Shalom! Naming your child is one of the most crucial decisions you will be making on their behalf. So you have to be extremely mindful while selecting a name for them. Why don’t you take some inspiration from the Holy Land itself? Israeli names are so common that you may not even have noticed that some of the most popular names today are Hebrew.
When choosing names for their children, Israelis focus on both the meaning and sound of the name. This is the primary reason that despite being a highly westernized country, Israeli parents stick with Hebrew names for their babies. Another thing we’ve noticed is that Israelis like short names. Their names are rarely over two syllables and are often gender neutral.
There are several differences in the naming convention within different Jewish communities residing in Israel. Secular or modern Israelis do not give middle names, while it’s a must in religious Jewish families. The moderate ones choose a modern first name and a traditional middle name, often after a relative.
To give you a taste of traditional and contemporary Israeli name, MomJunction has compiled a list of Israeli baby names with meanings. While some of these are common in Israel, these can be quite distinctive and unique for a child growing up in the UK or the US.
NAMES | MEANING | GENDER | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adam | Man, earth | Boy | |||
Adele | A short form of adelaide | Girl | |||
Ariel | Lion of God | Boy | |||
Avigayil | One who is a happy father and provides joy | Girl | |||
Daniel | A Prophet | Boy | |||
David | A beloved friend | Boy | |||
Eitan | One who is steady and very bold | Boy | |||
Joseph | Hebrew - Yahweh will add; God will Multiply; Derived from the element 'yacaph' meaning to add, to increase | Boy | |||
Lia | A weary mistress or ruler | Girl | |||
Miriam | Hebrew - Sea of Bitternes; Rebelliousness; Wished for child; To swell; A variant form of Mary | Girl | |||
Muhammad | Praiseworthy | Boy | |||
Noa | Undertaking or wave program or indication. | Unisex | |||
Noam | Loveliness or satisfaction. | Unisex | |||
Omer | Talker, successful, long-term, growing, blooming | Boy | |||
Sara | Princess | Girl | |||
Shira | Song | Girl | |||
Talia | Dew from heaven | Girl | |||
Tamar | A name that means date palm tree | Girl | |||
Uri | God is my light | Boy | |||
Yael | Mountain goat | Boy | |||
Abidan | My father is judge | Boy | |||
Achima | He will establish | Girl | |||
Ahiram | Brother of the exalted | Boy | |||
Alatan | Strength, a strong one | Boy | |||
Alitza | Joy | Girl | |||
Allonia | Oak tree | Girl | |||
Amarya | The word God | Boy | |||
Ammi | My people | Boy | |||
Ammital | He who is truthful | Boy | |||
Anani | Cloud | Boy | |||
Anath | The answer | Girl | |||
Anshil | A blessed and happy soul. | Boy | |||
Arles | Pledge | Boy | |||
Ataret | Someone who is being crowned | Boy | |||
Avimelech | My father is king | Boy | |||
Avishag | My father strays | Girl | |||
Ayalon | Deer or gazelle | Boy | |||
Ayelet | A gazelle | Girl | |||
Azareel | Help of God | Boy | |||
Azaziah | Strength of Yahweh | Boy | |||
Azrail | The Angel of Death | Boy | |||
Bat-Tseeyon | Daughter of Zion | Girl | |||
Bathshua | Variant of Bathsheba. | Girl | |||
Ben-Aryeh | Son of the lion | Boy | |||
Ben-Tziyon | Son of Zion | Boy | |||
Beriah | Beriah means "calamity" or "misfortune" in Hebrew.Beryiah or beriah means healthy, sound, fit, well, hale, lusty, bonny; stout, robust; wholesome, nutritious, healthful, hearty (laugh) Beriah can refer to several different Biblical figures. Beriah can be | Boy | |||
Berura | She who is pure. | Girl | |||
Bethuel | Man of God | Boy | |||
Bladen | knife | Boy | |||
Chagai | Festive | Boy | |||