Yaffa

The Hebrew equivalent to the Yiddish Shayna, Yaffa is derived from the word yafe meaning "beautiful". Also written as Yafa, it is used as both a given name for girls and more generally as last name.

Familiar in Israel and chosen for a handful of girls in the US most years, it is also used in Palestine to remember the city of Jaffa (also called Yāfā Yāfō, and Japho), which became part of Israel after 1948 Palestine War when much of its Arab population were expelled or fled. Bisan and Jenin have been used in similar ways.

If it is used in reference to the city of Jaffa, its meaning may alter slightly. Some sources suggest it was named for one of Noah's sons, Japheth, giving it the meaning "expansion", while others link it to the Greek Cassiopeia meaning "cassia juice", or to Antiopa) meaning "confronting".

Pronounced YAH-fuh.

As of October 2026, Yaffa ranked #5548 in US births in 2025 SSA.