Jews all over the world have an extensive history of being interested in scientific fields, from chemistry to marine biology.
Throughout history, Jews have made some of the world’s most famed and important scientific discoveries, including Jonas Salk’s development of the polio vaccine and Carl Sagan’s contributions to the possibilities of extraterrestrial life in outer space.
Albert Einstein, probably one of the most recognized names in science worldwide, was Jewish. Jewish scientific discovery and innovation dates all the way back to the medieval era, when many Jewish scholars were involved in fields such as medicine, astronomy and botany.
Jewish women scientists have often been overlooked and denied credit and fame, but fortunately the tides are turning and incredible Jewish female scientists such as physicist Rosalyn Yalow and geneticist Charlotte Auerbach are finally getting some of the recognition they deserve.
The many scientific fields of study, as well as notable Jewish scientists, can provide some wonderful inspiration for finding the right name for your baby — and who knows, maybe someday your little one will become the next Vera Rubin or Max Born!
Girls’ names:
Aletta: The first Dutch woman to be admitted into a university, Aletta Jacobs was also one of the first Dutch female physicians and fought for women’s rights and birth control.
Alina: A resistance fighter during the Warsaw Uprising, Polish Jewish physician Alina Margolis-Edelman also founded the Doctors of the World organization.
Amalie: The legal name of German Jewish mathematician Emmy Noether, considered one of the most noteworthy contributors of all time to the fields of mathematical physics and abstract algebra.
Faiga: “Bird” in Yiddish, for fans of ornithology.
Inbar: “Amber” in Hebrew, as a nod to the importance of amber in paleontology.
Maxine: For Maxine Singer, an American Jewish groundbreaking molecular biologist and winner of the National Medal of Science.
Nitza: “Flower bud” in Hebrew, a lovely choice for parents who appreciate botany and floriculture.
Rita: To honor Rita Levi-Montalcini, Italian Jewish neurobiologist and Nobel Prize recipient.
Rosalind: For Rosalind Franklin, British Jewish chemist and crystallographer who was fundamental in DNA structure discovery.
Shunit: “Reef” in Hebrew.
Sulamith: Sulamith Goldhaber was a renowned high-energy physicist and molecular spectroscopist and had high expertise in kaons.
Boys’ names:
Adam: “Man,” derived from the Hebrew word adama, meaning earth — making the name a nice option for geoscientists.
Amatus: Honoring Amatus Lusitanus, a 16th century Portuguese Jewish physician who practiced his faith in secret, helped doctor a Pope and was the first to discover the circulation of blood.
Barak: “Lightning” in Hebrew, for those inspired by the science of electricity and weather phenomena.
Baruj: For Nobel Prize-winning Jewish Venezuelan-American immunologist Baruj Benacerraf.
Dagan: “Grain” in Hebrew, a possible name match for an agricultural science name.
Niels: Commemorating Niels Bohr, Danish Jewish theoretical physicist for whom the Bohr model of the atom is named after.
Oliver: In honor of Oliver Sacks, renowned British Jewish neurologist.
Selman: A nod to Selman Waksman, Russian-American biochemist and microbiologist who won the Nobel Prize for his work leading to the discovery of streptomycin.
Shavit: “Comet” in Hebrew, a lovely moniker related to astronomy.
Sidney: For Sidney Altman, Nobel Prize winning Canadian-American molecular biologist.
Tzafrir: “West wind,” for parents seeking a name with meteorological meaning.
Gender neutral names:
Kochav: “Star,” a beautiful Hebrew astronomy gender-neutral option.
Sahar: “Moon,” another gorgeous galactic Hebrew option.
Yam/Yahm: “Sea,” this Hebrew name can represent a love for marine biology.
Zohar: “Light, brilliance,” could be a reference to electricity, the sun’s light or even the brilliance of scientific discovery itself.
