Expecting a baby? Can’t find a resource with the types of names that you’d consider? We’ve compiled the best Jewish/Hebrew baby name guide. This one is for girls (and the boys list will be coming up soon!).
Note that this list includes the actual names that your baby would be called at the Torah. It does not include English names. We’ve also included the common nicknames for each name, when relevant, in parentheses. Each name is listed alphabetically according to its most common spelling.
A Guide to the Symbols After Some Names:
*Biblical names are those that come from a specific woman in Tanach. We’ve noted those with the star symbol. Most of these names are commonly used by both Ashkenazim and Sepharadim.
+All Yiddish names are denoted with a plus sign symbol.
^ Names in the Sephardic mesorah are denoted with the arrow. Note that many of these names are also commonly used among Ashkenazim (some are more common among Ashkenazim than Sepharadim). Aside from the Biblical names, these are names found in the back of many Sephardic siddurim.
Some interesting name facts:
*The Gemara in Brachos says that one should not name after a rasha.
*The Dvrei Chaim says that the name of child can only be chosen by two people: either the parents or the rebbe. Grandparents or other relatives have no say.
*It says in Sefer Chasidim that when parents fight over a name of a child it can harm the child.
*The Emrei Pinchas says that a ה in a girls name is a segula for having children as it says in Parshas Mikeitz ה לך זרע.
*We found this article from Aish.com on naming a child very interesting.
*Why are there so many Yiddish names with funny meanings? We learned that this is because in Europe, the streets were not clean, and people did not want to call their children by names which included Hashem’s name. So, they called them by Yiddish equivalents. Tzipporah was called Faige, for example. That’s why a lot of Yiddish names also have Hebrew counterparts.
Don’t see a name that you know or love? Add it in comments below.
A
Aidel+ / Adele^ (Nicknames: Aidy, Idy)
Ada*
Adina^
Adira
Ahuva^ (Nickname: Huvi/Huva)
Aliya
Aliza^ (Nickname: Lizi)
Amalya/Amelia
Anael
Anat
Ariella / Arielle
Asnat/Osnat*
Atara
Aura/Ora^
Avigail* (Nickname: Abby, Gali)
Aviva^ (Nickname: Viva, Vivi)
Ayala (Nickname: Yali, Ayali)
Ayelet
B
Baila+
Basya/Batya* (Nickname: Bassie)
Batsheva* (Nicknames: Shevy, Sheva)
Bella
Bina
Bluma/Blima+
Bracha^
C
Chana* (Nicknames: Chany/Chani/Chanie)
Charna+ (Nickname: Charny)
Chava* (Nicknames: Chavie/ Chavy/Chavi/Eve/Eva/Ava)
Chaviva
Chaya^ (Nickname: Chayala)
Chedva
Chein
D
Dahlia/Dalia
Daphne
Devorah/Devora* (Nicknames: Devoiry/Debbie)
Dina*
Daniela/Danielle
Duba+ (Nickname: Dubby)
E
Edna
Efrat
Elana (see Ilana)
Eliana
Elisheva* (Nicknames: Shevy, Sheva)
Elka+ (Nickname: Elky)
Ella+
Emunah
Esther* (Nicknames: Esty/Estee/Esti/Teri/Terry)
Etta/Ettel+
F
Faigy/Faigel/Faiga+
Frieda/Fraidel+ (Nickname: Fraidy/Freidy)
Frieda^
Fruma/Frumie/Frommet+
G
Gabrielle
Gila^
Golda/Goldy/Goldie+
Gita/Gittel+ (Nickname: Gitty)
H
Hadassah* (Nicknames: Dassy/Dassie)
Hadas
Henya/Henna+ (Nickname: Henny)
