Hebrew Names for Girls

An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid. 
 Associated with Tom Sawyer's aunt, 'Polly, put the kettle on,' parrots, Polly Peachum, Nirvana and Kinks songs, and the movie Along Came Polly, as well as characters in Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes, C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia and now on the Netflix show Orange is the New Black, Polly never achieved the comeback that her cousin did, perhaps because she sounds too Pollyanna-ish. 
 
Although she has been off the Social Security list for decades, Polly sits in the middle of the Nameberry's own Top 1000. We'd love to see some new baby Pollys!

Polly

One of those short, punchy names with its roots in a variety of different cultures and languages, Rina is sister to names like Mina, Mira, Lina, and Nina. Retro in feel, but never overused in the US, it peaked in 1980 when it was given to 90 girls. 
 
As a pan-European name, used in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and beyond, Rina may be considered a short form that has become a name in its own right. Usually said to derive from Catherine and its variants (Katerina, Catherina, Catharina, and Ekaterina), it may also be considered a short form for a whole range of other names, including Carina, Serina, Marina, and Corina. 
 
From its Hebrew roots, Rina comes from rinna meaning "joy, singing, shouting", adding an upbeat and cheerful note to the name. In this case, Rinat would be another form.
 
As a Japanese name, Rina may be interpreted as meaning "white jasmine" or "village greens and vegetables" depending on which kanji elements are used. Familiar in Japan, it has been notably borne by actress Rina Aizaw, singer Rina Sawayama, and voice actress Rina Satō.
 
Additionally, Rina has its origins in Sanskrit and may be used as a Hindi and Marathi name. Also spelled as Reena, it comes from the Sanskrit word for "melted, dissolved".
 
Finally, it may be connected to Rena, a short form or variation of Renata and Renee, ultimately meaning "born again" in Latin.
 
Given to 77 girls in a recent year in the US (the highest number for several decades), the name is typically said as REE-na or REE-nuh, though the emphasis may vary depending on language and location. 

Hebrew: VariantRinat
Sanskrit: melted (also Reena)
Japanese: white jasmine; village+ greens, vegetables

Rina

A popular Israeli choice that could work across different languages, Shira comes from the Hebrew shir meaning "song." Some parents may be reminded of the animated heroine She-Ra, Princess of Power, from both the 1980s original and the 2018 reboot, however, they are not related.
 
Also appearing in the manga and anime series Naruto (on a male character), and in the Ice Age franchise (on a sabre-tooth tiger), Shira might be used as a unisex Japanese name, meaning "poetry", "good, excellent", or "white".
 
Notable bearers include actresses Shira Geffen and Shira Haas.

Shira

This animal-themed name is among the most popular for girls in contemporary Israel. Parents who want to move beyond the mega-popular Aliyah and sisters might want to consider Ayala. The male form is Ayal.

Ayala

Rena is a Hebrew name all on its own and is also a European short form of Irene, Irini, Renata, and Renate. In Punjabi, Rena means "to remain".

Rena

Despite its Irish sound, this commonly used word name has usually been confined to Jewish families. 

Shaina

Used as a twist on the nature name Sierra or the classic Biblical name Sarah, Siara could also be considered an anglicized corruption of the Irish Ciara, meaning "little dark one", or an Arabic name meaning "pure" or "unique". 
 
A fast rising choice in the UK, where it ranked just outside the Top 700 last year, it has also seen a spike in usage in the US, when it was given to nearly 120 girls, compared to 80 the year prior. Make-up artist and content creator Shiny Barbara chose Siara for her daughter in 2025, while The Resort screenwriter Andy Siara bears it as a surname.

Siara

A male Biblical name meaning healer, Asa is also an international gem. In Japanese, it means "(born in the) morning". And in Scandinavia, where it's generally spelled Åsa or Ása and pronounced O-sa, it's a popular diminutive form of Old Norse names beginning with the element áss "god".

Bright and light with a pleasing simplicity, Lielle is a distinctly feminine form of the unisex Hebrew name Liel. Comprised of the elements li ("for me") and el ("God"), it is interpreted as meaning "my God". 
 
Lielle has been quietly attracting attention in the US, with 60 babies given the name in a recent year, more than three times the number who received it a decade ago. Liel was given to around 30 babies in the same year, and is a popular choice in Israel.

Lielle

Aziza is a zippy palindromic choice that is the female variation of Aziz and is found in several Middle Eastern and African languages and cultures. All in all, an attractive and interesting option; a Turkish variation is Azize.
<p<>In African mythology, the Azizi are a supernatural race of forest dwellers who give practical and spiritual advice.
 Aziz is the male version, as represented by Aziz Ansari, one of the stars of Parks and Recreation.

Aziza

Tamar is a rich, strong Old Testament name sometimes given to girls born on the holiday of Sukkoth, as palm branches were used to make the roof of the sukkah. In the Bible, there are several Tamars, including a daughter of King David and also Absalom's daughter, who is praised for her "fair countenance".
 
From its Biblical roots, it has a distinctive sound, being an iambic name, with the emphasis on the second syllable (tah-MAHR), however, it may also be heard as TA-MAR in Georgia and as TAHM-ahr in the UK and US. 
 The Russian form of the name, Tamara, has long outshone Tamar, but Tamar could feel fresher, given to around 80 American girls in a recent year. In Israel, however, it is one of the top ranking choices for girls. href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a> there.
 Tamar is also the name of a river in England, forming the border between the British counties of Devon and Cornwall. In this case, it would be pronounced TAY-mahr and likely gets its name from the River Thames, a name of uncertain origin, by likely linked to an ancient Celtic word for "dark" or "river".

