Hebrew Names

If you feel, as many parents do, that Gabby or Gabi is too harsh a short form for the mellifluous name Gabriella, try Brie, Brielle, or Briella.

Briella

Kayla is a modern invented name that emerged in the late 1950s. It may have been inspired by the similar sounding Michaela, though it could equally have come about as a combination of the then popular name popular name Kay and the familiar -la suffix.
 
Alternatively, it may be a variation of the Yiddish name Kaila, which derived from the Hebrew name Kelila or from the Biblical place name, Keila. As such, its meanings could be "crown, wreath, garland" or "fortress, citadel" respectively. 
 
It might even be considered an Anglicization of the Gaelic surnames MacCaollaidhe ("slender") or MacCathail ("battle rule"). 
 
Kayla sprang from obscurity due to a soap opera, Days of Our Lives, in the 1980s to become a superstar, reaching Number 12. While it has now declined in popular, it does still rank in the Top 400 in the US, the UK, and France.

Kayla

More unusual alternative to Maya, Raya has risen in popularity due to the introduction of the newest Disney Princess from the 2021 film Raya and the Last Dragon. One of those truly multi-cultural names, Raya has its origins in Hebrew, Russian, Japanese, Arabic, and English,
 
On one hand, Raya can be a variation of the Yiddish Rayna meaning "clear, pure", however, it may also link the Reigna and Regina, meaning "queen". Alternatively, it has Hebrew roots, from which it means "friend, beloved", or perhaps Russian origins, as a short form of Raisa meaning "hero" or "rose". Also linked to the Arabic word for fragrance and aroma, it is used in Japan too, as a floral name.
 
As for the Disney princess, her name was chosen for its Malay meaning, in which it means "celebration" and is associated with joy and family gatherings. 
 
Having been outside the US Top 1000 before 2020, it has since tripled in popularity. In the UK meanwhile, it entered the Top 100 in 2023.

Raya

This variation of Jordan entered the Top 1000 in 1989. Jordyn as well as Jordan trended throughout the 90s and early 2000s, but are beginning to fall slightly on the girls' side. While the Jordan spelling reached the highest point in popularity out of the 2, making it into the Top 50 in the late 90s and early 2000s, today Jordyn has taken the lead.

Jordyn

Amari is a name that's rising in popularity in the US for both boys and girls. Last year, about 1000 baby girls and 2000 baby boys were named Amari in the US, making it one of the Top 20 gender neutral names.

Amari has a number of possible cultural origins and positive meanings. Amara is another possibility for girls.

Amari

Ari, the short form of Ariel (or any other Ari- beginning name, such as Aristotle) stands up better as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a> than its progenitor does. It is also short for Aristotle, as in Onassis, and is a prominent character on TV's Entourage -- the uberagent Ari Gold. 
 Among other notable bearers have been Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary for President George W. Bush and Ari Emanuel, powerful talent agent and possible inspiration for Ari Gold.
 Ari Ben Canaan is the main character in the Leon Uris novel Exodus, played by Paul Newman on screen, and Ari is the name of one of the Tenenbaum sons in The Royal Tenenbaums.

This Dana-Donna variation has started to carve out its own place on popularity lists; an interesting alternative to Daniella as a namesake for a relative named Daniel. 

Danna

Raphael is a romantic archangel name that sounds both artistic and powerful. Raphael is also a great cross-cultural choice, with significance for people with both Latinate and Jewish roots, plus plenty of grounding in the English-speaking world.
 Raphael was one of the seven archangels (called by Milton "the affable archangel") who attended the throne of God and, as the angel of healing, is the patron of doctors as well as of travelers, science and healing. Another worthy namesake is the great Renaissance painter Raphael (born Raffaello Sanzio). Several celebs have chosen the name, including Robert De Niro, Ana Ortiz and Melissa George.
Rafael is the Spanish spelling, as represented by Spanish tennis champ Rafael Nadal. Rafi is the familiar Hebrew nickname.

Raphael

Jared is an Old Testament name that has been popular for decades--it was revived in the sixties via TV westerns-- and is still an appealing option. 
 In the Bible, Jared was a descendant of Adam who became the father of Enoch at the age of 162--and then lived on for another eight hundred years. Two contemporary Jareds are actors Jared Leto and Jared Harris. Jared Cameron is a shape-shifting werewolf character in the Twilight series of books and movies.
 Other spellings include Jarred, Jarrad, Jarrod and Jarod.

Jared

While Jadon is the authentic biblical name, Jaden is by far the more popular spelling, first noticed when Will and Jada Pinkett Smith used it for their now grown (and famous) son. It has since swept the country for both sexes, with a wide variety of spellings and rhyming cousins.

Jaden

Solomon, a name that evokes wisdom and peace, is an Old Testament name that, along with other patriarchal classics, is finally beginning to shed its long white beard and step from the pages of the Old Testament into modern nurseries. 
 Originating from the Hebrew word shalom, meaning peace, Solomon was a favorite of Charles Dickens, who used it for characters in three of his novels.
 Solomon Grundy is a name that moved from a nursery rhyme ("Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday") to a DC Comics character to the name of a California rock group.
 The biblical Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, succeeded his father as king of Israel, and was known for his wisdom ("People came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon."). He is credited with writing the biblical books Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon—the latter also the title of an acclaimed Toni Morrison novel. The biblical Solomon is that reason that, while the name technically means peace, it also counts among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/128/boy-baby-names-that-mean-wise">names that mean wisdom</a>.
 Notable bearers of the name include philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim, for whom the New York museum is named, and singer-songwriter Solomon Burke, sometimes referred to as "King Solomon."

