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Jewish Practice Lifecycle Events The Hebrew Name

The Meanings of Specific Jewish Names

Did you ever wonder what your Hebrew name means? Over the years, our Ask the Rabbi team has fielded hundreds of such questions. Here is a sampling of their responses.

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Names; Naming(6)
Parshah(1)
Holocaust(1)
Animals(1)
Tefillin(1)
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Blessing(1)
Joseph(1)
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15 Shevat(1)
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Benjamin(1)
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How Many Jewish Girl Names Mean “Beautiful”?
How Many Jewish Girl Names Mean “Beautiful”?
By Miriam Szokovski
Probably more than you think!
1 Comment
What Does the Name Yael Mean?
What Does the Name Yael Mean?
By Miriam Szokovski
Yael is praised in Deborah’s famous song in the Book of Judges.
2 Comments
What Does the Name Yoni Mean?
What Does the Name Yoni Mean?
By Menachem Posner
The name is most closely associated with the Prophet Jonah, of Jonah-and-the-whale fame.
2 Comments
What Does the Name Tamar Mean?
What Does the Name Tamar Mean?
By Miriam Szokovski
Tamar is a popular Jewish girl’s name meaning “date” or “date palm”—one of the seven special species Israel is renowned for.
13 Comments
Is Bernie a Jewish Name?
Is Bernie a Jewish Name?
By Miriam Szokovski
Why are so many Jewish guys named Bernie?
Is Hymie a Jewish Name?
Is Hymie a Jewish Name?
By Miriam Szokovski
Where did the name come from?
2 Comments
What Does the Name Tzipporah Mean?
What Does the Name Tzipporah Mean?
By Miriam Szokovski
The Midrash explains that just as a bird is admired for its beauty, Tzipporah was admired for her loveliness.
4 Comments
What Does the Name David Mean?
What Does the Name David Mean?
By Miriam Szokovski
Discover the meaning and significance of this Jewish name.
3 Comments
What Does the Name Ilan Mean?
What Does the Name Ilan Mean?
By Miriam Szokovski
Some have suggested that his name would perhaps be most appropriate for a boy born around the holiday of 15 Shevat.
1 Comment
What Does the Name Zohar Mean?
What Does the Name Zohar Mean?
By Mordechai Rubin
The name evokes themes of light, spiritual illumination, and divine brilliance.
What Does the Name Pesach Mean?
What Does the Name Pesach Mean?
By Chabad.org Staff
The name actually has Biblical, non calendrical, roots.
1 Comment
What Does the Name Fruma Mean?
What Does the Name Fruma Mean?
By Miriam Szokovski
Fruma is a Jewish girls’ name, whose meaning is not as straightforward as you might think!
3 Comments
What Does the Name Esther Mean?
What Does the Name Esther Mean?
By Miriam Szokovski
Esther is a popular Jewish name, most closely associated with Queen Esther.
1 Comment
What Does the Name Feivel Mean?
What Does the Name Feivel Mean?
By Miriam Szokovski
3 Comments
Why Is Alexander a Jewish Name?
Why Is Alexander a Jewish Name?
By Yehuda Shurpin
The name Alexander is unique in that its origin is definitely not Jewish.
61 Comments
10 Keys to Understanding Many Ashkenazi Surnames
10 Keys to Understanding Many Ashkenazi Surnames
By Yehuda Altein
Goldstein, Schapiro, Landau, Posner, Isaacs, Schwartz, Weiss, Moskowitz, Goldberg, Rosenberg … the list goes on.
198 Comments
9 Yiddish Names Actually From Greek and Latin
9 Yiddish Names Actually From Greek and Latin
By Menachem Posner
Ashkenaz was birthed in France and has its roots along the Mediterranean, drawing from older Greek and Italian Jewish communities.
51 Comments
12 Jewish Given Names From the Animal Kingdom
12 Jewish Given Names From the Animal Kingdom
Some of the most common Jewish names mean animals, kosher and not kosher…
82 Comments
Deborah Name Meaning
Deborah Name Meaning
By Baruch S. Davidson
Devorah is Hebrew for “bee.” It’s also the name of two great women mentioned in the Torah.
49 Comments
What Does the Name Shaindel Mean?
What Does the Name Shaindel Mean?
The Jewish names of Yafah and Shaina
By Chana Raizel Zaklikowski
Shaindel is derived from the Yiddish word “shain” (in German, “schön”), which means “beautiful.” The equivalent name in Hebrew is Yafah.
5 Comments
What Does the Name Hadassah Mean?
What Does the Name Hadassah Mean?
By Chana Raizel Zaklikowski
The female Jewish name Hadassah is biblical, and was one of the names of Queen Esther, the heroine of the biblical story of Purim . . .
44 Comments
What Does the Name Jonah Mean?
What Does the Name Jonah Mean?
The Jewish names of Yonah and Toibah
By Chana Raizel Zaklikowski
The name Jonah, or in Hebrew, Yonah, means “dove.” It is the name of a biblical prophet.
1 Comment
What Does the Name Rebecca Mean?
