We’re winding down the High Holidays, it’s cool enough outside to wear a sweater and the grocery store shelves are stocked with pumpkin spice everything. You know what that means: It’s time to curl up with a cup of tea and watch “Gilmore Girls.” In honor of one of our favorite fall traditions (which is technically a Jewish text, as it was written by Jewish TV maven Amy Sherman-Palladino), we put together a list of Jewish baby names with “Gilmore Girls” vibes.
Girls’ names
Delilah: Our head canon: If Lorelai hadn’t named Rory after herself (in the Sephardic tradition, of course), she would have gone with Delilah, a bold, controversial Biblical woman. The name may have a connection to a Hebrew root that means “delicate,” but it screams strong, chutzpah-filled spitfire to us.
Leora: If there were a fourth Gilmore Girl, sonically Leora would fit right in, right? Emily, Lorelai, Rory, Leora. The name, which means “my light” in Hebrew, is also one of the fastest rising girl’s names in the U.S.
Romi: Currently surging in popularity, the Hebrew name Romi means “my exaltation.” Doesn’t she feel like she would fit right in at Chilton? Romi would absolutely work at the Franklin and get screamed at a lot by Paris. Keep your chin up, Romi, things will get better!
Sadie: It’s a popular name in general now, but Sadie was a common nickname for turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrants named Sarah. As for the “Gilmore Girls” connection, Stars Hollow feels like it’s missing a Sadie. Like if the town had a pie shop, the owner would be Sadie. Her pies would be carried at Luke’s, but he would have a long running issue with the flakiness of their crust.
Sookie: Yes, you can argue that Sookie is a Jewish name — it was originally a nickname for Susannah, which is the anglicized version of the Hebrew Shoshana, which means “rose or lily.” You might not win that argument, but the argument itself would be really, really Jewish.
Yael: This Hebrew name, meaning “ibex,” will always get misspelled as Yale. Trust us. So consider it an ode to Rory’s alma mater. (But also, Yael was a Biblical badass who drove a tent peg into a man’s head, a story that feels like a Lorelai monologue waiting to happen.)
Boys’ names
Dean: Traditionally, Dean is an English name with Latin roots, but if you’re looking for a quietly Jewish name, there’s a Hebrew connection to the word din, which means “judgment.” (And we can all agree we were judging Rory and Dean at certain points in their relationship.)
Gil: Gil is, famously, the first syllable of Gilmore. But if you need more to base your baby name decision on (weird), it’s also a modern Hebrew name that means “exuberant happiness” — which is how we feel when we hear the opening notes of the “Gilmore Girls” theme, “If You Lead” by Carole King. On the show, Gil is one of Lane Kim’s bandmates (he replaces Adam Brody’s character) who can do a pretty great rendition of “Hava Nagila.”
Jesse: The English form of the Hebrew Yishai, who was the father of King David, Jesse might have been the full name of Jess, Luke’s nephew and one of Rory’s boyfriends on “Gilmore Girls.” The name means “God’s gift,” which you could say fits the way the Team Jess faction of fans feels about the character.
Max: In the show, Max is Rory’s high school English teacher — and almost her stepdad. In Jewish American culture, many Jewish immigrants named Moshe adopted Max when they arrived in the U.S.
Reuben: Does Luke’s diner serve a reuben? They should. Reuben isn’t just a sandwich, though — it’s the English equivalent of the Hebrew Reuven, the firstborn son of Jacob. In Hebrew it literally means “behold, a son,” which is perhaps what one might shout if any of the Gilmore Girls ever had a boy.
Vidal: We can picture this man in all aspects of “Gilmore Girls” — a broody brainiac Rory meets at Yale, a quirky salon owner who opens up shop in Stars Hollow, a rival harpist to Alex Borstein’s Drella. This Ladino name means “alive.”
You don’t need a baby on the way to love a good name! Sign up for Kveller’s Baby Name of the Day newsletter — a new Jewish name every day, with its meaning, origin, and the story behind it.
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