Let’s face it: Grandparents are among the coolest people on the planet. And if you’re interested in honoring your elders in a Jewish way, we we rounded up the most popular Jewish baby names of the 1920s.
We took a look at the Social Security Administration’s official list of the 200 most popular names of the decade that’s known as the Jazz Age.
From this list, we rounded up some of the most popular Jewish names — and honestly, they’re clearly favorites for a reason. And if you’re in need of more inspiration, don’t forget to check out our baby naming guide and our breakdown traditional Jewish baby naming practices.
Boys
1. Joseph. Joseph is a Hebrew boy’s name that means “increase.” Joseph was one of the sons of Jacob and a leader of the Israelites in Egypt.
2. Harold. Harold is a non-Jewish name that was popular among Jewish people. It is Scandinavian and means “army ruler.” Hal or Harry are fun nicknames.
3. David. David is a Hebrew boy’s name that means “beloved.” David was the second king of Israel.
4. Daniel. Daniel means “God is my judge” in Hebrew.
5. Samuel. Samuel is a Hebrew name meaning “God has heard.” Samuel the prophet anointed the first two kings of Israel.
Girls
6. Ruth. Ruth is a Hebrew name that means “friendship.” Ruth is the heroine of the Book of Ruth, who cares for Naomi, marries Boaz, and becomes an ancestor of King David.
7. Elizabeth. Elizabeth means “God is my oath” in Hebrew.
8. Barbara. Barbara is a girl’s name that means “stranger.” While it’s not a Hebrew name, it was popular among Jewish immigrants who came to the U.S.
9. Martha/Matya. Martha is an Aramaic name that means “the lady.” Matya is a similar sounding name in Hebrew that means “God’s gift.”
10. Edna. Edna is Hebrew meaning “pleasure.” The Garden of Eden is the setting for the creation story.
11. Esther. Esther is a Hebrew girls name meaning “star.” Queen Esther was the Jewish wife of the King of Persia, and heroine who saved the Jews in the Purim story.
12. Sarah/Sara. Sarah is a Hebrew name meaning “princess.” In the Bible, Sarah, the first matriarch, was the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac.
13. Eva. Eva, or Chava, the Hebrew name of Eve, is the first woman God created.
14. Charlotte. Charlotte is a non-Jewish name many Jewish immigrants used. It means “free.”
15. Ella. Ella means “goddess” in Hebrew.
16. Bessie. Bessie is also an old-school nickname (which should make a comeback!) for Elizabeth. Elizabeth means “God is my oath” in Hebrew.
17. Alma. Alma is a Hebrew name meaning “young woman.” It’s also the name of our sister site, Alma.
18. Rachel. Rachel is a Hebrew name meaning “ewe.” In the Bible, Rachel, one of the matriarchs, was the wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
Image: Flickr
