Hebrew Names for Boys

A rare Biblical name that may appeal as an alternative to Abraham, Abel, Abner, Ebenezer, and similar, Abiezer appears several times in the Old Testament. Borne by one of King David's warriors, it means "father of help" combining the elements that also make up Ezra and Abram. 
 
The name was borne by a 17th century prophetic writer, Abiezer Coppe, but it has been used very sparingly in the US, only appearing in the stats twice since 1880. Still, with names like Hezekiah, Jaziel, Abbott, and Ezekiel catching attention, Abiezer could make a totally unexpected choice with a familiar Biblical vibe about it.
 
While nickname Abi might put some parents off, Ezri, Abe, Ezra, Aza, Ezer, and Bez could be other options.

Abiezer

Yali is a unisex name most widely-used in Israel. The Israeli-British actress Yali Topol Margalith of Alice and Steve is one well-known bearer.

A yali is a South Indian folkloric and mythological creature that combines features of a lion, an elephant, and a horse.

Yali

A rare Biblical with similar sounds to Kenneth, Zephaniah, and Kai, Kenaniah appears in the Old Testament, borne by a figure associated with music and musical worship. Also spelled as Chenaniah, it means "Yahweh establishes" and has been used just a small handful of times in the US since the the 90s. 


Kenaniah

Also appearing as Tzuri'el and Zuriel, this form is additionally used as a surname. 

Tzuriel

A rare Hebrew name, Malchijah appears a number of times in the Bible, borne by a priest, a musician, and a goldsmith among others. Pronounced as mal-KEE-uh in Hebrew and mal-KYE-uh in English, it may also be spelled as Malchiah.
 
Similar in sound to popular options like Malachi, Micah, and Micaiah, this name has seen very little use in the US, appearing in the stats just once back in the 90s.

Malchijah

Joes is a fast-rising boys name in the Netherlands, pronounced with the initial J as a Y, a long o, and a soft s -- it rhymes with close. But American English speakers would inevitably rhyme it with rose and pronounce the J as it's pronounced in Joseph or John.

While Joes is a Top 100 name in the Netherlands, it was not used at all last year in the US.

Joes

A variation of the Biblical name Jadon, more likely to lead you to the JAH- sound over the JAY- one that may alternatively be used as the first syllable. The meaning of the name is debated, though one theory is that it comes from yaḏa meaning "thankful".

Jahdon

A variation of the Biblical Abraham, predominantly used in Latin America and in French- and Spanish-speaking African countries, most notably the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 'H' at the beginning is typically silent. 
 
This form has been found in Old English manuscripts too.

Habraham

Short and snappy, Tol has an entirely different feel to its longer forms, Bartholomew, Ptolemy, and Anatole. Similar in sound and feel to the stylish Sol, it makes a lighter choice for several grandiose names.
 
Borrowed from Biblical Bartholomew, likely via the English nickname Tolly, Tol could mean "son of Talmai" or "son of the furrow". From the Greek Ptolemy it has the tough meaning of "warlike", while from the French Anatole (itself from the Greek ς Anatolius), it relates to the the rising sun.
 
Other sources of the name could be the Turkish Tolga meaning "helmet"; the Khmer name, Tola, also used as the word for October; a a Polish diminutive of Antoni, inspired by the use of Tola for Antonia. It may also originate from various names including the Old Norse Þórr (Thor), such as Tollak, Torkell, Torgils, and Torleif. 
 
There's also the surname Tolliver ("ironworker"), the Nahuatl Tlatol ("language"), or the Indonesian Tolha (via the Arabic ṭalḥ, meaning "fruit tree").

A name with a cool, space-related meaning and a zippy sound, Shavit is a modern Hebrew word name meaning "comet". More familiar for girls in Israel (though still very rare), it has also been used for boys,
 
It is also used in India, likely as an alternative form of Shvita ("white, brightness"), Savitr and Savita ("rouser"), Sevita ("cherished") or Shanvita ("pretty, loveable").

Shavit

A multicultural choice that can be used as a nickname, a given name, and a surname, Zeka might appeal to those who enjoy names such as Sacha, Mika, and Luka, and to those who like Hezekiah and Ezekiel but don't want anything so heavily Biblical.
 
As a diminutive, Zeka may derive from the Biblical Zechariah meaning "He (God) has remembered". It would work especially for international variations of the name such as the Turkish Zekeriya or Albanian Zekeria. Alternatively, it may come from Hezekiah or Ezekiel meaning "God strengthens", and as such, would make a fresh twist on Zeke.
 
From its Turkish roots, Zeka may well be a variation on the name Zeki and the word zekâ meaning "intelligent, clever, mind". Ultimately, it would then stem from the Arabic dhakīy. 
 
Due to its multicultural roots, it is used across Albania, Egypt, the DR of Congo, Serbia, Russia, Cyprus, and beyond, though it has yet to rank in the US charts.
 
