Hebrew Girl Names and Meanings
There are typically two main reasons someone is looking for a list of Hebrew girl names. You might be pregnant, mulling over the difficult decision of what to name your child, and would like to give your baby girl a Hebrew name. There are so many beautiful Hebrew names to choose from. Or, perhaps you have already named your daughter, but are looking to choose a Hebrew name for her too. Just as baby boys have a bris at eight days old, it has become common practice to have a B’rit Bat or a B’rit Chayim, a ceremony celebrating the birth of a baby girl and her entry into the covenant of the Jewish people. Namings for girls can be done at any time, although they are typically done in the first few weeks of the girl’s life.
Why are Jewish girls given Hebrew names?
A Hebrew name is used at life cycle events throughout a Jewish person’s life. Two of the most prominent times a Hebrew name for girls is used is at her Bat Mitzvah and wedding. During a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, the boy or girl is called up to the Torah for the first time by his or her Hebrew name. At a Jewish wedding, the couple signs their Hebrew names on the Ketubah, the Jewish marriage contract.
How is a Hebrew names chosen?
Many times a Hebrew name is chosen to honor a deceased family member. If you would like to recognize a person in that way, it is common to pick the girl’s Hebrew name from names beginning with the first letter of the name of the person you are honoring. That is why I have categorized these female names in Hebrew by the first letter.
A Jewish girl can also have a Hebrew name based on her given name. Be inspired by your English name and select a Hebrew name based on the initial letter or sound of it.
There is also no rule where you have to choose a name based on some personal connection. If there is Hebrew girl name that is really calling out to you, then that name is the right one for you. And you don’t need to select just one name. It is very common to choose two or possibly even three.
Psst: If you are looking for Hebrew names for boys, I got you covered with another long list of names and meanings.
Hebrew Names for Girls
A
| Adi | Meaning: jewel or ornament | עֲדִי |
| Adina | Meaning: delicate or gentle | עֲדִינָה |
| Adva | Meaning: small wave, ripple | אַדְוָה |
| Aliza | Meaning: merry or cheerful | עַלִּיזָה |
| Alona | Meaning: oak tree | אַלּוֹנָה |
| Anat | Meaning: answer | עַנָת |
| Anna | Meaning: to answer (lit.); gracious | עָנָה |
| Ariel/Ariela | Meaning: lioness | אֲרִיאֵלָה |
| Avigail/Abigail | Meaning: father’s joy | אֲבִיגַיִל |
| Aviva | Meaning: spring | אֲבִיבָה |
| Ayelet | Meaning: deer | אַיֶלֶת |
B
| Bar | Meaning: grain, corn | בַּר |
| Batya | Meaning: daughter of God | בַּתְיָה |
CH
| Chen | Meaning: charm, grace, beauty | חֵן |
D
| Dafna | Meaning: laurel | דַּפְנָה |
| Dalia/Dalya | Meaning: branch | דָּליָּה |
| Dana/Danit | Meaning: to judge | דָּנָה |
| Daniela | Meaning: God is my judge | דָּנִיֵּאלָה |
| Deborah/Devorah | Meaning: bee | דְּבוֹרָה |
| Dikla | Meaning: palm tree | דִּקְלָה |
| Dina/Dena | Meaning: judgement | דִּינָה |
| Dor/Dorit | Meaning: generation | דּוֹרִית |
E
| Eden | Meaning: pleasure | עֵדֶן |
| Efrat | Meaning: fruitful (related) | אֶפְרָת |
| Einat | Meaning: fountain | עֵינַת |
| Elana/Ilana | Meaning: oak tree | אִילָנָה |
