Hebrew Names

Seraphina is one of the most-searched name on Nameberry, destined for even greater popularity. The highest-ranking angels, the six-winged seraphim, inspired the lovely name Seraphina. The name was first was brought into the contemporary spotlight when chosen by high-profile parents Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck for their second daughter, following the influential choice of Violet for their first. Shockingly, however, it was not until 2023 that Seraphina cracked the US Top 1000. 
 
Today's parents finally seem to be recognizing this name as a fresh and distinctive alternative to popular Sophia as 2024 saw it leap nearly 200 places up the US charts. Latinate version Serafina is also getting some attention, suggesting the name is enjoying a style revival thanks to the current taste for strong, old-fashioned, yet elaborately <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">feminine names</a>.
 A variation, Seraphita, is the eponymous heroine of a Balzac novel, while Seraphina itself was borne by a 13th century Italian saint. 
 Despite being on the rise, for now, Seraphina remains a beautiful, distinctive choice. Other name ideas if you like Seraphina: Raphaela, Angelica, Serena, Delphine, and Sabrina.

Seraphina

In the Bible, it's the name of an ancient prophet who was able to withstand Satan. It has gained modest attention in recent years, hitting the US Top 1000 in 2008.
 Abdiel Colberg is a Puerto Rican professional rollerblader.

Abdiel

Likely a variation of Isaiah, inspired by the Latin and Greek Esaias, and by the popularity of Ezra, Eziah could mean "Yahweh is salvation". Alternative Hebrew roots could include: a contracted form of Hezekiah meaning "God strengthens"; an elaboration of Ezra, to mean "Yahweh is help"; or a form of Asaiah or Aziah, meaning "God hath made".
 
It could also have its origins in Igbo, deriving from eze a a phrase translating to "this king".
 
Rarely used before the 2000s, it has since boomed in use among American parents. Between 2020 and 2025, the number of babies called Eziah increased ten-fold, from 43 to 465. It made its debut to the US stats in 2025, when it was one of the fastest rising names, mixing up Ezra, Ezekiel, and Hezekiah into one.

Eziah

In 2010, baby boys named Ari outnumbered baby girls 4 to 1; today, there are nearly equal numbers of boys and girls named Ari. And that's only counting the babies who receive Ari as a full name. Ari can also be short for not only Ariel but Aria, Arya, Ariana, and any other name starting with Ari. Ari entered the US Top 1000 for girls in 2016.

The ubiquitous French version of Mary came into the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. In the United States, Marie was a huge hit at the turn of the last century and for the ensuing fifty years, becoming the seventh most popular name in the country for three years, from 1901 to 1904.
 Now, though, Marie sounds more dated than either Mary or Maria, though it once rivaled both. Even its days as a widely-used middle name have passed. The freshest way to use Marie today may be as the first part of a traditional French double name: Marie-Christine, Marie-Claude, and so on, or the French diminutive Manon.
 There have been countless notable Maries over the years, from French Queen Marie Antoinette to physicist Marie Curie to singer Marie Osmond (born Olive Marie).
 Marie is the French form of Maria, which ultimately was derived from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but 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).

Marie

Jaiden could be a variation of the Hebrew name Jadon, meaning "thankful", however, it may also be a modern invention, taking inspiration from Hayden and Aiden and combining it with the popular J- sound of James, Jason, and Jacob. While it has declined in use in the US in recent years, and is less popular than Jayden or Jaden, when combined with all its other spelling variations, it will still feel like a Top 50 name.
 
Other possible interpretations of its meaning could be "jaybird" (via the word jay), "supplanter" (via Jacob and James), or "to heal" (from Jason), plus the Irish diminutive suffix -en or the English den meaning "valley".

Jaiden

The name of the sainted mother of the Virgin Mary was among the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> for centuries, in both the original English Ann spelling and the French Anne. Both left the Top 100 around 1970 but Anne is still among the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/322/classic-baby-names-for-girls">classic names for girls</a>, although others are more likely to choose the original Hannah, the Anna variation, or even Annabel or Annabella.
Anne was on a long slide from the early 1980s until about 2010, when its popularity in the US stabilized around the middle of the Top 1000.
 Anne was the name of six queens of England, two of them wives of Henry VIII, as well as the name of the present Queen Elizabeth's only daughter plus French and Russian royalty. More recently, Mindy Kaling chose Anne for her second daughter.
 Anne has too many distinguished namesakes to enumerate--but among them are Anne Hathaway, (both Shakespeare's wife and the contemporary actress), Anne of Green Gables, Anne Bronte, Anne Frank, and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

Anne

There is a female figure in the Old Testament named Noa or Noah, whose name derives from the Hebrew No'ah, meaning "motion". The popular Biblical male name Noah (sometimes spelled as the streamlined Noa) is derived from a different Hebrew name: Noach, which means "rest, repose" – although confusingly they are often written the same in English. 
 Noa is the modern Hebrew spelling of the female name, and is very popular for girls in Israel, as well as in several European countries, including Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands. But Noah is an established variant spelling, popularized by Noah Cyrus.
 So is a girl called Noah named after a female Biblical figure (whose name means "motion") or a male one (meaning "rest")? That's up to you! 
 
