Jewish Names

Although she declared her independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I--Good Queen Bess, Bess now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy.

Though this name is used for both boys and girls in Israel, in the U.S. it sounds decidedly masculine, with Zohara the feminine form. Has a futuristic macho feel.

A wonderful Yiddish diminutive of Sarah, most familiar to Americans as the name of Tevye’s eldest daughter in Joseph Stein’s Fiddler on the Roof.

Strongly associated with the city of Tel Aviv. For girls, may be lengthened to Aviva; for boys, might be better abbreviated to Avi.

Kelilah, also spelled Kelila, is a lovely and unusual name that would make a perfect substitute for the trendy Delilah.

Often stands alone in Israel, but rarely here.

The currently preferred replacement for Becky, sometimes used on its own.

Hila is a name that has grown in popularity in recent years, placing it firmly within Israel's Top 20 for girls. It is sometimes written as Hilla or Hilah. In Pashto, it means "hope" and is also spelled Heela.

Tobiah is the original Hebrew form of the better known Greek Tobias, to which it could make a distinctive alternative. With its ah ending, Tobiah fits in with other stylish Biblical names today, from Noah to Isaiah to Josiah and Zachariah. And of course, Toby is an adorable nickname.

Short and strong multicultural option for a son. Nev Schulman (born Yaniv) is the creator of the MTV series Catfish.

Many Americans will misunderstand it as Maya, but Maayan (also stylized as Ma'ayan) is a popular Israeli name used for both sexes.

The original form of the Hebrew Meyer.

Short and slight, with great potential now that names like Ava, Ida and Orla are popular. Ora Beach is a tourist destination on Seram Island, Indonesia.

Idan is a Hebrew unisex place-name rarely heard in this country.

For jet-setting parents or those with many cultural backgrounds, a name that is workable across various languages is often a priority. Natan is a great option, as it is a familiar name in many European countries. It is currently most popular in Poland but seeing significant use in Israel as well.

Sources say that Bina, which is close to the word for bee in Yiddish, was once used as a translation for the Hebrew Deborah, which means bee. On its own, it also means "understanding" in Hebrew. Simple and sweet in itself, it could also be short for (or a nod to) many names including Sabina, Robina, Columbina, and Jacobina.

Nuri might be a nickname for the place name Nuria, popular in Spain and Portugal as a honorific for the Virgin Mary. Nuri is also a usually-masculine name heard in the Middle East, but to the Western ear it might work for girls or boys.

Despite being one of the rare boy names that mean life, Chaim barely survived early Jewish immigration, being watered down to Hyman and Hymie. Today, the original seems like the most promising form of the name, familiar thanks to bestselling author Chaim Potok.