Hebrew Names

Famous violinist-conductor Pinchas Zuckerman is the most famous modern bearer; the biblical Pinchas was the son of Eleazar and the grandson of Aaron -- both preferable name choices.

With its appealing double-a configuration, this is the name of an Israeli kibbutz on the Galilee beach. For girls, Saar is a popular modern name in the Netherlands, a shortened form of Sarah.

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.

Avdel is an obscure Old Testament name with a straightforward feel and sound and the fashionable A initial. One to consider if you want a highly unusual yet not difficult Hebrew or Biblical name.

Highly unusual; conceivable alternative to Daniel.

Hebrew name with a bright sheen.

Shula is a short form often used on its own in Israel. Sula is another, related, option.

With more parents turning to biblical names like Ezekiel and Isaiah, this could prove a quasi-unique alternative in a similar -- if more Orthodox -- vein.

Joab is the biblical name of an advisor of David, who led many military victories, and is surely much more usable than the burdened Job. A similar option is Joah, a possible replacement for Jonah or Noah.

Popular in Israel for girls and boys born on Shavout, a harvest festival. In Babylonian mythology, Dagan was the god of the earth and grain.

An outdated feminine form of David sometimes heard in the UK, though Davina is more usual..

Also a city near Tel Aviv, Hadar is a name found primarily in Israel.

Josepha is less heard in this country than in other parts of the world, seen as a slightly awkward feminization a la Ricarda and Benjamina. In the U.S., Josephine or Joanna is the more usual feminine form of Joseph, though you might consider Josepha if you want to break rank.

An energetic and distinctive choice.

Double exposure: 1970s rock sensation (Mamma Mia) and scholar/diplomat name in Israel.

The Biblical Addar was a son of King Bela. This obscure name is simple and strong and well-suited to modern life.

Tehila may at first appeal as a distinctive choice. Danger: might tend to sound like a mispronunciation of tequila.

Sounds a bit like a nickname in a Dickens novel, but this short form was used in New England a few centuries ago, back when names like Micajah were popular. Both short and long forms are now ripe for revival.

Lively sounding Hebrew choice.

Panna is a name with many allusions — in addition to those above, a serene and sacred city in India and the Italian word for cream. Panna might make a fresh alternative to Anna or Hannah.