Once again, it’s that time of the year! The Social Security Administration just released the most popular baby names of 2017.
Many of the top names seem very much inspired by today’s celebrity culture, including the number-one girls’ name, Emma, possibly after Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone. Also super popular: Ava, after famous movie director Ava Duvarnay (Selma and A Wrinke in Time) and the top boys’ name, Liam, which, as Time posits, could be after either the One Direction singer Liam Payne, actor Liam Neeson, or actor and extremely good-looking Australian Liam Hemsworth (AKA Thor’s brother and Miley Cyrus’s boyfriend).
I can’t say that there are any big surprises on this list, but as a mom-to-be who is just a few weeks away from her due date, I was definitely surprised to see none of my chosen names high up on the list. Not that there’s anything wrong giving your kid an unpopular (or, rather, unique) name!
Culling the Jewish names from the Social Security Administration’s list, it’s clear that Jewish boys’ names are a lot more popular than Jewish girls’ names, with a lot of them making it into the Top 20.
So without further ado, here are the top Jewish baby names of last year:
Girls’ Names:
1. Ava (#3) is a version of “Eve,” which means “life” in Hebrew.
2. Charlotte (#7), though not strictly Jewish, was a very popular name among Jewish immigrants. It means “free.”
3. Abigail (#10) is a Hebrew name meaning “my father is joy.”
4. Elizabeth (#13) is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my oath.”
5. Ella (#16) means “goddess” in Hebrew.
6. Hannah (#32) is a biblical name. Hannah was the mother of the prophet Samuel.
7. Leah (#40) is a biblical name. Leah was one of the four matriarchs.
Boys’ Names:
1. Noah (#2) is a Hebrew name meaning “comfort.”
2. Benjamin (#6) is a Hebrew name meaning “Son of Right Hand.”
3. Elijah (#8) is a Hebrew name meaning “The Lord is My God.”
4. Jacob (#10) is a Hebrew name meaning “to follow.”
5. Michael (#12) is a Hebrew name meaning “who is like God.”
6. Daniel (#15) is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my judge.”
7. Joseph (#19) is a Hebrew name meaning “increase.”
