Hebrew Names

With the familiar feel of Raphael, Gabriel, and Daniel, Roniel blends the elements ron and El to create a name with an uplifting feeling. Predominantly used in Brazil and the Philippines, it is most often used as a masculine name, with boxer Roniel Iglesias being a notable bearer.

Roniel

This unusual variation of Margaret is the real first name of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.  It can make a distinctive way to honor an ancestral Margaret or a different long form for such nicknames as Maggie, Meg, or Margo. 

Margalit

A Hebrew word name with an upbeat meaning, Mazal appears in the congratulatory phrase Mazal tov. Originally meaning "constellation" or "zodiac", it shifted to become associated with luck in the medieval period thanks to the connection people made between the stars and fate. 
 
Also written as Mazel, it is predominantly used as a feminine name and was given to 7 girls in the US in 2024.

Mazal

Has taken on a musical tone via the great violinist, Itzhak Perlman. 

Yitzhak

This female form of Nathan can be pronounced with three syllables or four, and could make an interesting alternative to Natalia.

Natania

Similar in sound to the popular Amara, Omara is a feminine form of the multicultural Omar, a name with its roots in Arabic and Hebrew. Popular in South America, most notably in Cuba, it is occasionally used as a masculine name in Egypt and India. 
 
From its Arabic roots, it comes from umr and is interpretated to mean "flourishing" and "long living", while in Hebrew, it is associated with eloquence and speech. An alternative sources however, include the Irish surname Omara (also O'Mara and O Meadhra), meaning "descendent of Merry", and the Germanic Ottomar meaning "wealthy and famous".
 
Given to 15 girls in the US in a recent year, it is outranked by masculine forms, Omar and Omari.

Omara

This rare Biblical place name refers to a river bank in Jordan where Jacob wrestled with an angel and changed his name to Israel.

Peniel

Adlai is an Old Testament name long associated with 1950's liberal presidential candidate Stevenson, who was named after his grandfather, who was Grover Cleveland's vice president in the nineteenth century. Now it's an unusual Biblical choice ripe for rediscovery.
 In the Bible, Adlai was a minor character, the father of one of King David's herdsmen. Adlai is a contracted form of the Hebrew name Adaliah.

Adlai

Tied to country singer/sitcom star Reba McEntire. 

Reba

Edison's middle name is a fabulous option for parents looking for something with history and a soft sound. This could be the name you're looking for if you like Tesla's scientific pedigree but think that it has become too corporate with the advent of Elon Musk's company.

Alva

Shoshanna is a variation of one of the best-known original <a href"https://nameberry.com/baby-names/158/hebrew-names"> Hebrew baby names</a> for girls , the original of Susanna. This is the spelling used by Shoshanna Lonstein, a designer who creates the Shoshanna clothing line and also the name of one of the four leading characters on the TV show Girls, Shoshanna Shapiro.

Shoshanna

A sparky, summery name, Soli likely derives from the Spanish and Portuguese name Sol, itself taken from the word for "sun". As such, it may also relate to the Italian Sole and French Soleil.
 
Additionally, Soli might be considered a diminutive of Solange, Soline, or Solenne, all meaning meaning "solemn" or "religious" from their Latin roots, or it could come from the Hebrew Solomon, meaning "peace".

Soli

The name of the 44th president, which he inherited from his Kenyan father, is related to the Swahili word "baraka," meaning "blessing," derived from the Arabic "baracka." It is linked, through the Semitic root, to the Hebrew name Baruch. Barack is also sometimes an alternate spelling of the Hebrew name Barak, which stems from the Semitic word for "lightning." Barack Obama may have found it a difficult name to grow up with, but the same won't be true for the many babies starting to be given that name. Other parents are being inspired to use Obama, which is a common surname among the Luo people of East Africa meaning "to lean or bend." 

Barack

Abra is soft, sensitive feminine form of Abraham that was the name of a soft, sensitive character in the John Steinbeck book and movie, "East of Eden."  In the bible, Abra was a favorite of King Solomon and it was a popular name in seventeenth century England.
Abra is also a West African name used for girls born on Tuesday. The magical 'abracadabra' is thought to have originated in the Aramaic language.

Abra

A playful alternative to Abbie, Avery, Aubrey, and Briana, Abrie is a nickname style choice with a number of possible origins. It may be considered an variant of Aubrey, inspired by Abigail, giving it the meaning "elf ruler", however, it could equally be a feminine form of Biblical Abraham, meaning "father of multitudes". 
 
There's also the possibility that it comes from the Spanish and Catalan Abril, which translates to "April", or perhaps from the Ewe and Latin Abra which means "born on a Tuesday" and "maid" respectively. Additionally, there's the Persian Abrisham ("silk"), and the Hebrew Abriel (perhaps meaning "God is my father".)

Abrie

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

Dathan

This Hebrew form of Ethan is commonly heard in Israel.  Other forms are Eitan and Eytan

Etan

A surprisingly rare choice, given the popularity of Ezekiel, Elias, Ezra, and Ozias, this name is a form of the Hebrew Hezekiah, found in the Greek Bible, and in some English translations. Borne by an influential king in the Old Testament king, Ezekias derives from Hizqyahu meaning "Yahweh strengthens" or "God gives me strength".
 
In Greek, the name would be pronounced as ehz-uh-KEE-as, whereas in English, it might be eh-ZEE-kee-us or ehz-uh-KYE-us. First appearing in the US stats back in 2011, a more recent year saw it given to just 8 boys.

Ezekias

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.

Bette

An Old Testament name, Bithiah is a bit like Tabitha, Keziah, and Beulah in sound, but heard far less often. In the Bible, Bithiah is the name of one of Pharaoh's daughters, often depicted as the one to take Moses out of the Nile. Used occasionally in the US, it was given to 19 girls in a recent year — the highest number on record.
 
Derived from bat meaning "daughter" and yah meaning "Yahweh", alternative Hebrew and Jewish forms of the name include Batyah and Bitya, while Basya, and Bashe are diminutives. You could also use Bibi, Bee, or Bitsy. 
 While Bithiah may not catch on as Azariah, Priscilla, Azael, and Jaziel have done in recent years, with the general rise in once rare Biblical names, it might gain more attention.

Bithiah

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 33)