Hebrew Names

When Deborah seemed too formal in the laid-back sixties, Debra stepped in as a pared-down alternative, but the pendulum is about to swing back. 

Debra

An international name that, while short and simple, sounds strong and distinctive, stylish and sweet all at once. It may appeal to those who want a name that works in multiple languages, while also feeling fresh and charming.
 
From its Sanskrit roots, Manu means "thinking, wise", while in Hindu tradition is a title of the progenitor of humans. In Polynesian languages, such as Hawaiian and Māori, it means "bird". 
Alternatively, it is the Finnish form of Magnus (meaning "greatest"), while in Spanish, German, French and English, it is a diminutive for the Hebrew names Emmanuel and its variations, giving it the spiritual meaning "God is with us".
 
From its Akan and Ghanaian roots, it refers to a second born child and may also be spelled as Mǎnu.

Manu

An Old Testament name -- he was the eldest son of Joseph -- that's still used in the Jewish community. 

Menashe

This biblical name, pronounced ahr yeh, is a not <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/418/best-cool-unusual-boys-names"</a>uncommon boys' name</a> in Israel. It can also be spelled Aryeh , the most popular form by far, or Arieh. The feminine equivalent is Levi'a. Possible down side: Its similarity to the hot girl name Arya or Aria.

Arye

A sweet and simple Hebrew name, also written as Orli, this name blends the elements or meaning "light" and li meaning "to me, for me". As such, it has a shiny, cheerful meaning, connected to vibrance, a guiding light, to understanding, and to hope. 
 
It may alternatively be considered as a nickname or spin on Orlanda, Orleans, or Orla, giving it the meanings "famous" or "golden".

Orly

Sela is a Biblical place name, the original term for the city of Petra, which is finding new life through actress Sela Ward, star of several TV series. The young daughter of singer Lauryn Hill is named Selah, pronounced the same but with a different derivation and meaning. Found among early African-American enslaved people, it was sometimes spelled Cela or Cella.

Sela

One of Noah's biblical grandsons, making it a natural to honor a relative with the name of the ark builder. 

Eilam

Eliane is a melodic name with the very fashionable El- beginning. Lovely and lilting as it is, be aware that there are many El- variations around these days, and little girls called Ellie as a result.


Eliane

Keturah, the Old Testament name of Abraham's second wife, is a possibility for anyone seeking a truly unusual and interesting biblical name; certainly a lot more distinctive than that of Abraham's first wife, Sarah.
 
Keturah bore Abraham six sons, who were characterized by one historian as "men of courage and of sagacious minds." Through them, Keturah was the ancestor of sixteen tribes. In the eighteenth century it was believed by some that Keturah was the ancestor of African peoples.
 
This is a name not readily found in popular culture, though there was a character named Keturah on the TV sci-fi show Stargate Atlantis&mdash;but he just happened to be male.

Keturah

Tobiah is the original Hebrew form  of the better-known Greek Tobias, to which it could make a distinctive alternative. With its ah ending, Tobiah fits in with other stylish Biblical names today, from Noah to Isaiah to Josiah and Zachariah. And of course, Toby is an adorable nickname.


Tobiah

Ashira

Pronounced zheel, it's a dashing conquistador; as gill, it's the nice and slightly boring guy down the street. 

A feminization used more before Jordan joined the girls' camp. 

Jordana

Symbolic name given to girls born on TuB'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees. 

Nira

Sami is cute if overused in its more familiar Sammy form. 

Sami

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 Haifa in Israel, mentioned in the Old Testament, famous for its lush vegetation and said to have been often visited by Mary and the Infant Christ.
 In the US, Spanish and Italian forms Carmela and Carmella are used much more frequently than Carmel. Carmen is another Spanish variation.

 Irish-born Carmel Snow was a one-time influential editor of Harper's Bazaar; Carmel Myers was a sultry silent movie star. 
 Caveat: Could be confused with a candy.

Carmel

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 Bible, Zebulon--or Zebulun-- was the son of Jacob and Leah, the ancestor of the tribe of Israel which bore his name and settled around Nazareth. The Zebulunites mustered the single largest army to fight for David's installation as king. 
 Zebulon is the name of a song by Rufus Wainwright, and Margaret Atwood used it for a character in her MaddAddam trilogy. It was also the name of the grandpa on The Waltons.

Zebulon

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 before the city was destroyed by Babylon.

Zedekiah

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 spelling may be inspired by Michael, but it's pronounced just like Rachel, with a soft ch. Lately it's on the decline, dropping more than 100 places in 2009 and leaving the US Top 1000 in 2013. 

Rachael

The quintessential friendly fifties name, nearly epidemic in its day. Now many grownup Debbies have reverted to the full and lovely form of their name, which modern parents often avoid because of the name Debbie ringing too loudly in their ears.

Debbie

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 26)