Alter אַלטער, אלתר m YiddishFrom 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.
Ber בער, בֶר m YiddishMeans
"bear" in Yiddish, a vernacular form of
Dov.
Beylke ביילקע 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.
Fishel פֿישל m YiddishMeans
"little fish" in Yiddish, a diminutive of
פֿיש (fish) meaning "fish".
Fruma פֿרומאַ, פֿרומע f YiddishFrom Yiddish
פֿרום (frum) meaning
"pious". This is the name of a character (appearing as a ghost) in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Golda גאָלדאַ, גאָלדע, גּוֹלְדָּה f YiddishFrom 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).
Hershel הירשל m American, YiddishYiddish 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 הירש m YiddishMeans
"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).
Hodel האָדל f Yiddish (Rare)Diminutive of
Hode. This is the name of Tevye's second daughter in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on late 19th-century stories by Sholem Aleichem.
Lazer לייזער m YiddishYiddish variant of
Eliezer. This is the name of a character in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Leib לייב m YiddishMeans
"lion" in Yiddish, from Old High German
lewo. This is a vernacular form of
Arieh.
Mendel מענדל, מֶנְדְל m YiddishOriginally this was probably a Yiddish diminutive of
Manno. It is now used as a diminutive of
Menahem.
Shprintze שפּרינצע f Yiddish (Rare)Possibly a Yiddish form of
Esperanza. This is the name of Tevye's fourth daughter in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on the late 19th-century Yiddish stories of Sholem Aleichem.
Tevye טבֿיה m Yiddish (Rare)Yiddish form of
Tobiah. This is the name of the central character in stories written by the Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem in the late 19th century, as well as the later musical adaptation
Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Tzeitel צייטל f Yiddish (Rare)Yiddish diminutive of
Sarah. This is the name of Tevye's oldest daughter in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on Sholem Aleichem's stories from the late 19th century.
Yente יענטע, יענטאַ 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".
Zelig זעליג, זעליק, זליג m YiddishMeans
"blessed, happy" in Yiddish, a vernacular form of
Asher.