What Does the Name Rebecca Mean?
By Baruch S. Davidson
22 Comments
Where Does the Yiddish Name Chasha Come From?
By Baruch S. Davidson
What Does the Name Pessy Mean?
By Baruch S. Davidson
21 Comments
What Does the Name Reuben Mean?
By Baruch S. Davidson
8 Comments
What Does Shalom Mean?
What Does Shalom Mean?
By Chani Benjaminson
Shalom means peace, and is rooted in the word (shaleim), which means completion. Without peace, there can be no completion.
22 Comments
Where Does the Name Baila Come From?
By Baruch S. Davidson
18 Comments
What Does the Name Talia Mean?
By Malkie Janowski
12 Comments
Where Does the Name Getzel Come From?
By Baruch S. Davidson
9 Comments
What Does the Name Abigail Mean?
By Chana Raizel Zaklikowski
The Jewish name Abigail is comprised of the two Hebrew words “avi” and “gil,” which translate respectively as “father” and “happiness.” Together, it translates as “father of happiness.”
6 Comments
Where Does the Jewish name Masha Come From?
By Menachem Posner
7 Comments
What Does the Jewish Name Shoshanah Mean?
What Does the Jewish Name Shoshanah Mean?
By Miriam Szokovski
Shoshanah is a popular Jewish girl’s name whose meaning is a Biblical flower.
37 Comments
Why Is Simcha Bunim a Common Combination?
By Baruch S. Davidson
1 Comment
What Does Abba Mean?
Learn the meaning and significance of this Jewish name.
What Does the Jewish Name Alter Mean?
Learn the meaning and significance of this Jewish name.
What Does the Name Asher Mean?
Learn the meaning and significance of this Jewish name.
What Does the Name Baruch Mean?
Learn the meaning and significance of this Jewish name.
What Does the Name Benjamin Mean?
Learn the meaning and significance of this Jewish name.
3 Comments
What Does the Name Chaim (Chayim) Mean?
Learn the meaning and significance of this Jewish name.
1 Comment
What Does the Name Dan Mean?
Learn the meaning and significance of this Jewish name.
What Does the Name Daniel Mean?
Learn the meaning and significance of this Jewish name.
What Does the Name Elchanan Mean?
Learn the meaning and significance of this Jewish name.
What Does the Jewish Last Name Shapiro mean?
What Does the Jewish Last Name Shapiro mean?
By Menachem Posner
Discover the history and significance of this famous Jewish surname.
6 Comments
What Does the Jewish Last Name Rapoport Mean?
What Does the Jewish Last Name Rapoport Mean?
By Menachem Posner
Learn the meaning and significance of this famous Jewish surname.
10 Comments
What Does the Jewish Last Name Epstein Mean?
What Does the Jewish Last Name Epstein Mean?
By Menachem Posner
Learn the meaning and significance of this famous Jewish surname.
1 Comment
What Does the Jewish Last Name Jaffe Mean?
What Does the Jewish Last Name Jaffe Mean?
By Menachem Posner
Learn the meaning and significance of this famous Jewish surname.
What Does the Jewish Last Name Horowitz Mean?
What Does the Jewish Last Name Horowitz Mean?
By Menachem Posner
Learn the meaning and significance of this famous Jewish surname.
20 Comments
Why Is Gordon a Jewish Last Name?
Why Is Gordon a Jewish Last Name?
By Menachem Posner
Gordon, Jewish or Scottish? Given name or surname? Find out!
29 Comments
What Does Kaplan Mean?
What Does Kaplan Mean?
By Menachem Posner
Are the Kaplans priests? Are they all one family? And where did the name come from?
8 Comments
What Does the Jewish Last Name Bitton Mean?
What Does the Jewish Last Name Bitton Mean?
By Menachem Posner
This name is fairly common among Jews of North African descent. What does it mean?
3 Comments
What Does the Jewish Last Name Azoulay Mean?
What Does the Jewish Last Name Azoulay Mean?
By Menachem Posner
The surname Azoulay is common among Jews of North African descent. Where did this name originate?
34 Comments
What Does the Jewish Last Name Cohen Mean?
What Does the Jewish Last Name Cohen Mean?
By Menachem Posner
The name Cohen is common among both Sephardim and Ashkenazim, making it one of the most widespread Jewish names of all time.
5 Comments
What Does the Last Name Levy Mean?
What Does the Last Name Levy Mean?
By Menachem Posner
This name is the second most popular family name in Israel, belonging to approximately 1.2 percent of the population.
3 Comments
What Does the Last Name Schreiber Mean?
What Does the Last Name Schreiber Mean?
By Menachem Posner
The last name Schreiber may be a hint that its bearer descends from a sofer, a skilled scribe tasked with the sacred duty of writing Torah scrolls, mezuzahs, and tefillin.
What Does the Last Name Landau Mean?
What Does the Last Name Landau Mean?
By Menachem Posner
8 Comments
What Do Kfir and Ariel Mean?
The Meaning of the Names of the Bibas Boys
3 Comments
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