Hinda/Hindel+ (Hindy)
Hodaya
I
Ilana (Spelling Variations: Elana, Alana)
Ita (Spelling Variations: Itta)
K
Kaila+ (Nickname: Kaily)
Krassel+ (Nickname: Krassie)
L
Leah* (Nickname: Laykie, Layala, Lele)
Levana^
Liba/Leeba+ (Nickname: Libby)
Liora/Leora^
M
Malka^ (Nickname: Malky)
Michal*
Malia (Nickname: Molly)
Margalit
Masha
Mattel+ (Nickname: Matty)
Maya
Mazal^
Meira^
Menucha
Merav
Mina+
Mindel+ (Nickname: Mindy)
Mirel+ (Nickname: Miri)
Miriam* (Nicknames: Miri, Mimi)
Mushka (Nickname: Mushky)
Musya (Nickname: Mussy)
N
Naava^
Naomi* (Nickname: Nomi)
Nechama^
Neema/Naama^
Noa
O
Odelya
Orit/Ora/Orly
P
Perli+
Perl/Pearl+ (Nickname: Perri)
Pessel+ (Nickname: Pessy)
Penina* (Nickname: Nina)
R
Raylie/Reylie+
Riva/Reva
Rivka* (Nickname: Rivky, Riki/Rikki)
Rina/Rena^
Raizel/Roiza+ (Nickname: Raizy, Roizy, Rosie, Rose)
Raitzy+
Rachel* (Nickname: Ruchy, Rochie, Rachelli)
Ronit
Ruchama^
Ruth/Rus* (Nickname: Ruthie, Ruti, Russy)
S
Sarah/Sara* (Nickname: Suri, Sary, Sari, Sarit)
Serach*
Shaina+
Shaindel+ (Nickname: Shaindy)
Shalva
Sharon^
Shifra* (Nickname: Shiffy)
Shira^ (Nickname: Shiri)
Shoshana^ (Nickname: Shani, Shana, Shoshi)
Shulamis/Shulamit^ (Nickname: Shuly)
Sima+ (Simi)
Simchah^
Sophia/Tzofia^
Sterna+
T
Tamar* (Nickname: Tammy)
Talia/Tali
Tehilla/Tehillah^
Tikva
Tirzah*
Toiba+ (Nickname: Toby)
Tova^
Trani+
Tzipporah* (Nickname: Tzippy, Pori)
Tzivia/Tzivi*
Tzirel+ (Nickname: Tziri)
V
Vered
Y
Yachet+ (Nickname: Yachy)
Yael*
Yakira
Yaffa^
Yehudis/Yehudit* (Nickname: Hudis, Hudit, Yidis)
Yentel/ Yenta+ (Nickname: Yenny, Yenty)
Yiscah
Yitta+ (Nickname: Yitty)
Yocheved*
Yonah^
Z
Zelda+ (Nickname: Zeldy)
Zahava/Zehava^
Zissel+ (Nickname: Zissy)
Zlota+ (Nickname: Zlati/ Zlaty)
Sima (simi)
Shalva
Orah/Orit
Hinda (Hindy)
Hella
Thank you! Added
Why is my name not on the list? I know lots of people with the same name.
Added it. Thanks
Yitty? Plenty names not on the list….
Added it! Thanks to all of you, we’re completing it!
I know/have heard of:
Yemima
Orital
Limor
Elior/Eliora
Etana
Yarden/Yardena
Tikvah
..as well.
Hi, just wondering if anyone is familiar with the name Tzila/Sila, and where it originates from?
I know someone with the name Tzila, but don’t know where it comes from.
Tzila is a Biblical name – she was one of the wives of Lemech (father of Noach’s wife, Naama)
Temima
Great list!
What about Itta?
Added it! Thanks
Rikkel nickname Rikki
Some of these names have no biblical/Jewish significance, what is the difference between a name like that and a completely non Jewish name? I always wondered what the criteria was…
Missing a couple of names:
Gella
Chashi
Krasi
Vichna
We weren’t sure if to put names that are only given if you have a family name with that name. Otherwise, these aren’t common.
Breindy.. Kraindy..
Hendy
Great list! I have a 3-month-old named Naama, and when we researched it we learned that it is actually a biblical name – Naama was the mother of the king Rechavam.
Naama was also the wife of Noach 🙂
What about:
Pori- nickname for tzipora
Shiri- nickname for Shira
Tziri- nickname for tzirl
Orly
Thanks! Added them
Nina, very common in Syrian circles!