| Eli/Ellie | Meaning: my god | אֵלִי |
| Elisheva | Meaning: pledged to God | אֱלִישֶׁבַע |
| Esti (Esther) | The heroine in the Book of Esther. | אֶסְתֵר |
G
| Gal/Galit | Meaning: wave | גַּל |
| Gili | Meaning: my joy | גִילִי |
H
| Hadar | Meaning: glory | הָדָר |
| Hadas/Hadassah | Meaning: myrtle | הֲדַס |
| Hannah/Hana | Meaning: gracious | חַנָה |
| Harel | Meaning: mountain of God | הַרְאֵל |
| Hila | Meaning: praise | הִלָּה |
| Hodaya | Meaning: thanking God | הוֹדָיָה |
I
| Idit | Meaning: choicest, best | עִדִּית |
| Ifat (Yifat) | Meaning: splendor | יִפְעַת |
| Ilana | Meaning: oak tree | אִילָנָה |
| Inbar | Meaning: amber | עִנְבָּר |
| Irit | Meaning: daffodil | עִירִית |
K
| Karin/Keren | Meaning: ray of light | קֶרֶן |
| Kineret | Meaning: sea of galilee | כִּנֶּרֶת |
L
| Leah | Meaning: delicate | לֵאָה |
| Levana | Meaning: the moon | לְבָנָה |
| Liat | Meaning: you are for me | לִיאַת |
| Lila/Lilah/Leila | Meaning: night | לַיְלָה |
| Limor | Meaning: myrrh (resin) | לִימוֹר |
| Linoy | Meaning: my beauty | לִינוֹי |
| Lior/Leor/Liora | Meaning: light | לִיאוֹר |
| Lital | Meaning: my dew | לִיטַל |
M
| Maayan | Meaning: spring of water | מַעֲיָן |
| Malka | Meaning: queen | מַלְכָּה |
| Maya | Meaning: spring | מַאיָה |
| Mayim | Meaning: water | מָיִּם |
| Meirav | Meaning: abundant | מֵרַב |
| Michal | Meaning: who is like God | מִיכַל |
| Miri or Miriam | Meaning: rising water | מִרְיָם |
| Mor/Moran/Morin | Meaning: myrrh | מוֹר |
N
| Naama/Naomi | Meaning: pleasant | נַעֲמָה |
| Neta | Meaning: plant | נֶטַע |
| Noa | Meaning: movement | נֹעָה |
| Nurit/Nirit | Meaning: flower | נוּרִית |
O
| Or/Ora | Meaning: light | אוֹר |
| Orel | Meaning: light of God | אוֹרְאֵל |
| Orit | Meaning: light | אוֹרִית |
| Orly/Orli | Meaning: my light | אוֹרְלִי |
| Orna | Meaning: pine tree | אָרְנָה |
| Ortal | Meaning: morning dew | אוֹרְטַל |
P
| Penina/Pnina | Meaning: pearl | פְּנִנָּה |
R
| Rachel | One of the four matriarchs | רָחֵל |
| Reut | Meaning: friendship | רְעוּת |
| Revital | Meaning: full of dew | רְוִיטַל |
| Rivka (Rebecca) | One of the four matriarchs | רִבְקָה |
| Ronit | Meaning: joyful song | רוֹנִית |
| Rotem | Meaning: desert plant | רֹתֶם |
S
| Sapir/Sapira | Meaning: Sapphire | סַפִירָה |
| Sara/Sarah/Sari/Sarit | One of the four matriarchs | שָׂרָה |
| Sigal/Sigalit | Meaning: Violet | סִיגָלִית |
| Sivan | Meaning: 9th month in the Jewish calendar | סִיוָן |
SH
| Shani/Shana | Meaning: year, lily | שָׁנִי |
| Sharon/Sharona | Meaning: a place in Israel | שָׁרוֹנָה |
| Shayna | Meaning: beautiful | שֵׁײנָא |
| Shir/Shira | Meaning: song | שִׁירָה |
| Shosh/Shoshana | Meaning: rose | שׁוֹשַׁנָּה |
| Shuli/Shuly/Shulamit | Meaning: peaceful | שׁוּלַמִּית |
T
| Tal/Tali/Talia | Meaning: dew | טַל |
| Tamar | Meaning: date, palm tree | תָּמָר |
| Tehila | Meaning: praise | תְּהִלָּה |
| Tohar | Meaning: pure | טֹהַר |
| Tova | Meaning: good | טוֹבָה |
TZ/TS
| Tsipi/Tzipora/Tziporrah | Meaning: bird | צִפּוֹרָה |
V
| Vered | Meaning: rose | וֶרֶד |
Y
| Yaara | Meaning: ? | יַעֲרָה |
| Yael | Meaning: doe, to ascend | יָעֵל |
| Yaffa/Yafit/Yifat | Meaning: beautiful | יָפָה |
| Yocheved | Meaning: God’s glory | יוֹכֶבֶד |
Z
| Zahava | Meaning: gold | זֶהָבָה |
Did you enjoy the post on Hebrew girl names? There are more posts filled with Hebrew content on the BMA blog!