Hebrew Names

Pretty Hebrew name that would create a strong but feminine impression, as well as a variant of the Germanic name Odilia or Ottilie.

Odelia

Yeshaya is a masculine name with Hebrew origins, serving as a variant of Isaiah (Yesha'yahu in Hebrew). The name means "salvation of God" or "God is salvation," reflecting its deeply religious roots. While less common than Isaiah in Western countries, Yeshaya maintains popularity particularly in Jewish communities, especially among Orthodox families. It carries the gravitas of its biblical connection to the major prophet Isaiah, who authored the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. The name combines spiritual significance with a distinctive sound, making it both meaningful and unique for parents seeking a name with religious heritage.

Yeshaya

This form of the stylish Old Testament name is too close to the feminine Yona. 

Yonah

Seraphine is the Gallic version of the angelic name Seraphina. But while Seraphina has been rising rapidly since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose it for their second daughter, Seraphine has been largely ignored, though we believe the French vowel-sound ending will soon be more stylish than the a-endings that have predominated in <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a> for years.

 Another cousin, Seraphita, is the heroine of an eponymous 1837 Balzac novel.

Seraphine

This is another form of the name the angel Raphael assumes for himself when he becomes human. One of the few attractive Biblical names that has not yet been discovered by modern parents, Azarias is certainly ripe for the taking.


Azarias

Uma is a sweet, strong name for a Hindu goddess... and a Hollywood one. But as popular as Uma Thurman is, other parents have not yet picked up on her name, making it a rarity.
 Uma is one of the more than one thousand appellations for the Hindu goddess Sakti, a fact that surely inspired the father of Ms. Thurman, a Columbia University professor of Eastern religion. Her middle name, Karuna, is equally unknown outside the Indian subcontinent.
 In Hebrew, Uma means "the nation," and is therefore sometimes used for girls born on Israeli Independence Day.
 
Chosen by content creator Sanne Poeze (Girl on Kicks) in 2026 for her daughter, Uma Glen.
 Uma shouldn't be confused with the similarly sounding Una, an ancient Irish name.

In Egyptian mythology, Amon is a major god associated with creation and the air. He was later fused with the Sun god, Ra, and became Amun-Ra.
 
In the US, Amon is occasionally used as a variation of Ammon, primarily within the Amish and Mormon communities.

Amon

Evette could be considered a spelling variation of the French Yvette, a feminization of Yves, which has a botanical meaning, or a pet form of Eve, meaning life. About 50 baby girls were named Evette in the US last year, with three times that many named Yvette.

Evette

Quintessentially sweet and innocent unisex name of the 1960s and 70s, now gone the way of hot pants and disco balls. 

Jody

An important biblical name, being the wife of Moses in Exodus.  Has a number of spelling variations, including Tziporah, Zipora(h), Zippora(h), Tzipor and Tzipori.  The Yiddish forms are Tzeitl and Tzertel.

Tzipora

Bartholomew is an apostle's name that's been out of favor for centuries but might appeal again to the parent in search of an old but rare choice. The challenge could be to avoid the Simpson-ish nickname. That character, by the way, has the full name of Bartholomew JoJo Simpson, and creator Matt Groening came up with Bart as an--uh oh--anagram for brat. Two old alternate nicknames are Barty and Tolly.
 Ben Jonson's 1614 comedy Bartholomew Fair is set in London on St. Bartholomew's Day. Charles Dickens used the name in Bleak House, and, more recently, Bartholomew Cubbins is the protagonist of the Dr. Seuss books The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins and Bartholomew and the Oobleck

Bartholomew

Ezri is one of the cool new <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/unisex-names/e">unisex names starting with E</a>, except as a Biblical name, it's not so new. Used for both genders in Israel, in the US it's currently running five to one in favor of girls, surprisingly. Its deviation from the better known and more traditional Ezra makes it feel like one of the more truly <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">gender neutral names</a>.

Ezri

A thundering biblical name  - belonging to a grandson of Adam and Eve, also known as Enosh - that hasn't made as much of a comeback as similar Enoch. Enos is also a book in the Book of Mormon, and the name of the first chimpanzee to go into orbit. Caution: depending on your accent, it could have one or two unfortunate rhymes.

Enos

Supermodel Shalom Harlow glamorized this name, which is heard as a greeting every day in Israel. 

Shalom

A once neglected Biblical name, not seen in the US popularity charts since 1902, Esau has been seeing renewed interest in recent years. Appealing perhaps to those looking for alternatives to Elias, Ezra, and Ethan, it was the name of Jacob's twin brother, son of Isaac and Rebecca in the Bible.
 
With the (perhaps unfortunate) meaning of "hairy" owing to his rugged appearance, Esau's story is one of drama and tragedy. A tough, outdoorsy character and his father's favorite, he is said to have sold his birthright for a pot of pottage when starving. His twin later disguises himself as Esau in order to receive a blessing from his father, in turn, taking Esau's inheritance. The theft leads to a rift between them, but they do ultimately reconcile. 
 
Given to 40 boys in a recent year, Esau appears in the name of a Grateful Dead song, and is heard in the jingle "I saw Esau on the see-saw", which might be a good way to explain the pronunciation!

Esau

A rare Biblical name, reminiscent of Gabriel, Aziel, and Malachi, Gamaliel appears in the Old Testament as a son of Pedahzur and in the New Testament as a Jewish priest and scholar who taught Saint Paul and who saved the Apostles when the Sanhedrin wanted to persecute them.
 
Meaning "my reward is God", Gamaliel is also associated with what's known as Gamaliel's Principle or Gamaliel's rule which refers to the belief that if an idea is of human origin, it will come to nothing, but if it is of God, it will endure. Essentially, it encourages believers to leave judgement to God rather than making rash or hostile decisions. 
 
Given to around 30 boys in the US in a recent year, the name may be pronounced as guh-MAY-lee-uhl or ga-MAH-lee-ehl.

Gamaliel

A popular nickname that, over the past few decades, has acquired enough standing to work on its own, a la earlier equivalents such as Jack and Max; an alternative to Zach/Zack. 
Actor/singer Zac Efron--born Zachary--is an attractive current bearer.

Strongly associated with the city of Tel Aviv. For girls, may be lengthened to Aviva; for boys, might be better abbreviated to Avi.

Aviv

The final letter makes the name more unusual and adds some zest.  Downside: Sure to be confusion with Elias.

Eliaz

Ayelet is an unusual -- and somewhat challenging -- Israeli name familiar thanks to sometimes controversial Jerusalem-born novelist-essayist Ayelet Waldman.
 Well used in Israel, the name was taken from the phrase 'ayelet hashachar', meaning 'gazelle of dawn', the morning star.
 Other related Hebrew choices with the same meaning are Aya and Ayala.

Ayelet

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 22)