Names that are both Hebrew and Arabic

Simple plus unusual is a winning combination.

Perfect name for a Virgo or an Aries baby. It is also the name of a character in the fantasy Belgariad series.

Adhara is the name of one of the brightest stars in the sky, also known as Adara, perfectly suitable for a child. Adhara is rising quickly, and went from being used for 55 baby girls in 2021 to 133 baby girls in 2022.

Amael or Amaël is a variant of the popular Breton name Mael or Maël, which ranks in the Top 10 in France.

Aza is an excellent Arabic choice: elegant and simple. Too simple for you? Consider Aziza.

A unique baby name made user-friendly by incorporating the familiar shaq sound.

This classic, handsome Arabic name — cognate of the Hebrew Ishmael — was chosen by Tan and Rob France for their son born in 2021. Ismail is the preferred spelling in England, Germany, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Turkey, while Ismael ranks higher in countries with native Spanish speakers, including the US.

Peaked in the 1940s, but still an amiable classic, a la Joe and Tom -- though rarely used on its own.

Actor Mahershala Ali single-handedly put this Biblical name on the map. If you think it's difficult to pronounce and spell, consider that it's short for Maher-shalal-hash-baz, the longest name in the Bible which Ali actually used in its entirety as his stage name until 2010.

Salem is a Biblical place name in Canaan, believed to be the same as Jerusalem, as well as the Massachusetts town famous for its late 17th century witch trials. Salem is also a popular first name in its own right throughout the Arabic world.

This Hebrew and Arabic name hit the US Top 300 in 2004 via an unusual inspiration: A Mexican pop singer and telenovela star known simply as Yahir. The star was named after a Brazilian soccer player.

In the US, Yousef is a less commonly used spelling.

Strong cross-cultural name that could be a feminine spin on the Zachary family.