Allegra

אלגרה

• Gender: Female
• Origin: Ladino
• Meaning: happiness

• Allegra comes from the Ladino and Italian word "allegro," meaning cheerful or lively, a term most people recognize from its use in classical music as a tempo marking. It has been a favorite name among Sephardic Jewish families for generations, carrying the warmth and expressiveness of the Ladino-speaking world. The musical connection gives it an inherent sense of rhythm and grace that sets it apart from other happiness-themed names.

  Novelist Allegra Goodman — whose National Book Award-nominated 'Kaaterskill Falls' offered a luminous portrait of Orthodox Jewish summer life in the Catskills — has made this Ladino name a literary one, too. Built-in joy and sophistication give Allegra the kind of energy that makes it stand out in any room. It bridges Sephardic heritage with an Italian musicality that feels elegant and alive. A name with its own tempo — bright, confident, and impossible not to smile when you hear it.

• Alternate Spellings: Alegra
• Potential Sibling Name:
  Palomba
  ,
  Perla
  ,
  Amado
  ,
  Benvenuto
• Theme: happiness