​
​
Advanced Search

Jewish Boy Names

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Fri Jan 24 2025
Jewish Boy Names

Jewish names for boys are a multifaceted bunch, comprising of Hebrew names like Jonah and Gabriel; Yiddish choices popular in Hasidic communities, such as Moishe and Usher; and boy names with non-Jewish roots that are nonetheless disproportionately popular among Reform families, like Charlie and Emmett.

Jewish boy names popular in Israel include David, Lavi, Yosef, Raphael, and Ariel. The most common names for Jewish boys in the US include Ezra, Asher, Benjamin, Levi, and Samuel, although these are not exclusively used by Jewish families.

There are hundreds of unique Jewish boy names worth considering, such as the traditional Omri and Lazarus, nicknames Alvie and Nev, and modern gender-neutral Shai and Ezri.

If you’re looking for a name that will connect your son to his Jewish heritage, start here by searching our comprehensive list of Jewish boy names, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

RELATED:

Boy Names

Jewish Names

Hebrew Boy Names

Yiddish Names

  1. Theodore

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"

    • Description:

      As unlikely as it may seem, Theodore is a hot new hit name, vaulting into the Top 10 in 2021 for the first time ever and rising three more points last year to rank at Number 7.
  2. Silas

    • Origin:

      Aramaic, Latin, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "of the forest; or prayed for"

    • Description:

      Sleek and smart, with a hint of mystique about it, Silas is a recent addition to the US Top 100. Both mythological and Biblical in origin, Silas joins the ranks of Isaiah, Atlas, Elias, and Sebastian: polished and contemporary feeling names with plenty of history.
  3. Felix

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "happy, fortunate"

    • Description:

      Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.
  4. Jude

    • Origin:

      Latin diminutive of Judah, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "praised"

    • Description:

      Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity, in the US at least. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
  5. Asher

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "fortunate, blessed, happy one"

    • Description:

      Asher—an excellent, soft and sensitive Old Testament choice—is a baby boy name on the rise, and is a Nameberry biblical favorite.
  6. Ezra

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "help"

    • Description:

      Ezra has a lot going for it: the strength of its heroic Biblical legacy, its quirky sound, and its fresh but familiar feel. Ezra is now at its highest point ever, but its intuitive streamlined spelling and deep roots could make it a worth successor to Elijah in the Top 10 -- or even to Liam or Noah at Number 1.
  7. Liam

    • Origin:

      Irish short form of William

    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"

    • Description:

      Liam is the top boys' name in the US, holding the Number 1 spot for the past seven years and also ranking as one of the most popular boys' names around the western world.
  8. Leo

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "lion"

    • Description:

      Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
  9. Miles

    • Origin:

      English form of Milo, Latin and Old German,"soldier or merciful"

    • Meaning:

      "soldier or merciful"

    • Description:

      Miles, which has a permanent veneer of cool thanks to jazz great Miles Davis, is a confident and polished boys' name that's an American classic. Always ranking in the US Top 1000, it's been drifting up the charts for the past half century and now ranks at its highest point ever, in the Top 50.
  10. Otto

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "wealthy"

    • Description:

      Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.
  11. Noah

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "rest, repose"

    • Description:

      Noah is nearly a patriarch of popular baby names at this point, going from Old Testament graybeard to Top 10 name in 2009, hitting Number 1 in 2013, and now settled into second place in the US for the past seven years.
  12. Elias

    • Origin:

      Greek variation of Elijah, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "Yahweh is God"

    • Description:

      Strong, charismatic, and sleek, Elias has followed in the footsteps of Elijah and Eli to become a popular choice among parents today.
  13. Caleb

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "dog; whole heart"

    • Description:

      Caleb is an attractive Old Testament name that has been in the US Top 100 for nearly three decades now. Consistently popular but never too popular, Caleb feels more like a classic than a momentary trend.
  14. Alexander

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "defending men"

    • Description:

      Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.
  15. Emmett

    • Origin:

      English masculine variation of Emma, German

    • Meaning:

      "universal"

    • Description:

      Emmett, honest and sincere, laid-back and creative, is on the rise as a male cognate of the megapopular Emma and Emily, not to mention being a character in the popular Twilight series.
  16. Levi

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "joined, attached"

    • Description:

      Levi, lighter and more energetic than most biblical names, with its up vowel ending, combines Old Testament gravitas with the casual flair associated with Levi Strauss jeans.
  17. Jack

    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of John

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular boy names starting with J.
  18. Ethan

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "strong, firm"

    • Description:

      Ethan is a name that succeeds in being at once classic and fashionable, serious and cheery, strong and sensitive. Given a big boost via the name of the Tom Cruise character in the Mission Impossible film series, Ethan has fallen from its peak at Number 2 in 2009 and 2010, but is still popular in the US along with several other countries.
  19. Leon

    • Origin:

      Greek variation of Leo

    • Meaning:

      "lion"

    • Description:

      Currently overshadowed by the bright and lively Leo, Leon feels a slightly more serious, more quietly confident than its short and trending counterpart.
  20. Elijah

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "Yahweh is God"

    • Description:

      The Top 10 boys' name Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements ’el and yah, both of which refer to God. In the Old Testament, Elijah was the prophet who went to heaven in a chariot of fire, a story sure to inspire any young Elijah.