2.
Rayna 2 ריינאַ f Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish ריינאַ (see Reina 2).
Reina 2 ריינאַ f Yiddish
Derived from Yiddish ריין (rein) meaning "clean, pure".
Rifka ריפֿקאַ f Yiddish
Yiddish variant of Rivka.
Rochel רחל f Yiddish
Yiddish form of Rachel.
Selig סעליג m Yiddish (Rare)
Variant of Zelig.
Sender סענדער, סנדר m Yiddish
Yiddish form of Alexander.
Shaina שיינאַ f Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish שיינאַ (see Shayna).
Shaindel שיינדל f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Shayna.
Shana 2 שיינאַ f Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish שיינאַ (see Shayna).
Shayna שיינאַ f Yiddish
From Yiddish שיין (shein) meaning "beautiful".
Shaynah שיינאַ f Yiddish (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Yiddish שיינאַ (see Shayna).
Sheine שיינע f Yiddish (Rare)
Variant of Shayna.
Shimmel שימל m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Shimon.
Shprintza שפּרינצאַ f Yiddish (Rare)
Variant of Shprintze.
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.
Shprintzel שפּרינצל f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Shprintze.
Sisel סיסל f Yiddish (Rare)
Variant of Zisel.
Sroel שראָל m Yiddish (Rare)
Short form of Yisroel.
Suri שרה f Yiddish
Yiddish form of Sarah.
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).
Toiba טויבאַ, טויבע f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish טויב (toib) meaning "dove".
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.
Velvel װעלװל m Yiddish (Rare)
Means "little wolf" in Yiddish, a diminutive of װאָלףֿ (volf) meaning "wolf". This is a vernacular form of Zeev.
Velvela װעלװעלע f Yiddish (Rare)
Feminine form of Velvel.
Yankel יאַנקל m Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of Jacob.
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".
Yentl יענטל f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Yente.
Yidel יודאל m Yiddish (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Yiddish יודאל (see Yudel).
Yisroel ישראל m Yiddish
Yiddish form of Israel.
Yossel יאָסל m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Joseph.
Yudel יודאל m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Judah.
Yudes יודעס f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish short form of Judith.
Yutke יוטקע f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Judith.
Zalman זלמן m Yiddish
Yiddish variant of Solomon.
Zelda 1 זעלדאַ f Yiddish
Possibly a feminine form of Zelig.
Zelde זעלדע f Yiddish (Rare)
Possibly a feminine form of Zelig.
Zelig זעליג, זעליק, זליג m Yiddish
Means "blessed, happy" in Yiddish, a vernacular form of Asher.
Zisel זיסל f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish זיס (zis) meaning "sweet".
Zusa f Yiddish (Rare)
Means "sweet" in Yiddish.
Zusman זוסמאַן m Yiddish (Rare)
Means "sweet man" in Yiddish.