What to name your baby is always a huge topic of debate–some days, you may be feeling especially into traditional names, while the next, you might want something more modern. Trends, of course, come and go with the times.
However, we decided to round up some of our favorite Jewish names of celebrities that we don’t think will ever go out of style (and really, that’s debatable anyway). Of course, don’t forget to check out our baby naming guide while you’re at it in order to get more inspiration.
Here are some Jewish celebrity names we really like:
1. Alma. Alma is the name of Gal Gadot‘s daughter, whom she talks about here. (And, um, we also have a sister site called Alma.) It’s a Hebrew name that means “young woman.”
2. Gal. Gal is, of course, Gal Gadot’s name. Gal is typically used as a man’s name in Hebrew, which means “wave,” but clearly, that doesn’t have to be the case. It can be short for Galit, for instance, which also means “wave.”
3. Idan. Idan is a boy’s Hebrew name that means “era.” And it just so happens that Idan Raichel is a popular Israeli singer. If you’ve never listened to him, check out one of his songs below:
4. Matisyahu. Matisyahu is a Hebrew boy’s name that means “gift of God.” Besides being a biblical name (as Mattathias the Priest was the leader and father of the Maccabees, who defeated the Assyrians in the story of Hanukkah), it is also a celebrity name, as Matisyahu is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae musician.
5. Ofra. Ofra is female Hebrew name that means “gazelle.” Since Zooey Deschanel gave her daughter Otter as a middle name, we’re thinking animal names could be a new trend. Besides that, Ofra Haza was a popular Israeli singer of Yeminite heritage. Her most famous song is “Im Nin’Alu,” which you can listen to below:
6. Omri. Omri is a Hebrew boy’s name meaning “sheaf of grain.” Omri Casspi is also the first Israeli to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). For any of you basketball fans, you can watch Casspi winning here:
6. Aleph. Aleph is the name of Natalie Portman‘s first son, which is also the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
7. Amalia. Speaking of Portman, she named her second child and daughter Amalia, which is Hebrew meaning “work of God.”
8. Mayim. Clearly, Mayim Bialik is the most famous Mayim (and our favorite). It’s a Hebrew name meaning “water.”
9. Debra. Debra/Deborah is a popular name to begin with, but we can’t forget Debra Messing, who stole our hearts in “Will & Grace” or Debbie Reynolds for being Debbie Reynolds. Deborah means “bee” and was a judge of Israel.
10. Rachel. Rachel Bloom, hello?! 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.
11. Judith/Judy. Judy Blume, of course, is probably the most influential Judy for many women. Judith means “praised” in Hebrew. In the Book of Judith, set in the concluding years of the First Temple (destroyed in 586 BCE), Judith saves the inhabitants of a besieged fortress. Yehudit is the feminine version of Yehuda.
Check out our baby name guide for more Jewish names.
Read More:
6 Jewish Baby Names for Girls You’re About to See More of This Year
Don’t Worry—All The Other Moms Are Faking It Too
8 Jewish Baby Names for Boys That Will Be Popular This Year
