Hebrew Names that Start With Y
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The names
Yosef
Hebrew
"Jehovah increases"
A widely used Hebrew form of Joseph, with a sophisticated and continental air.
Yehuda
Variation of Yehudah, Hebrew
"to praise"
This modernized version of Yehudah is the source of on popular choice Judah and is traditionally given to boys born at Chanukah — a Jewish festival of lights and rededication which is celebrated in…
Yahir
Hebrew and Arabic
"he will enlighten, he shines; to be visible, shining"
This Hebrew and Arabic name hit the US Top 300 in 2004 via an unusual inspiration: A Mexican pop singer and telenovela star known simply as Yahir, who was himself named after a Brazilian soccer…
Yael
Hebrew
"ibex"
A common unisex name in Israel, more properly written as Ya'el, Yael rose more than 200 places in 2023 to become one of the fastest-rising boys' names of the year in the US. Yael is among the -ael…
Yadira
Spanish
"worthy"
Yadira is a popular choice in Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia, and has also been a favorite among Latin American families in the US. Popularized by actress Yadira Jiménez in the mid-20th century, its…
Yisrael
Hebrew
"contender with God"
The name given to Jacob/Yaacov after wrestling with God's angel, most often used without the initial Y.
Yoel
Hebrew
"Jehovah is his God"
The Hebrew version of Joel has a pleasant, almost jolly sound.
Yaakov
Hebrew
"supplanting"
The original Hebrew form of Jacob is resurfacing in the US charts after a several-decade-long hiatus. The Old Testament figure is considered the founding father of the Jewish nation, whose twelve…
Yada
Hebrew
"he knew"
Anyone who ever saw "Seinfeld" wouldn't be able to resist adding a couple more "yada" 's. Also a bit too close to Yoda.
Yakim
Hebrew
"he will establish"
One of many Hebrew Y names kept alive in Israel and in American religious communities.
Yarden
Hebrew
"to flow down, descend"
The name from which Jordan arose, Yarden has a nice combination of river imagery and a sound connoting a garden. Like Jordan, used for both sexes.
Yaron
Hebrew
"he will sing"
Most modern parents outside Israel would prefer Aaron.
Yehudah
Hebrew
"to praise"
Anglicized as Judah, this name of a biblical patriarch is given symbolically to boys born on Chanukah; a form of it was spotlighted by violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin.
Yitzhak
Hebrew variation of Isaac
Has taken on a musical tone via the great violinist, Itzhak Perlman.
Yonah
Hebrew variation of Jonah
"dove"
This form of the stylish Old Testament name is too close to the feminine Yona.
Yeshaya
Yeshaya is a masculine name with Hebrew origins, serving as a variant of Isaiah (Yesha'yahu in Hebrew). The name means "salvation of God" or "God is salvation," reflecting its deeply religious roots.…
Yanis
Greek, French, from Hebrew
"gift of God"
One of the relatives on the widely-branching family of John names, Yanis is in the French Top 50 and was a fast rising choice in the UK in 2022, when it went from being outside the Top 1000 to within…
Yona
Cherokee or variation of Jonah, Hebrew
"bear; dove"
A name with a double animal connection via two distinct origins, one Native American and the other Hebrew and Biblical. Yona is rare in the US but not unknown: It was given to a dozen baby girls in…
Yonina
Feminine variation of Jonah, Hebrew
"dove"
Unlikely to catch on the way the male original has, though it may appeal to some parents as a more formal version of Nina.
Yael
Hebrew
"ibex"
Yael is an Old Testament name often heard in Israel that could work well here: just remember that it's pronounced with two syllables...it is also spelled Ya'el. In the Bible she was a Kenite woman in…