Hebrew Names

This international variant of the popular Jeremiah refreshes the Old Testament name by lending it the stylish -s ending of Silas, Ozias, and Amias. Popular in Czechia and Puerto Rico, Jeremias entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2016.
 
Pronounced as yeh-reh-MEE-as in German, YEH-reh-mee-ahs in Finnish, kheh-reh-MEE-as in Spanish, and zheh-reh-MEE-as in Portuguese, it is possible English speakers may choose to use the jeh-reh-MIE-us pronunciation. 
 
The name had lingered towards the very bottom of the US charts until 2024 when it became a fast rising choice, climbing more than 180 places in a year. Chosen for 314 babies, popular short forms include Jarkko, Jere, Jarmo, Jez, and Jem, though Remi could work too.

Jeremias

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 Zechariah because they won't understand the Zech part.  This name, in whatever form, begs to be shortened in the modern world to Zach (or Zac or Zack).

Zechariah

Jamie is typical of the relaxed <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/unisex-names/j">unisex names starting with J</a> 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 spellings.

Jamie

Arisbeth is a name that feels poetic and fantastical like Arwen or Amoret, but equally familiar and sunny, like Marisol. It is in fact a name used primarily in Mexico and by Hispanic parents in the US, who've made it one of the hottest unique names.
 
The name can be considered either a variation of Elizabeth, or as a compound name, blending Ariel (or any other Ari- beginning name) with the classic Elizabeth. Playing around with this could give you different meanings. By using Ariel, you get "lion pledged to God", whereas Aria gives you "song promised to God" and Ariana gets you "most holy pledge to God".
 
Used on 313 babies in a recent year, it's nine times more popular than it was a decade ago, and when you combine this with alternative spelling Arizbeth, the name is even more popular.

Arisbeth

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 the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/d">girl names starting with D</a>, but now this lovely name of an Old Testament prophetess suddenly sounds fresher than overused Sarah, Rachel, and Rebecca. 
 The biblical Deborah was a poet, judge, and heroic prophet who first predicted that the Israelites would win their freedom from the tyrannical Canaanites, then led a successful revolt that helped accomplish it, celebrating the victory in a famous song of triumph.
 Deborah was the second most <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular name</a> in the US in 1955, remaining in the Top 10 from 1950 to 1962. The streamlined version, Debra, was hot on its tail, replacing it at Number 2 a year later.
 Some notable bearers have been Revolutionary War heroine Deborah Sampson Gannett, actress Deborah Kerr, modern operatic soprano Deborah Voigt, Deborah (Blondie) Harry, and Debbie (born Mary Frances) Reynolds.
 The original form Devorah is another possibility.

Deborah

Zev is a short, simple, animal name that may relate to the Old Testament Ze'ev -- except he was a villainous character.  

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, Johanna Spyri. There are Johannas in Sweeney Todd, The Hunger Games, and the Bob Dylan song, "Visions of Johanna."

Johanna

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 appears in the Bible several times, notably on the cousin and commander of Saul's army and by two figures in the New Testament. It re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2023, and was a fast rising choice in 2024 when it was given to nearly 300 boys.
 
Derived from the elements av and ner, it means "father of light" or "my father is a light", lending it a strong sense of spirituality and the possibility of working to a strong parental figure too. Moreover, while it is a Biblical choice, like the popular Asher, it shares that -er ending of modern, occupational names like Cooper or Carter, giving it an extra layer of appeal.
 
The name has several literary credentials, having appeared in works by James Fenimore Cooper, Thomas Hardy and Eugene O'Neill and was also borne by Abner Doubleday, who has been credited with inventing baseball.

Abner

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 Nathan to King Solomon in the Old Testament. An inspiration to hiking enthusiasts might be the intrepid explorer and trailblazer Jedidiah Strong Smith.
 Jed is the inevitable nickname, which last ranked on the US popularity charts in 1989.

Jedidiah

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 and the founder of one of the tribes of Israel.
 
Reuben is a rich and resonant underused Old Testament choice with several ingredients for success: its biblical pedigree, the distinction of being one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/158/hebrew-names">Hebrew baby names</a> that's never been heavily used, and a friendly, down-home image. Maybe the current crowd of Jacobs will grow up and follow their biblical namesake by calling their own sons Reuben. 
 Only downsides: Reuben is also known as a sandwich, and is the source of the word rube.
 Panama-born salsa singer Ruben Blades represents the Latin version (with the accent on the second syllable); Reuven is the name in Hebrew.

Reuben

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 that was used by the seventeenth century Pilgrims and is still heard in Israel, but is a rarity in the U.S., Boaz is associated with the Jewish holiday Shavuot, as that is when the Bible story of Ruth is read in the synagogue, and Boaz was Ruth's wealthy and generous second husband, making it logical for Boaz to sometimes be given to boys born at that time.
 
