By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 42 pages
of 42
Hebrew
"father"
Avi, the short form of many Hebrew names, is often used on its own in Israel. It entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2015.
Modern invented name, from Hebrew or Arabic
"God's ascent; lofty, exalted"
Jaliyah seems to be a variation of the popular Aliyah, which has both Hebrew and Arabic origins. From Hebrew, the name means "ascent" while the Ja- beginning often connotes God, so the meaning might…
"son of"
Ben, the diminutive of Benjamin or Benedict, can easily stand on its own as a simple, strong, nice-guy choice, though it's somewhat attenuated. Ben is this generation's Bob or Bill.
"the Lord has remembered"
Zechariah is actually the original Biblical form of the name more often found these days as Zachariah, probably because of the popularity of Zachary. People are going to have trouble getting…
Diminutive of James
"supplanter"
Jamie is typical of the relaxed unisex names starting with J that seemed so cool in the sixties after decades of Jeans and Joans, though now pretty tepid. Jaime and even Jamey and Jayme are alternate…
"bee"
Deborah has suffered from the fact that in the mid-twentieth century there were so many Debbies on the block that the beauty and meaning of the original name got lost. Deborah may no longer be among…
"wolf"
Zev is a short, simple, animal name that may relate to the Old Testament Ze'ev -- except he was a villainous character.
"God is gracious"
Johanna is the version of this name used in Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia. The extra h makes Johanna a slightly more dignified version of Joanna. A notable namesake is the author of Heidi ,…
"father of light."
This once neglected Biblical name is back on the scene, ready to shake off both its association with the long running satirical comic strip, L'il Abner and its historical Puritan image. The name…
"beloved of the Lord"
Jedidiah, an Old Testament name with a touch of Gunsmoke -era western panache, is right in line to be revived along with the other biblical -iah names. Jedidiah was the name given by the prophet…
"behold, a son"
Reuben is derived from the Hebrew words ra’a , meaning "to see, to understand," and ben , "son." As a phrase it translates to "behold, a son." In the Bible, Reuben is Jacob's first-born son by Leah…
"swiftness"
Now that such Old Testament patriarchs as Elijah and Moses fill the playground, Boaz seems downright baby-friendly, having more pizzazz than many of the others, perhaps as a successor to Noah. A name…
Catalan and Provencal pet form of Hebrew Anna
"grace"
Anais is an unusual, alluring name forever attached to the daring French-born American novelist and diarist Anais Nin (born Angela, with Anais as one of her middle names), who became the inspiration…
"God helps"
Eliezer is a Biblical name with an air of antiquity, a distinctive sound, and hint of mystery. The name has been in and out of the US Top 1000 since the 80s, with its most recent appearance being in…
"who is like the Lord"
While Micah is traditionally a boy name, it is now increasingly used for girls too, likely because it works as an alternative to Michaela, Maia, and McKenna. Still, Micaiah, the name from which Micah…
"the Lord is my light"
A pretty and melodic name of Hebrew origin that combines the elements el referring to God, li meaning "for me", and or meaning "light". The name entered the UK Top 1000 for the first time in 2023,…
"laughter"
A play on the spelling of Isaac that's somehow been in the Top 1000 every year since 1880. (If only by a hair: In both 1926 and 1962, it came in at number 999.) It hit an all-time peak at Number 377…
Variation of Elise or Elysia
"pledged to God"
Elyse hasn't been heard much since the 80s, but it's beginning to be reconsidered as a possibIlity again, now that it's not so much seen as a Mom name, as it was in the TV show "Family Ties." A…
Hebrew variation of Ethan
This Hebrew version of Ethan, also a place-name in southern Israel, works well here. Eitan is a Top 20 name in Israel and it has been on the rise in the US too, with 190 boys receiving the name in…
Variation of Samuel, Hebrew
"told by God"
Shmuel is a Modern Hebrew variation of Samuel used almost exclusively by Orthodox Jewish families. Very popular in Israel, Shmuel also appeared on the US Top 1000 list in 2017, 2022, and 2023 and is…
