Hebrew Names
Across 42 pages
of 42
Orpah
Hebrew
"fawn or gazelle"
Old Testament name of the daughter-in-law of Naomi, now eclipsed by the originally misspelled Oprah. Oprah Winfrey may have made her name more famous than this original Biblical version, but no baby…
Orli
Hebrew
"light"
Cute, nickname-y, and international, à la Romy or Demi. Spelling it Orly turns it into a busy French airport.
Orit
Hebrew
"light"
A bit blunt.
Ozara
Hebrew
"treasure, wealth"
Striking and glamorous, though perhaps just plain Zara is intriguing enough.
Panna
Hungarian variation of Anna; Hindi
"grace; emerald, leaf"
Panna is a name with many allusions — in addition to being a Hungarian variant of Anna (PAWN-naw) and a Hindi gemstone name (PAHN-nah), it is also a serene and sacred city in India and the Italian…
Paz
Hebrew; Spanish
"gold; peace"
Paz, currently represented by actresses Paz Vega and Paz de la Huerts, would make a sparkling middle name choice. It originated as a title of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Peace, and is one of the…
Paziah
Hebrew
"the gold of Jehovah"
Often heard in Israel, spelled with or without the final h.
Pella
Scandinavian, diminutive of Petronella, or Hebrew
"stone or marvel of God"
This rare name crosses cultures. With the popularity of Ella and Bella, perhaps we'll hear more of Pella one day soon?
Peniel
Biblical place name, Hebrew
"face of God"
This rare Biblical place name refers to a river bank in Jordan where Jacob wrestled with an angel and changed his name to Israel.
Penina
Hebrew
"pearl"
A jewel-encrusted choice, far more unusual than Pearl.
Peri
Greek; Hebrew; Persian
"mountain dweller; fruit; fairy"
This name used for both sexes in several cultures is quite well used in Israel.
Raanana
Hebrew
"beautiful, fresh"
Lovely Hebrew name with distinctive double a's, but beware of possible "banana" teasing.
Rahel
Hebrew
"ewe, female sheep"
Rahel is an alternative spelling of Rachel, used mostly used in Germany, Estonia, and Switzerland, though it might also be considered an Assyrian and Turkish form and a Hindi form (also written as…
Rae
English, diminutive of Rachel, Hebrew
"ewe"
All the old ae/ay middle names for girls are back — Kay, Fay, Mae/May — and Rae is one of the coolest, used as such by celebrities as Mark Wahlberg and Daniel Baldwin. Even more popular in the…
Rachael
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…
Rafaela
Spanish and Portuguese version of Hebrew Raphaela
"God has healed"
This euphonious and lovely name is an internationally appealing choice, that, like Gabriela and Isabela before it, is beginning to be drawn into the American mainstream. Also spelled Raffaella…