Solomon

Sharp but sweet, ancient but with a contemporary sound, Sarai has been rising steadily up the US charts since the 90s and now sits comfortably in the Top 1000. In the Old Testament, God changed Sarai's name to Sara, so this would make a clever and legitimate honor name for an ancestral Sarah. 
 
Familiar in Mexico and Spain, and given to around 700 girls in the US in each recent year, Sarai is a rare choice elswehere. It is also pronounced slightly differently depending on where you are in the world, with sehr-EYE or suh-RYE used by English speakers and sar-ah-EE among those who speak Spanish.
 
There is also the pretty variation Sarahi to consider. Popular in Mexico, it makes the Spanish pronunciation sar-ah-EE more obvious.

Sarai

Widely used in the Hispanic community, as is the shorter Isai. While the original Isaiah and cousin Isaac are much more popular, Isaias commanded attention as the name of a storm in the summer of 2020.

Isaias

Nehemiah is an Old Testament name used by the Puritans, whose white-bearded image kept it out of favor for centuries, until it suddenly reappeared in 1998, along with the more user-friendly Josiah and Isaiah.
 The biblical Nehemiah was the prophet assigned the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity—which could make it a fitting possibility for an architect or building contractor's boy. 
 In Sir Walter Scott's novel Woodstock, Nehemiah Holdenough is a Presbyterian minister. One modern namesake is football star Nehemiah Broughton.
 
Currently in the US Top 500 where it joins the likes of Azariah and Jeremiah, it has also gained popularity in England and Wales in recent years. Nemo or Nai might make interesting nicknames.

Nehemiah

Moshe is the original Hebrew form of Moses, also spelled Mosheh. In the past it was changed to names like Morris, Moe and Maurice.

The original Moshe has been drifting up the US popularity list for half a century now, as parents become more interested in names that have not been Anglicized. More than 600 baby boys were named Moshe in the US last year.

Moshe

The name of the archangel in Rabbinic and Russian Orthodox tradition, Uriel is associated with truth, wisdom, and light. Also appearing in medieval literature, the name shares a similar meaning to Uriah: "God is my light, God is my flame".
 
Uriel has been appearing in the US charts since the 1980s and recently ranked in the Top 500, while in Mexico and Israel, it's a Top 100 choice. It was one of the fastest rising boy names in England and Wales in 2025, reflecting the general interest in rare, Biblical and Biblical adjacent names .
 
The name has notably appeared in the game The Elder Scrolls and in the show Supernatural.
 
Pronounced as YUWR-ee-uhl in English, oo-ree-EHL is the Hebrew pronunciation.

Uriel

Thanks to Mariah Carey, everyone now knows this name – and is aware that Mariah's pronounced with a long i – just as Maria was in the Jane Austen era. And though Mariah now sounds modern, it was heard as far back as 1550 in Great Britain.
 The song 'They Call the Wind Maria' (pronounced Mariah) was introduced in the 1951 Broadway musical Paint Your Wagon and was the inspiration for Mariah Carey's name. Though Mariah reached a peak in the mid-1990s, it is still a popular choice. 
 Mariah may derive from Hebrew Moriah, meaning "the Lord is my teacher". It may also be a variant form of Maria, the meaning of which is uncertain. Theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Mariah

Alma is a solemn, soulful, yet gentle sounding name that became fashionable in England following the Battle of Alma during the 19th century Crimean War. A name with multiple origins, Alma has subtle, international flair and plenty of vintage charm. 
 
From its Latin roots, Alma is linked to anima meaning "soul", and has the same meaning in modern Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. In Hebrew, it means "young woman", while in Kazakh, it means "apple". It also appears in the Book of Mormon as a masculine name. 
 In addition to being familiar via the term alma mater, Alma has many cultural ties, such as Alma Mahler, a 19th Century composer and musician and the character Alma Del Mar played by Michelle Williams in the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain. Other characters named Alma have appeared in Deadwood, The Hunger Games, American Horror Story, and The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. In the Tennessee Williams play Summer and Smoke, a character named Alma explains that her name is "Spanish for soul."
 
Given to 650 girls in the US in a recent year, Alma is a favorite in Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Uruguay, France, Denmark, and Argentina, where recent counts have seen it rank in the Top 20. It is also popular in England and Wales, Chile, Finland, and Israel. 
 
In tune with the likes of Anna, Emma, and Ella, along with Ada and Alba, we can see Alma also rising again in the US.

Alma

Zariah has three possible origins: the Arabic Zahrah which means ‘flower’, the Hebrew name Azariah, meaning ‘God has helped’, or the Russian word Zaria which means ‘sunrise/dawn’. Either way, it's a strong and striking name with a range of lovely meanings.

Zariah

This unpretentious, accessible, and optimistic ("everything's jake" -- meaning OK) short form of the top name Jacob is itself widely used, though more parents these days are opting for the full name Jacob. Jake (born Jacob) Gyllenhall is its most prominent current bearer. 
 
As of 2023, Jake was in the US Top 500, but ranked more highly in the UK and in The Netherlands.

Jake

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 6)