It’s that time of year–you know, the one where Nameberry ranks the most popular baby names of the first half of 2016. The site already averaged about 40 million hits to its name pages in the first half of this year, which means they know quite a bit about current trends.
As we’ve noticed ourselves, Jewish baby names seem to be hitting the top spots over the past year. Here are the top 10 Jewish baby names for girls and boys (and you can see the entire list of 100 most popular baby names at Nameberry here):
Girls:
1. Charlotte. Charlotte, while not of Jewish origins, was largely used by Jewish immigrants when emigrating to the U.S. The name itself means “free man” or “petite.” Personally, I love all the nicknames, like Lottie, Lola, and Charlie. Charlotte got the #3 spot for girls.
2. Ava. Ava is a female name that means “life” in Hebrew. How can you not love this name? Ava got the #4 spot for girls.
3. Sadie. It’s a nickname for Sarah (meaning “princess”), a name made famous by the biblical wife of Abraham, also the mother of Isaac, made #35. It’s hard not to love this modern twist to Sarah.
4. Elizabeth. Elizabeth, which means “God is my oath,” was lucky #13. It’s such a great name, because there are so many options for nicknames, like Beth, Liz, Lizzy, Eliza, Elle, and more. Eliza made #175.
5. Abigail. Abigail was a popular Jewish name in 2015, and is officially ranked at #7. You could also opt for Avigail (the Hebrew version which means “My father is joy”). You can use Avi for short, which is fun and cool.
Boys:
6. Ezra. Ezra means “help” in Hebrew, and was a scribe and leader of the people of Israel returning from Babylonian exile. The name got the #1 spot for boys.
7. Asher. Asher means “happy” in Hebrew, and was the eighth son of Jacob, so one of 12 tribes of Israel. Happiness is a pretty good thing to name your kid after–the name earned the #2 spot for boys.
8. Levi. Levi is a boys name that means “attached” in Hebrew. Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and one of the 12 tribes of Israel. Pretty cool, right? The name earned the #8 spot on the list for boys.
9. Elijah. Elijah means “the Lord is my God” in Hebrew, and was one of the most famous prophets in the bible, and made the #11 spot.
10. Ethan. Ethan, which is #12, means “strong” or “enduring” in Hebrew–which are traits you’d want any child to have.
Check out our baby name guide for more Jewish names.
Read More:
6 Jewish Baby Names for Girls You’re About to See More of This Year
This Is What It’s Like Working at an Adoption Agency
8 Jewish Baby Names for Boys That Will Be Popular This Year
