Hebrew Names

Obscure Old Testament name that rhymes with (and might be a substitute for) Nathan.

A rarely used Biblical place-name with a soft and pleasant sound.

This is a Hebrew word name, created from the word zahav, meaning gold.

Not ready to go all the way to Malachi? Then take this Biblical shortcut name, with the second syllable rhyming with eye.

Malachi is one of the surprise Biblical hits of recent years, in the US Top 200, and now spelling variation Malaki is in the Top 1000 too. Both names are pronounced with a long final i, as in "eye," but the Irish variation Malachy is MAL-ah-kee, which Malaki might mimic instead.

A nickname in the Siri and Suri vein, Simi seems a bit simulated but also has some charm, ala Remi and Emmy. And Simi definitely cutens up the serious sophisticated long forms Simone or Simcha.

Eilon, a fraternal twin of the name Elon, was the Biblical grandson of Jacob. A rare name, Elon is getting some recent notice thanks to Tesla maker Elon Musk.

The name from which Jordan arose, Yarden has a nice combination of river imagery and a sound connoting a garden. Like Jordan, used for both sexes.

Pronounced a la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic. Though if the equally vintage Betty comes back, Bette may be close behind.

An alternative to the formerly male Ariel, which is now in the grasp of "The Little Mermaid."

A girl named Liz on her birth certificate could feel deprived of her full identity. Call her Liz, but name her Elizabeth -- or at least Lizbeth or Eliza.

This spelling is now more popular than the original, though it's not quite as popular as Jayden or Jaden.

Interesting Old Testament name that embraces many traditional female attributes; also name of a place in the Jordan Valley. In the Bible, a daughter of King Ammon and wife of Solomon.

This biblical place-name for the region now known as Yemen started to feel fresh again as the name of the heroine of Zoe Heller's Notes on a Scandal, played on screen by Cate Blanchett.

Bright and bold traditionally masculine name used in Israel.

Dave is the ultimate good guy name, but where father name David is still holding onto a spot in the Top 20, Dave -- widely used as an independent name in the middle of the last century -- dropped off the Top 1000 a few decades ago and shows no signs of a comeback. Baby Davids today, often named for dad or grandpa, are more likely to be called David than Dave.

Often stands alone in Israel, but rarely here.

Rarely used in the last two centuries, but might be worth dusting off and holding up to the light.

Yasiel is gaining a following thanks to superstar baseball player Yasiel Puig, a Cuban native who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Biblical Yasiel, which can also be spelled Jasiel, was a warrior in David's army. About 100 baby boys were given the name in both spellings in the U.S. last year, a number that is expected to rise.

The Biblical Zerah is etymologically related to such names as Zora, which also means dawn. While the vowel sound at the end of the name does not sound as feminine to our modern ear as it once did, thanks to such popular choices as Noah and Joshua, but the downside of Zerah is that it is quite similar to such girls' names as Zara and Sarah.