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Yiddish Names

Yiddish baby names came close to being extinct at one point, but now are undergoing a revival along with the Yiddish language and a fashion for vintage names with personal meanings. Jewish parents may want to honor an ancestor with a Yiddish name or simply find names for a son or daughter that honor the Yiddish language as a component of their Jewish heritage.

Browse all of our website's Yiddish names, originally brought to the US a century or more ago by Ashkenazic Jews immigrating from Germany and Eastern Europe, on the complete roster here. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.

Vilja

Meaning: grain, will, fairy

Origin:Finnish, Swedish, Slavic
3649
Chrysanthemum

Meaning: gold flower

Origin:Greek
1927
Honor

Meaning: honor

Origin:English word and virtue name
2934
Omaira

Meaning: long life; red

Origin:Arabic
1813
Grania

Meaning: grain of corn

Origin:Irish, variation of Grainne (gran-ya)
4135
Sorrel

Meaning: reddish brown

Origin:Botanical name and French
4689
Arista

Meaning: the best; ear of corn

Origin:Greek or Latin
1906
Ottavia

Meaning: eight

Origin:Italian, variation of Latin Octavia
3269
Zea

Meaning: grain

Origin:Latin
2817
Laurel

Meaning: laurel tree

Origin:Latin
606
Raven The meaning of Raven is 'blackbird' or 'crow...
Origin:Word and animal name
568
Leaf This name has its roots in Scandinavian orig...
Origin:Nature name
1499
Theresa

Meaning: to harvest

Origin:English form of the Spanish Teresa
468
Octavius

Meaning: eighth

Origin:Latin
656
Forrest

Meaning: dweller near the woods

Origin:English
361
Scorpio

Meaning: scorpion

Origin:Latin
2064
Lugh The name Lugh is a name that originates in W...
Origin:Irish mythology name
2941
Roux

Meaning: russet

Origin:French from Latin
791
Russell

Meaning: redhead, fox-colored

Origin:French
384
Crispin

Meaning: curly-haired

Origin:Latin
680