Hebrew and Jewish Baby Names, Meanings and Origins
Hebrew is the language many Jewish names come from, but the two terms are not interchangeable: a Hebrew name is any name with Hebrew linguistic roots, while a Jewish name can also come from other Jewish languages like Yiddish, or be a modern secular Israeli name with no religious weight at all. Many names that feel entirely familiar in English, such as David, Noah, and Michael, are Hebrew in origin, used widely by Jews, Christians, and secular families alike.
Jewish naming traditions
How a Jewish family chooses a name often depends on which broader tradition they follow. Ashkenazi Jews, whose ancestry traces to Central and Eastern Europe, traditionally name a child after a relative who has died, treating it as an act of honor and remembrance. Sephardic Jews, whose ancestry traces to Spain, Portugal, and the wider Mediterranean and Middle East, traditionally do the opposite, naming a child after a living relative, most often a grandparent, a source confirmed by organizations including Chabad and JewishGen.
Hebrew and Jewish names for girls
- Miriam (an ancient Hebrew name of disputed exact meaning, commonly linked to bitterness or to the sea)
- Naomi (from a Hebrew root meaning pleasantness)
- Talia (commonly read as meaning dew from God)
- Ayala (from the Hebrew word for a deer or gazelle)
- Shira (from the Hebrew word for song)
- Yael (from the Hebrew word for a mountain goat, or ibex)
- Rachel (from the Hebrew word for a ewe)
- Leah (of disputed exact meaning, commonly linked to weariness or, in an alternate reading, to a gazelle)
- Rebecca (from a Hebrew root commonly read as meaning to bind or captivating)
- Deborah (from the Hebrew word for bee)
- Hannah (from a Hebrew root meaning grace or favor)
- Sarah (Hebrew, meaning princess)
- Abigail (Hebrew, commonly read as meaning “my father’s joy”)
- Tamar (from the Hebrew word for date palm)
- Dina (Hebrew, commonly read as meaning judged or vindicated)
- Elisheva (Hebrew, meaning “God is my oath,” the root of the name Elizabeth)
- Zohar (Hebrew, meaning light or radiance)
- Liora (Hebrew, commonly read as meaning “my light”)
Browse girl names by letter
Namelyra’s general girl-name pages, if a specific letter doesn’t have Hebrew or Jewish names covered here:
Hebrew and Jewish names for boys
- Ariel (Hebrew, meaning lion of God)
- Ethan (from the Hebrew Eitan, meaning strong or enduring)
- Noam (Hebrew, meaning pleasantness or delight)
- Uriel (Hebrew, meaning God is my light)
- Asher (Hebrew, meaning happy or blessed)
- Gideon (Hebrew, commonly read as meaning hewer, in the sense of a mighty warrior)
- Daniel (Hebrew, meaning “God is my judge”)
- Benjamin (Hebrew, meaning “son of the right hand”)
- Jonathan (Hebrew, meaning “the LORD has given”)
- Elijah (Hebrew, meaning “my God is the LORD”)
- Isaac (Hebrew, commonly read as meaning “he will laugh”)
- Jacob (Hebrew, commonly read as meaning “heel” or “supplanter”)
- Ezra (Hebrew, meaning help)
- Nathan (Hebrew, meaning “he gave”)
- Gabriel (Hebrew, meaning “God is my strength”)
- Aaron (Hebrew, of disputed exact meaning, variously linked to “high mountain” or “exalted”)
- Reuben (Hebrew, commonly read as meaning “behold, a son”)
- Amos (Hebrew, commonly read as meaning “burden” or “carried”)
Browse boy names by letter
Namelyra’s general boy-name pages, if a specific letter doesn’t have Hebrew or Jewish names covered here:
Jewish surnames
Some Jewish surnames trace back to inherited religious roles rather than an occupation or place. Cohen and its variants point to descent from the Kohanim, the priestly line, and Levi points to descent from the Levites, the tribe historically responsible for Temple service. Many other Ashkenazi Jewish surnames are German or Yiddish in origin and occupational or descriptive, a pattern that goes back to 18th and 19th century laws in parts of the Austro-Hungarian, German, and Russian empires that required Jewish families, who had not previously used fixed hereditary surnames in the same way, to formally register one.
- Cohen (denotes descent from the Kohanim, the Jewish priestly line)
- Levi (denotes descent from the Levites)
- Katz (a Hebrew acronym for “Kohen Tzedek,” meaning righteous priest, and itself a marker of Kohanim descent)
- Goldberg (German/Yiddish, literally meaning gold mountain)
- Rosenberg (German/Yiddish, literally meaning rose mountain)
- Schwartz (German/Yiddish, meaning black, historically a descriptive surname)
Having a separate Hebrew name
Many Jewish people outside Israel are given two names at birth: an everyday name used in daily life, and a separate Hebrew name used specifically in religious contexts, such as being called to the Torah, a wedding ceremony, or a Jewish legal document. The Hebrew name is often chosen to honor a relative in line with Ashkenazi or Sephardic custom, and it does not have to sound anything like the person’s everyday name.
Familiar names that are actually Hebrew
A large number of widely used English names are Hebrew biblical names at their root. David comes from a Hebrew word meaning beloved. Noah is commonly read as meaning rest or comfort. Michael means “who is like God.” Samuel is commonly read as meaning God has heard. For a fuller list of names drawn specifically from the Bible, see Namelyra’s Biblical Girl Names and Biblical Boy Names pages.
Quick facts
| Naming traditions | Ashkenazi: name after a deceased relative. Sephardic: name after a living relative. |
| Common surname origins | Priestly/tribal descent (Cohen, Levi) or German/Yiddish occupational and descriptive terms |
| Dual naming | Many diaspora Jews use a separate Hebrew name for religious occasions alongside an everyday name |
| Note | Hebrew, Jewish, Yiddish, and Israeli naming are related but distinct categories, not interchangeable terms |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Hebrew name and a Jewish name?
A Hebrew name has roots in the Hebrew language specifically. A Jewish name is a broader category that can include Hebrew names, but also names from Yiddish or modern secular Israeli Hebrew, and is defined by who uses the name rather than its exact linguistic origin.
How are Hebrew names traditionally chosen?
It commonly depends on family background. Ashkenazi Jewish families traditionally name a child after a relative who has died, while Sephardic Jewish families traditionally name a child after a living relative, most often a grandparent.
What is my Hebrew name?
Many Jewish people outside Israel are given a separate Hebrew name at birth, distinct from their everyday name, used specifically in religious settings such as a Torah reading or a wedding ceremony. If you were not given one, it is usually chosen with a rabbi, often to honor a family member.
What is the most common Jewish last name?
Cohen and Levi are among the most recognizable Jewish surnames because they denote ancestral religious roles, the Kohanim priestly line and the Levite tribe, rather than being common simply by chance.
What was Jesus’s name in Hebrew?
Jesus’s original name was Yeshua, a Hebrew name meaning “the LORD saves” or salvation, reflecting his Jewish background and the Hebrew-speaking world he lived in.