Tamar

Edna is one of those names that, until what it seemed like a few minutes ago, felt so terminally frumpy that no one could imagine a parent choosing it for an innocent modern baby girl. But with the great upswing in names honoring ancestral family members, several of them being other four-letter, e-ending names, we wouldn't be so sure.
 Edna, which means delight, is a semi-biblical name--in the Apocrypha she is seen as a loving mother-- and was enormously popular in this country in the late nineteenth century, reaching as high as Number 11. It also relates to Eden--another, more contemporary sounding, option.
 Three literary bearers of the name are Edna St. Vincent Millay, Edna Ferber and Edna O'Brien, and to some the name might be identified with the campy character, Dame Edna Everage.

Edna

The boyish spelling, which is still pronounced with two syllables and a long e at the end, is sometimes used for girls, though the Jessie form -- whether short for Jessica or standing on its own -- is usually considered the feminine one.

Jesse

Ilana is a name with seemingly endless variations, well used in Israel, sometimes chosen for little girls born on the holiday of TuB'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees. 

While some sources say Ilana is a variation of the Greek Helen, meaning torch or shining light, or the multicultural Alana, this is not accurate. The similar Elena is related to Helen, while Alana can be a spelling variation of Ilana, not vice versa.

Ilana

Sometimes considered a rare feminine form of Simon or Simeon, in turn giving it the meaning "to hear, to listen", Simea also appears in the 2024 Disney movie, Moana 2. In this case, the name is a twist on Samea (the director David Derrick Jr's daughter's name) which could come from the Arabic Samiya ("high") or from the Hebrew Samuel ("name of God").
 
Simea made its entrance to the US stats in 2025 when it was one of the fastest rising debuts of the year.

Simea

Sahari has been in the US stats since 2008, but 2025 saw it more than double in usage when it was given to 70 girls — the highest number of Saharis on record. 
 
A name with a number of possible origins, Sahari could have its roots in the Arabic Sahara ("deserts"), the Arabic Sahar ("morning, dawn"), or in the Hebrew Sahar ("crescent, moon"). Additionally, it is sometimes linked to the Finnish Sakari (a form of Zachary, "Yahweh remembers") and to the Spanish Sarahi (from Biblical Sarai, "princess").

Sahari

Susannah is by far the most stylish form of the classic name now that Susan and Suzanne have retired. Susannah has biblical and musical pedigrees, is impervious to trends, and has an irresistible, flowing rhythm. It can be spelled just as properly with or without the final 'h.'
 Susannah is one of the loveliest names that, surprisingly, is not in the Top 1000—and hasn't been since 1978—though we expect that to change as soon as the memory of too many older Susans and Susies fades.
 Susannah and Susanna seem to have traded place over time as the dominant version. How do they differ? The h-less version feels a bit more streamlined and modern, and might refer more directly to an ancestor named Ann or Anna, while Susannah seems more old-school Biblical and self-contained.
 
In the Apocrypha, Susannah is the beautiful and devout wife of Joachim, falsely accused of unfaithfulness by the elders.
 William Shakespeare named one of his daughters Susanna, while more recently, YouTuber Ms. Rachel chose the -H ending form for her daughter in 2025.
 A European short form that's become popular is Sanna/Sanne. The Hebrew Shoshana has played a prominent role on the TV show Girls. Zuzu is an adorable nickname from the classic Christmas fiilm, It's a Wonderful Life.

Susannah

Appearing on a minor character in the Old Testament, Atarah is the wife of Jerahmeel and a descendant of Judah. Also spelled Atara, it has confidence and succinctness and may appeal to those who like Atlas, Amara and Elara. The name was chosen for 60 girls in the US in a recent year, while Atara was given to almost 50.

Atarah

Atalia, also appearing as Athaliah and Atalya, is a biblical name with a gory history but a bright and appealing sound. In step with the current fashion for A-starting and -a-ending names that are both distinctive and deeply rooted, Atalia may make an intriguing alternative to Natalia or Aleah. 
 
In a biblical context, it is borne by the daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who went on to become the queen consort of Jehoram of Judah. After Jehoram's death (and the murders of her family and son), Athaliah took the throne by killing every other possible claimant. Known as the usruper queen, she set up a Baalist cult, but was later killed herself. 
 
Meaning "the Lord is exalted", Atalia was also the name of an ancient Assyrian queen and was chosen for 62 girls in the US in a recent year, making it a familiar but underused option. Athaliah was chosen for 65 girls in the same year, and Athalia for 86, while Ataliah and Atalya were chosen for around 10.

Atalia

Israeli-born singer Keren Ann introduced this traditional Hebrew name to the US, where it could well be mistaken for Karen. Nevertheless, 100 girls were given the name in a recent year. 

Keren

Hebrew girl names include some of the most popular female names of all time in the US, such as Hannah, Elizabeth and Rachel. Hebrew girls’ names, indeed, are so familiar and deeply rooted in English-speaking cultures that they're among the classic girl names that have been most widely used over time.

 in the US top 100 include Abigail, Anna, Eliana, Eva, Leah, Maya, Naomi, and Sarah. 

 include Tamar — especially among Jewish Israelis — Noa, Shira, and Talia.

 that are more unusual yet worthy of consideration include Biblical names Dinah, Kelilah, and Susannah. And then there are 

 such as the unisex place-name Zion and the literary nickname-name Zadie, derived from Sarah.

Browse our full list of Hebrew baby girl names here, ordered according to their current popularity on Nameberry. 

Hebrew names for girls with meanings and popularity, including classic names such as Sarah and Elizabeth, Old Testament girl names, and top names in Israel.. (Page 9)

Hebrew Girl Names