Hebrew School Girls

Luxurious and distinctive, with a biblical bacground--although in the Good Book,Adalia is a male.

Adira is one of those rare names that's both little-used and simple, and crosses languages easily. Pronounced ah-DEER-ah, Adira is given to only a handful of girls in the US each year and could make a worthy substitute for such overexposed favorites as Ava and Ariana.

A soft and lovely Hebrew name with an equally lovely meaning. Variations include Ahavah, Ahaba, Ahabah, Ahuva and Ahuvah.

This shimmery name, often given to girls born on the harvest feast of Shavuot, and also used in the Muslim community, is increasing in popularity. Amira is of Hebrew and Arabic origin, meaning "princess", and fits in well with a variety of trending names like Amara, Amaya, and Mira. Amira is in the Top 100 in several countries, including Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, and Hungary. In the US, Amira entered the Top 1000 in 1998 and has been rising since, now in the Top 250. Overall Amira is a gorgeous multicultural choice.

This pretty palindrome name is rarely heard in the US, but could make an interesting namesake for an aunt or grandma Ann. It's also a German diminutive form of Anna.

This variation of Ariel, with the extra-feminine suffix, has been on the rise in recent years and has now surpassed the original. The similarity to the name of the Little Mermaid gives Ariella a princessy flair. Ariella entered the charts in 2008, and has now risen into the Top 200. The cute nickname Ari is on trend as seen with the popularity of Ariana and Arianna, as are any girl names ending in "-ella", making Ariella a natural hit. Arabella is another name with the best of both of these trends.

Pronounced as-TAIR-ah, this is one of many frequently heard Israeli flower names. Other floral choices popular in Israel include Dafna, which means laurel; Dailia; Irit, which means daffodil; and Vered, which means rose.

Ayelet is an unusual -- and somewhat challenging -- Israeli name familiar thanks to sometimes controversial Jerusalem-born novelist-essayist Ayelet Waldman.

Bright, fresh, and sunny, Ayla is a fashionable choice for girls. Reminiscent of other trending names such as Layla, Isla, and Ava, Ayla has recently found its place in the Top 100.

Though this is a popular name for men in the Bible, today it's used with this spelling for nearly equal numbers of girls and boys. The Azaria variation is much more often given to girls.

With Katya catching on, this sound-related name could too, though there is the Batgirl association. Basha, Basya, Batyah, Bitya, Peshe, Pessel (Yiddish).

The Biblical form of Eve. English speakers may find the forms Ava or Eve easier in everyday life, but Chava is a lovely variation for a family that speaks Hebrew or Yiddish.

A life-affirming choice—just beware pronunciation issues among the goyim in your neighborhood.

Similar in sound to the flower name Dahlia, this gentle but distinctive name, heard in many cultures, hits that Golden Mean between too popular and too unusual. In Lithuanian mythology, Dalia is a goddess of weaving and of fate.

Both a biblical and an Israeli place-name, this can be used as an offbeat substitute for Deborah.