We’re officially halfway done with 2017, meaning that it’s time to start taking stock of the year’s biggest baby names–and we’ve figured out which Jewish names are the popular baby names, according to Nameberry’s list.
It seems that Jewish baby names for girls are on the decline, while names for boys seem to be on the rise–although we can’t say why this is. Asher, for instance, is the top baby name for boys, whereas Charlotte makes the top three (although Charlotte is technically not a Jewish-only name–but a name many immigrant families used in the ’20s.)
Check out the top 10 lists for both boys and girls. (Check out our Jewish baby name bank here for more inspiration.)
Girls
1. Charlotte (#3). Charlotte is a popular name popularized by immigrants because it means “free,” though it’s not strictly Jewish.
2. Ava (#6). Ava means “life” in Hebrew.
3. Elizabeth (#18). Elizabeth is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my oath.”
4. Sadie (#32). Sadie is a nickname for Elizabeth, which is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my oath.”
5. Lila (#44). Lila is a Hebrew name meaning “night.”
6. Molly (#83). Molly was often used by Jewish immigrants who came to America around the 1920’s.
7. Abigail (#95). Abigail is a Hebrew name meaning “my father is joy.” In the Bible, Avigail becomes one of King David’s wives.
8. Zara (#87). Zara is a Hebrew name meaning “princess.”
9. Evie (#94). Chava, which is Eve in English, is the Hebrew name of Eve, the first woman God created. Evie is a variation of Eve.
10. Ellie (#74). Ellie is a nickname for Elizabeth, which is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my oath.”
Boys
1. Asher (#1). Asher means “happy” in Hebrew, and was the eighth son of Jacob, so one of 12 tribes of Israel.
2. Ezra (#4). Ezra means “help” in Hebrew, and was a scribe and leader of the people of Israel returning from Babylonian exile.
3. Matthew (#12). Matthew means “gift of god” in Hebrew. Mattathias the Priest was the leader and father of the Maccabees, who defeated the Assyrians in the story of Hanukkah.
4. Levi (#18). Levi is a boys name that means “attached” in Hebrew. Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
5. Thomas (#19). Thomas is Aramaic for “twin.”
6. Benjamin (#23). Benjamin is a Hebrew name meaning, “Son of Right Hand.”
7. Zachary (#28). Zachary means “memory of God.” Zechariya was a prophet of the people Israel.
8. Ethan (#30). Ethan means “strong” or “enduring” in Hebrew–traits you’d want any child to have.
9. Elijah (#31). Elijah means “the Lord is my God” in Hebrew, and was one of the most famous prophets in the bible.
10. Jude (#42). Judah means “praised” in Hebrew. Yehuda, one of Jacob’s sons, is one of the 12 tribes of Israel. Hanukkah: The hero of the Hanukkah story is Judah the Maccabee.
