What makes a name a Jewish name?

Well, like the history of Judaism and the Jewish community itself, the answer to that question is kinda long and complicated. But we’ll try to keep it short. 

A Jewish name has some connection to the Jewish people — whether through its root language, meaning or historical usage.

Hebrew names are Jewish names, of course — but so are those that stem from Yiddish, Ladino and Biblical English. There are Russian names that are Jewish names because of their popularity in Russian-Jewish communities. There are names from other countries that were widely adopted by Jewish American immigrants at the turn of the century. There are Mizrahi, Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish names. There are so. many. names. 

Assets via Canva

Our goal with Kveller’s Jewish Baby Name Bank is to provide the most comprehensive database of Jewish names out there, in an easy-to-navigate design that helps you filter, sort and search for what you’re looking for — whether that be a first or middle name for a baby on the way, a Hebrew name that pairs well with your child’s English name, a way to mark your conversion to Judaism or simply the perfect name for your extremely Jewish cat. 

This project was done in partnership with Hebrew Union College’s Jewish Language Project to ensure the utmost accuracy for the names and definitions found within. We extend our sincerest thanks for their wealth of information and research.

We know that choosing a name is a daunting task, and we hope our Jewish Baby Name Bank makes the process a whole lot easier — and maybe even fun. Happy naming!