Familiar but underused in the US, it is a popular choice in The Netherlands where it ranked in the Top 50 in a recent year. The pronunciation varies slightly in Dutch and it would be heard as BO-ahz.
 Extra added attraction: one of the all-time great nicknames; Bo.

Boaz

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 for the naming of the daughter of musician Noel Gallagher. Anais is also the name of a popular perfume.
 Anais can be found as a character in Balzac's "Lost Illusions", and in Colette's 'Claudine' books.
 Anais would make a creative and distinctive <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle name</a>.

Anais

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 2023, when it was given to more than 200 babies.
 
Derived from Hebrew, Eliezer means "God is help" and it is the name of several figures in the Old Testament. Most notably, Eliezer was one of Moses' sons and Moses rather helpfully explains his name choice in Exodus 18:4 as: "the other was named Eliezer, for..."My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh." 
 
While it may feel ancient and bold, the currently lower ranking of Eliezer in the US is nevertheless almost surprising. It not only offers up the stylish nickname Eli, but it also shares the sounds and vibes of the on-trend Elijah, Ezra, Ezekiel and Asher. With this in mind, it is possible that Eliezer could climb the charts in the next few years.

Eliezer

A beautiful Hebrew name that would work perfectly for a child today.

Liora

Likely borrowed from Kale or Cale, both short forms of the Biblical Caleb, Kael may also be used as an Anglicization of the Irish Cáel or as a Spanish form of the Breton Gaël. As such, it could mean "dog" or "whole heart" via Caleb, "slender" via Cáel, and "Gaelic" via Gaël,
 
 It was a fast rising choice in the US in 2025 when it jumped 536 places up the charts to re-enter the Top 1000, having been absent for several years.

Kael

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 is derived, is a unisex name in the Bible, so it seems plausible that its contracted form might be used as such too. 
 
Micah had been in the US Top 1000 since the 1980s, dropped off in 2022, only to return in 2024 when it was one of the fastest rising names of the year. While it was used 12 times more often on boys in the States, more than 320 girls received the name that year.
 Notable namesakes include Canadian ice hockey player Micah Zandee-Hart, singer Micah Marah, and Olympic swimmer Micah Lawrence Sumrall. TV personality, actress, and social media star Micah Lussier may also have helped to bring this name back into the public eye.
 
If you like Micah but would prefer something more established as a feminine name, you could try the original, Biblical Micaiah, the German variant of Mary, Meike, which is pronounced the same, or perhaps on-trend Myla, a feminine form of Miles.

Micah

Koa and Noah are both contemporary favorites, so it was only a matter of time before Koah caught on too. Likely used as a variation of the Hawaiian Koa (meaning "warrior"), it may also be seen as a variant of the Hebrew Koach (meaning "strength"), or the Maori Koa (meaning "happy").
 
The name debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2025 when it was given to 260 boys, while Koa was given to 1281 in the same year. As such, Koa is almost five times more popular. 
 
This form was chosen by content creators Julia and Jacob Petersen in 2026, for their son, Koah Psalm.

Koah

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, and it's easy to understand why. With its rich vowel sounds and playful elegance, Eliora shares the sounds of other popular choices like Eleanor, Eliana, Aurora, and Elodie, while also remaining distinctive. 
 
Still on the rise in the UK, it now sits in the Top 700, while in the US, it has also seen increased use. Given to 175 girls in a recent year, it's twice as popular as it was a decade ago. 
 
Love Eliora but want to avoid her becoming Ellie? Try Leora, sometimes considered an alternative variation on Eliora, but also a contracted form of Leonora.

Eliora

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 in 2007, and has slumped a fair bit in the ensuing decade.

Issac

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 spelling variation of Elise, it's another variation of Elizabeth.  Many parents today would opt for Eliza.

Elyse

Hebrew names used widely in the modern world include Noah, Isabella, Elizabeth, Sarah, Asher, Elijah, Jacob, Leah, James, John, Michael, Mary, and Eva. 

 include Ariel, Delilah, Eliana, Eva, Maya, and Naomi. For boys, 

 include Asher, Elijah, Jacob, Levi, and Noah. In Israel, popular names include Tamar, Shira, Uri, and Noam.

 are some of the best-known as well as the most interesting Hebrew baby names today.

 often have Hebrew origins. Recommended choices include Delilah, Dinah, Keziah, Esther, and Susannah.

 include such appealing Hebrew boy names as Amos, Asher, Eli, Ezra, and Moses.

Hebrew is spoken in modern Israel, so it's both an ancient and a living language. Names popular in modern Israel include many Hebrew names but some modern Israeli names as well. 

If you’re searching for Hebrew names for your baby or simply want to survey all the options with roots in ancient languages and cultures, here is the full range of Hebrew name choices in our database, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

Hebrew names including Hebrew boy names and Hebrew girl names for jewish babies with meaning and popularity (Page 11)