An increasing number of American parents have been drawn to this spelling in recent years. It entered the Top 1000 back in 2020 and as of 2024, it sits at #560.

Noah

A diminutive of Daniel that's been immortalized in odes ranging from 'Danny Boy' to 'Danny's Song.'

Danny

A traditional name still used in Orthodox families. Rivka is the original form of Rebekah or Rebecca, today used far more widely than the original.  Rifka is a variation.

Rivka

Though this is a popular name for men in the Bible, today it's used with this spelling for nearly equal numbers of girls and boys. The Azaria variation is much more often given to girls.

Azariah

Nathaniel is a wonderful classic name and Nathanael, the ancient Greek or Hebrew form, is as appealing and versatile. Appearing in the Top 1000 in England and Wales and the US, alternative spelling Nathanaël is a top choice in France. 

Nathanael

After breaking into the Top 400 in 2011, this name has lost ground. 

Izaiah

A Biblical name with a modern feel, Azaria is a spelling variation of the Hebrew name, Azariah. Used as a masculine name in the Bible, this spelling is now more commonly used on girls. 
 
Azaria first appeared in the US Top 1000 back in 2005 and has featured in the lower end of the charts nearly every year since. The rise of Azariah as a gender neutral option however has begun to reflect on this variant; a recent year saw it climb more than 270 places.
 
With its trending letter '"Z", its Biblical ties and its similarity to other stylish choices like Aurora and Azalea, Azaria may continue to rise in the future. This variation might also appeal to fans of The Simpsons as a nod to voice actor, Hank Azaria, though for others, it might remain too closely associated with the tragic death of Azaria Chamberlain.
 
For now then, the unisex Azariah remains the more popular option, given to more than 400 girls and 600 boys each year. Azaria did however outrank the diminutive form Azari in the latest count, and also rose in the England and Wales Top 1000.

Azaria

Aya, barely more than a breath, is an international favorite, with origins in several languages and cultures. Popular throughout Europe, it ranks in the US Top 1000 and was chosen for nearly 470 babies in a recent year. 
 
As with many multicultural names, it has a variety of meanings. In Japanese, it is a colorful name, also associated with intricate design (pronounced A-YA). From its Hebrew origins, it can be considered a nature and bird name, related to the honey buzzard or to birds and flying more generally (pronounced a-YA).
 
Aya is also a Danish name (a respelling of Aja or Aija) possibly meaning "rock, lull" from Latvian Aija or "happiness" from Finnish Eija, and is a highly popular choice there. In this case, it would be said as IE-yah. In Arabic meanwhile, Aya means "sign, evidence" or "verse" and is a popular name in the Muslim community, also spelled as Ayah and said A-ya. 
 
That only scratches the surface, however, because Aya also appears in Semitic mythology, where it means "dawn"; as a Kazakh name meaning "hideout, shelter" (said ah-YAH); in the Cherokee language meaning "I, me"; and as an alternative form of the Basque place name, Aya.
 
Thought we were done? No, because Aya may also be linked to the Turkic element ay meaning "moon", and therefore to Turkish-Altaic mythology in which the angelic Ayas symbolized creativity, abundance, and goodness. IE-a would be the pronunciation here. 
 
In Mongolian, it means "melody", while in in Baoulé on the Ivory Coast, it is given to girls born on Fridays.
 
An Ancient Egyptian Queen, a Belgian Catholic Saint, and an Akkadian goddess, Aya has a lot of history and meaning hidden behind those three letters. More contemporary associations include Aya Korem, an Israeli singer-songwriter, and Aya Liu, a Taiwanese actress. And actress Hilary Swank named her daughter Aya (twin to brother Ohm) in 2024.

Sam has long been used on its own for boys, as accepted standing by itself as it is as a short form of Samuel. Straightforward and down-to-earth, Sam is the name of the son of the co-stars of The Americans, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys.

Sam is one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/baby-names-starting-with/s">names that start with S</a> in the Western world, ranking higher in several European countries than it does in the US, where it's trended downward since the 19th century, though it's always been in the Top 1000.

A perfectly respectable Old Testament name ruined forever through its association with the odious Uriah Heep in David Copperfield. Some people also find this name just too close to the word urine. These negative connotations may be wearing off, however. (Perhaps because people don't read as much Dickens as they used to.)

Uriah

This is the name of Angel of Death in Jewish and Muslim tradition, but that isn't putting contemporary parents off. With its cool letter Z and popular -ael ending, Azrael has been in the US Top 1000 since 2019 and has continued to rise since then.
 
Deriving from the Hebrew azar and el meaning "help" and "God", Azrael can meaning "my help is God" or "help of God", which may help some parents see beyond its links to death — although that might be exactly what appeals about it for others.
 
Given to 354 baby boys in 2024, when combined with the popularity of Asriel, Aziel and Azael, it might feel even more popular than it already is.

Azrael

Many things to many peoples: a flower name, also spelled Hanae, to the Japanese; a Czech and Polish short form of Johana; and an alternate form of the biblical name Hannah in the US. It also means "craft, work" in Hawaiian and "glow" in Maori.

Hana

A widely used Hebrew form of Joseph, with a sophisticated and continental air. 

Yosef

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 8)