Jewish (Ashkenazi) Origin Names

This is a list of names in which the origin is Jewish (Ashkenazi).
gender
usage
origin
Alte 1 f Yiddish (Rare)
Feminine form of Alter.
Alter m Yiddish
From Yiddish אַלט (alt) meaning "old". This name was traditionally given to a sickly newborn by Jewish parents in order to confuse the Angel of Death, in the hopes that he would go looking for somebody younger or somebody else.
Baila f Yiddish
Variant of Beyle.
Ber m Yiddish
Means "bear" in Yiddish, a vernacular form of Dov.
Beyle f Yiddish (Rare)
From a Slavic word meaning "white".
Beylke f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Beyle. This is the name of a daughter of Tevye in late 19th-century Yiddish stories by Sholem Aleichem, on which the musical Fiddler on the Roof was based.
Bluma f Yiddish
From Yiddish בלום (blum) meaning "flower".
Breindel f Yiddish (Rare)
Means "brunette" in Yiddish.
Charna f Yiddish (Rare)
From a Slavic word meaning "black".
Eidel f Yiddish (Rare)
Means "delicate" in Yiddish.
Faiga f Yiddish
Variant of Faigel.
Faigel f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish פֿויגל (foigl) meaning "bird", a vernacular form of Zipporah.
Feige f Yiddish
Variant of Faigel.
Fishel m Yiddish
Means "little fish" in Yiddish, a diminutive of פֿיש (fish) meaning "fish".
Freyde f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish פֿרייד (freid) meaning "joy".
Fruma f Yiddish
From Yiddish פֿרום (frum) meaning "pious". This is the name of a character (appearing as a ghost) in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Gittel f Yiddish
From Yiddish גוט (gut) meaning "good".
Glika f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish גליק (glik) meaning "luck".
Glukel f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Glika.
Golda f Yiddish
From Yiddish גאָלד (gold) meaning "gold". This is the name of Tevye's wife in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964). It was also borne by the Israeli prime minister Golda Meir (1898-1978).
Goldie 2 f Yiddish
Variant of Golda.
Hersh m Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish הירש (see Hirsh).
Hershel m American, Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh. As a non-Jewish American name (somewhat common around the end of the 19th century), it was likely inspired by the German surname Herschel, borne for instance by the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822).
Hirsh m Yiddish
Means "deer" in Yiddish, from Old High German hiruz. This was a vernacular form of the Hebrew name Tzvi. The deer is particularly associated with the tribe of Naphtali (see Genesis 49:21).
Hirshel m Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh.
Kreine f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish קרוין (kroin) meaning "crown".
Leeba f Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish ליבאַ (see Liba).
Leib m Yiddish
Means "lion" in Yiddish, from Old High German lewo. This is a vernacular form of Arieh.
Liba f Yiddish
From Yiddish ליבע (libe) meaning "love".
Lieber m Yiddish
From Yiddish ליבע (libe) meaning "love".
Perle f French, Yiddish
French and Yiddish cognate of Pearl. It is also used as a Yiddish vernacular form of Margalit.
Raisa 2 f Yiddish
From Yiddish רויז (roiz) meaning "rose".
Raisel f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Raisa 2.
Rayna 2 f Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish ריינאַ (see Reina 2).
Reina 2 f Yiddish
Derived from Yiddish ריין (rein) meaning "clean, pure".
Shaina f Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish שיינאַ (see Shayna).
Shana 2 f Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish שיינאַ (see Shayna).
Shayna f Yiddish
From Yiddish שיין (shein) meaning "beautiful".
Shaynah f Yiddish (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Yiddish שיינאַ (see Shayna).
Toiba f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish טויב (toib) meaning "dove".
Velvel m Yiddish (Rare)
Means "little wolf" in Yiddish, a diminutive of װאָלףֿ (volf) meaning "wolf". This is a vernacular form of Zeev.
Velvela f Yiddish (Rare)
Feminine form of Velvel.
Yente f Yiddish (Rare)
From French gentille meaning "noble, aristocratic". This is the name of a gossipy matchmaker in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on late 19th-century stories by Sholem Aleichem. Due to the character, this name has also acquired the meaning "gossiper".
Yentl f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Yente.
Zelda 1 f Yiddish
Possibly a feminine form of Zelig.
Zelde f Yiddish (Rare)
Possibly a feminine form of Zelig.
Zelig m Yiddish
Means "blessed, happy" in Yiddish, a vernacular form of Asher.
Zisel f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish זיס (zis) meaning "sweet".
Zusa f Yiddish (Rare)
Means "sweet" in Yiddish.
Zusman m Yiddish (Rare)
Means "sweet man" in Yiddish.