What to name your new baby is always a complicated and tough decision–especially if you aren’t into gender norms and traditions. Maybe you don’t want to completely stray away from Jewish names and customs. One of the popular baby naming trends right now is using unisex names or boy names for girls (for instance, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan named their daughter Max).
So, we made a list of some of our favorite boy names that could be perfect names for girls, too. (Of course, don’t forget to check out our baby naming guide while you’re at it.)
Here are our choices:
1. Micah. Micah is Hebrew and means “Who is like God,” and Micah was also one of the 12 minor prophets. Seriously, who doesn’t want to be named after a prophet? You can use Mickie as a cute nickname, too.
2. Yona. Yona, which is the Hebrew version of Jonah, means “dove” or “pigeon.” As you may recall, Yona was the hesitant prophet who ran away from delivering a message to the city of Nineveh and was subsequently swallowed by a giant fish–which will make a great story to tell at future cocktail parties. The traditional female version is Yonina, but I honestly love the shorter version better.
3. Ari. Ari means “lion.” Besides the fact that animal names are trending right now, lions represent courage and bravery–definitely a worthy quality for your daughter to be named after. I also love how short and sweet Ari sounds.
3. Ori. Ori, which means “my light,” may also be a wise choice for a girl born around Hanukkah, since it’s the “Festival of Lights.” Orit is the traditional female version, but Ori sounds a lot more modern and spunky.
4. Evyatar. This name means “God is great,” and Evyatar was a priest in the time of King David. Since women can now be rabbis and lead in many religious communities, I find it appropriate to use a name of a notable biblical figure. You can also use Evy for short, which is super sweet.
5. Katriel. Katriel, which can be Kat for short, means “My Crown is God.” With “The Hunger Games” gaining popularity, we’re sure variations of Kat/Cat is going to be an even more popular name in the following years.
6. Billie. Billie can be short for Bilhah (which is actually a female Hebrew name), which means “bashful.” We love the name Billie (which Nosher editor Shannon Sarna recently named her second daughter)–besides that it’s a gender twist, you can also find inspiration from Billie Holiday.
7. Alon. Alon is Hebrew for “oak tree,” which is an appropriate name for a baby girl born around Tu Bishvat, which is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the “Birthday of the Trees.” And really, trees are life. Don’t you want to name your daughter after the most important thing ever?
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
How I Made My Grandmother Proud by Cooking a Bad Brisket
8 Jewish Baby Names for Boys That Will Be Popular This Year
