Couples name their babies after careful consideration and planning. People hold religious ceremonies to mark the arrival of their babies and their names are usually considered after consultation with the parents’ families. Furthermore, historical events and Jewish philosophy are often kept in mind as well.

Jewish couples tend to choose baby names from four broad categories:

• Naming the baby after a close deceased relative
• Acceptable names of Jewish patriarchs
• Hebrew versions of foreign names
• Liking a name just because!

It can be hard to decide a name for your baby, so here’s a list of popular baby names in Israel that you can choose from.

Baby Boy Names

There is a huge list of baby boy names that you can choose from. Here are some top Hebrew names for boys:

• Avi: This Hebrew name means “My father”. Often this is a shortened name from names like Avraham, Aviad, or Aviel.
• Caleb: This is a popular Hebrew name amongst Israeli people, and it means “devotion to God”. Caleb was also a popular biblical character in the book of Numbers and in the book of Joshua.
• Gabriel: This is as traditional as it gets. Gabriel means “God is my strength” and is a classic baby name in Israel.
• Jacob: This is not only a popular name in Israel, but it was in the top 20 most popular names in the United States last year. Jacob was one of the Jewish patriarchs in the Bible.

Noah: Another popular biblical name that means “rest” in Hebrew. The name is first seen in the book of Genesis in the story of the flood

Baby Girl Names

If you’re blessed with a baby girl, there are various Hebrew names you can choose to name your daughter. Here are some of the popular ones:

• Aviva: This is a Hebrew name that was quite popular before and is making a comeback recently. It means “springlike and fresh”
• Abigail: This is an extension of Avi and means “my father is joyful”. You can call your little one Abby as a sweet nickname.
• Daphne: You’d probably heard this name if you’ve watched Scooby-Doo, but it is a popular Hebrew name. It means “laurel leaf.”
• Eve: This is as classic as it can get. The name means “life” and is a popular choice for baby girls.

• Talia: This Hebrew name has a beautiful meaning “gentle dew from God.” A delicate name for your cute little one.

If you want to have a Hebrew name for your child, then learn a little bit of the language to understand the meaning of the names better.

So, if you’re looking to learn Hebrew online,  as a second language then get in touch with us at Ulpan Or. Our intensive courses consist of video dialogues, audio lessons, and vocabulary-building exercises where you can learn Hebrew online with Israeli teachers. Contact us today for more information.