Hebrew Names
Across 42 pages
of 42
Mehira
Hebrew
"swift, energetic"
An energetic and distinctive choice.
Nava
Hebrew, Spanish
"beautiful; from Navarre or Nava"
Short, sweet, and sparky, Nava has been slowly climbing up the US popularity charts in recent years, owing perhaps to its similarity to Nova, Ava, Navy, and Nevaeh. Used quietly but consistently from…
Erlinda
Hebrew
"spirited"
Hillbilly twang.
Doveva
Hebrew
"graceful"
Feminine but strong name heard in Israel.
Athalia
Hebrew
"the Lord is exalted"
Athalia was an Old Testament daughter of Jezebel and a king's powerful wife with a gory history. You don't wanna know -- and you probably don't wanna name your kid after her either. Pretty name,…
Neima
Hebrew
"pleasant, agreeable, likeable"
One of the less attractive Hebrew choices.
Adamina
Hebrew
"child of the red earth"
A feminization of Adam with several sweet nickname options — Addie, Ada, Minnie, or Mina being a few.
Nera
Hebrew
"candle, light"
Because of its meaning, this is a symbolic name given to girls born on Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.
Abijah
Hebrew
"God is my father"
Abijah, which you might think of as Abigail with rhythm, is the name of both female and male personages in the Bible. A biblical Queen Abijah was the daughter, wife, and mother of kings. The name is…
Nissa
Hebrew
"to test"
Feels truncated, as though a first syllable was snapped off.
Niva
Hebrew
"talk, expression"
Also an Israeli place-name, this is an unusual, feminine choice.
Neviah
Hebrew
"forecaster"
All too likely to be confused with the ultratrendy Nevaeh.
Marnie
English
"of the sea"
A retro short form of Marina, dated to the era of the Hitchcock movie that made it famous, Marnie is beginning to feel fresh again — or rather, it is in the UK. Appearing in the Top 100 there in a…
Nizana
Hebrew
"a flower bud"
Has a pleasantly fizzy, effervescent feeling.
Dorit
Hebrew
"of this generation"
Popular in Israel, sounds a lot more current than Doris.Brings to mind Dickens' Little Dorrit , though Dorrit was the surname of its heroine Amy.
Moriah
Biblical place name; Hebrew
"the Lord is my teacher"
Where Abraham took his son Isaac to sacrifice him. Taylor Hanson chose this as the middle name for his son Viggo, his fourth child, but most will see it as a girls’ name . Make life simpler and spell…
Dinah
Hebrew
"God will judge"
Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume. In the Old Testament, Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah and while some conflate her with…
Atara
Hebrew
"crown"
Also written as Atarah, this regal name appears in the Old Testament, borne by the wife of Jerahmeel. With its confident air and concise appearance, it was given to just under 50 girls in the US in a…
Malka
Hebrew
"queen"
Nonbiblical Hebrew name used as an affectionate nickname since the Middle Ages.
Debs
Diminutive of Deborah
"bee"
Debbie is decidedly out, the original Deborah lovely, and other short forms -- Deb, Debs -- for occasional use only.