By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 42 pages
of 42
Hebrew
"light, or furrow, plowed field"
Symbolic name given to girls born on TuB'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees.
Hebrew, diminutive of Samantha, or Arabic
"praised"
Sami is cute if overused in its more familiar Sammy form.
"garden"
Carmel is a biblical place-name that is often used by Catholic parents around the world. It is given in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and is the name of a mountain ridge on the Mediterranean near…
"exaltation or little dwelling"
An Old Testament name with a Puritan feel and post-Zachary possibilities--one of several routes to the cool nickname Zeb. Pike's Peak was named for Zebulon Pike, the best known bearer of the name. In…
"the Lord is just"
The name of an Old Testament king, and yet another ' Z ' choice from the Bible that still retains some zip, especially with the appealing nickname Zed. Zedekiah was the name of the last king of Judea…
Variation of Rachel, Hebrew
"ewe"
This form of the Biblical Rachel is well-used despite its somewhat counter-intuitive spelling which can make English speakers think the name should be pronounced with a k sound, as in Raquel. The…
"my heart"
This Hebrew name deserves consideration by parents looking for a traditional by underused girls name with a gorgeous meaning. Made up of the elements lev and i , meaning "heart" and "my"…
"margosa tree"
Model Trish Goff's Nima is a boy, but the a ending gives this name a feminine feel.
Diminutive of Samantha
"told by God"
Sam as a name standing on its own was given to only 18 girls in 2021, versus over 400 boys. But as a short form it's appealing and down-to-earth for both sexes, and heard far more often: There were…
"gift of Jehovah"
Biblical names are expanding (literally) as some parents move from Isaiah and Elijah to more elaborate choices with simple short forms, like Jedidiah and Zebediah. Zebediah, or Zebadiah, is the New…
"gazelle, roebuck"
Zevi is an alternative transcription of the Hebrew name Zvi or Tzvi, the latter of which is a Top 100 pick in Israel. It's a cool, sharp-sounding name which would make for a great distinctive…
Arabic; Hebrew
"color of earth; dust"
Earthier version of the name of England's first female professional writer, Aphra Behn.
Diminutive of Sabina and other -ina names, Yiddish or Hebrew
"bee or understanding"
Sources say that Bina, which is close to the word for bee in Yiddish, was once used as a translation for the Hebrew Deborah, which means bee. On its own, it also means "understanding" in Hebrew.…
"beautiful"
The Hebrew equivalent to the Yiddish Shayna, Yaffa is derived from the word yafe meaning "beautiful". Also written as Yafa, it is used as both a given name for girls and more generally as last name.…
"light"
Cute, nickname-y, and international, à la Romy or Demi. Spelling it Orly turns it into a busy French airport.
Greek; Hebrew; Persian
"mountain dweller; fruit; fairy"
This name used for both sexes in several cultures is quite well used in Israel.
"the Lord is perfect"
Jotham is an Old Testament name that today would certainly be the only one in his class, having something of an urban feel via its similarity to the word 'gotham'. In the Bible one Jotham is the sole…
Yiddish
"flower"
This floral name, related to bloom and Blossom, is common in the Jewish community, but not often heard outside it. Other Yiddish nature names are Ita (star), Masha (rising water), and Mayim (water).
"brilliance"
Also a synonym for the Hebrew month of Iyar, which usuually falls in May, would work and play well with others like Zev and Lev.
Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan, Arabic
"place between the valleys; light"
Deriving from the Catalan title for the Virgin Mary, Nostra Senyora de Núria , meaning "Our Lady of Nuria", this distinctive name is a popular choice in Spain and Portugal. Nuria is a Spanish…