Nina is a nickname for Penina. it’s on the list.
Basha (nickname Bashie)
Ashira
Moriya
Milka (Milkie)
Minka (Minky)
Rechel (Rechie)
Hendel (Hendy)
Yes! Ashira! When I was pregnant with my daughter (I didn’t know I was having a girl) I was at a shabbos meal with a young lady named Ashira. I thought her name was so pretty and asked her if she was named after anyone. She answered, “no, my parents wanted to sing praise to Hashem when they had me, so they called me Ashira”. I knew then and there that if I had a girl I would name her Ashira. And I did! What better name than one that says “I will sing praise to Hashem!”
Was doubly cool that two weeks after my Ashira was born it was Parshas Shiras Hayam — so we made her kiddush that shabbos and celebrated our little princess, singing to Hashem as all of Klal Yisroel sang to Hashem by Krias Yam Suf!
Lifsha
Genesha
Genendy
Tzurty
Livia
Henchy
Henchy
Vital
Malka is Sephardi?
Ariella
Atara
Genendel
Hencha
Brenda
Breina
Brany
Brandy
Brantzy
Nadine? I was always told my Hebrew or Yiddish name is “Elke”. Which is it?
Avital. It’s a biblical name, one of David Hamelech’s wives. That’s what we named our daughter 🙂
It means “my Father is like Dew” – just like dew falls each day and nourishes the ground, Hashem provides us with our needs each day.
No. The arrow does not mean it’s Sephardi. It just means that Sephardim have a mesorah for the name. We wrote above that many of the names with the arrow are also common (and often even more common) among Ashkenazim.
Avishag ( biblical – Avishag Hashunamis)
This name is popular in israel.
Tzuriel nickname Suri since the tz sound is pronounced with an s by many sephardim
necha nickname nechi ( Yiddish Name) I see is not included
Thanks
Please create this list for boys as well! Thanks!!
Osnas/osnat
Nitpicking but Noa should have a * (one of the bnos tzelafchad).
Also: Milka, Raaya, Rasha, Draizel, Tema, Tamara,
Can one really open the “book of names “ and choose what they like? I always thought the minhag is to give after deceased family member or tzaddik
Hila/heila
What about hudis I also know plenty of genendi’s (genendel)
Hessy
hi, just wondering if you have a resource for where these names come from? (specifically the yiddish ones)?
The ones marked that are from Tanach or Sefardi siddur have a source. Yiddish are usually passed down.
Why are there so many Yiddish names with funny meanings? We learned that this is because in Europe, the streets were not clean, and people did not want to call their children by names which included Hashem’s name. So, they called them by Yiddish equivalents. Tzipporah was called Faige, for example. That’s why a lot of Yiddish names also have Hebrew counterparts.
Very interesting information! Can you provide a source for this?
Faige for Tzipporah is actually not a good example. We looked into these names when it came up with one of our kids. The word Tzipor is a bird and Faige is a bird, but there is no nekeiva version of Tzipor. It is Tzipor for male and for female birds despite many animals having a female counterpart. Therefore Tzipora is not a female bird, it’s just a name found in the Torah (Moshe’s wife) and Faige does not translate to Tziporah. However yes, there are many names in which this is true like Shoshana- Raizel, Zehava – Golda and many others.
What about Machla?
Love this list! My daughter is Hadassah Shalva, but we call her shalvi (not sure how common that is, but could be nickname for Shalva).
My daughter is called Aurelia – like light to H’. I’ve also seen it spelled Orelia/Oreliya.
Hila/ heila
You forgot the name bruiria
Also, A lot of the names listed are not accepted as names by Rav Chaim kanievsky
Hudis nickname hudy -it’s not the same as yehudis it’s separate name
Chaya Lifshy
Chaya Gitty
Chaya Faigela
Rochel Perel
Does anyone know of a sefer/book with more information on where names come from, and what they mean?
Tema/Temi
Noa is a biblical name. One of the 5 daughters pf tzilofchad
Nessya
Meital!! please ad it to the list and pirchei hebrew version of shoshana