Yafa

Derived from the Hebrew word for beauty, Yafa (also written as Yaffa), is an equivalent to the Yiddish Shayna. Familiar in Israel, it may also be used in Palestine, likely in honor the city of Jaffa (also (also called Yāfā Yāfō, and Japho), which became part of Israel after 1948 Palestine War.

Sources are divided on how the city got its name, but theories include that it was named for either the Biblical Noah's son Japheth after the flood, or for the Greek mythological figures Cassiopeia and Antiopa), meaning "expansion", "cassia juice", and "confronting" respectively.

Pronounced YAH-fuh.

As of October 2026, Yafa ranked #5394 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #4754 in 2024.