The name is pronounced zeh-kah from its Turkish and Albanian roots, though zee-kuh may also be used elsewhere.

Zeka

A rare Biblical name that may appeal to fans of Shephard, Jedediah, Shiloh, and Hezekiah, Shephatiah is borne by at least nine minor figures in the Bible. These include a son of King David, a servant of Solomon, and a Benjaminite warrior. 
 
Derived from the Hebrew shafaṭ meaning "to judge" and yah referring to God, the name may be translated to "God is my judge" or "Yahweh judges".

Shephatiah

Notably borne by Cuban baseball player, Raisel Iglesias, Raisel is often considered a diminutive of the (feminine) Yiddish name, Raisa, meaning "rose". While this could be a possible source for its use as a masculine name, it may additionally link to the Arabic Rais, meaning "leader, chief", to the Spanish Reyes, meaning "kings", or to the Hebrew Israel, for which it is both an anagram and connected to Spanish short form, Rai. In the latter case, it would mean "he who struggles with God" or "God contends".




Raisel

A Judeo-Spanish form of the Biblical Bechorath or Becher, Bechor may make strong and spiritual choice for a first-born son. It ultimately comes from bekhorah meaning "birthright" and relates to primogeniture, in which the first-born son inherits a greater portion of his parents' wealth. It may additionally link to the Jewish tradition of pidyon haben, in which the first-born son is redeemed by paying five silver coins to a Kohen.

Bechor

Becher is both a Biblical name and a surname, used across Italy, the Philippines, Peru, and Tunisia in small numbers.
 
From its Hebrew roots, it likely comes from bekhorah meaning "birthright". As such, it relates to primogeniture in which the first-born son inherits a greater portion of his parents' wealth and to the Jewish tradition of pidyon haben, in which the first-born son is redeemed by paying five silver coins to a Kohen. It is borne by two minor Biblical figures: a son of Benjamin and a son of Ephraim.
 
From its German roots, it may translate more literally to "mug, goblet" or "beaker", though it may additionally be a variation of Becker meaning "baker" or "one from the brook".

Becher

A rare Biblical name, appearing several times in the Old Testament, Abimlech was given (generically) to Philistine kings during the time of Abraham and David. Most notably, it is borne by Abimelech of Gerar  and Abimelech, son of Jerubbaal, neither of whom have the most positive associations, the former having taken Abraham's wife, Sarah, and the latter having killed all but one of his seventy brothers. 


Abimelech

Amos and Asa meet Nathan and Nathaniel in this succinct Biblical name, appearing in the Old Testament as the father of Shamgar. Pronounced as AY-nath in in English, in Hebrew, it would be ah-naht. 
 
Rarely used for boys, Anath is now used predominantly for girls, after the Semitic goddess of fertility and hunting.

Anath

Azaziah is a surprisingly rare option, given the popularity of similar options such as Azariah, Azaiah, and Isaiah. Meaning "Yahweh is strong", it appears in the Old Testament and could make a distinctive yet familiar choice for those who enjoy big Biblical boy names like Zebedee, Hezekiah. Yet to appear in the US stats, we wouldn't be surprised if it does in the coming years. 

Azaziah

A variation of the rare Biblical name, Kenaniah, this form appears in the King James Bible. While the more approachable K- spelling has appeared several times in the US stats, this form has yet to rank.
 
In the Bible, the figure of Chenaniah is associated with music and leadership, responsible for directing musical worship among the Levites.

Chenaniah

A rare Biblical choice, Lebanah is a poetic Hebrew name, ultimately from lavan</en< meaning "white". It joins the rank of moon and space related names, and for some, it may hold the additional appeal of also appearing briefly in the Old Testament. 
 
Not to be confused with Labneh, a Middle Eastern strained yogurt, it may also be connected to Kiddush levana (also known as Birkat halevana or Kiddish lebanah), a Jewish prayer service and ritual, held on the first or second Saturday on each Hebrew month, to bless and thank God for the new moon. 
 
As a name, it is extremely rare.

Lebanah

Hebrew boy names have been in continual use for thousands of years, and with good reason: such 

 are all Hebrew boys’ names. In fact, many of the most widely-used boys’ names in English-speaking countries are Hebrew in origin, include recent Number one names Noah and Jacob. 

Along with Noah and Jacob, other 

 include Adam, Asher, Caleb, Elijah, Isaac, Levi, Nathan, and Samuel. 

origins include James, Joseph, and John.



 popular in Israel include Uri — especially among Jewish Israelis — Ariel, Noam, and Eitan.


But some Hebrew boy names are still far off the beaten track. 

Hebrew boy names including meaning and popularity, with Old Testament boy names such as Isaac and Moses and top Hebrew boy names such as Noah and Jacob. (Page 26)

Hebrew Boy Names