You might expect the term “Jewish names” to be a very specific set of appellations but it’s actually a very diverse field of names. Jewish names include names of Hebrew and Yiddish origin, of course, but also biblical names and even gentile names that were/are popular among those in the Jewish community. A recent report by the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion’s Jewish Language Project, cited by the baby name database, Nameberry, has revealed for the first time the most popular Jewish names in the US from 1950 until today.
It was very hard to know prior to this study because the Social Security Administration does not collect demographic information on baby names except for the sex of the babies at birth. The survey was conducted by polling over 11,000 American Jewish families about the names of their family members. The report is broken down by decade and you can discover what Jewish names have been popular in the US below.
The Most Popular Jewish Baby Names in the 1950s
Susan was the most popular name among Jewish baby girls born in the 1950s. This is amazing considering the appellation has no Jewish roots or ties (Susannah, however, does come from a Hebrew root). The wish to assimilate made gentile names a typical choice among Jewish parents in the 1950s. Other common American Jewish names from this time without links to Judaism include Ellen, Linda, Robin, Bonnie, Robert, Gary, Lawrence, and Richard.
The Most Popular Jewish Baby Names for Girls in the 1960s
- Susan
- Deborah
- Ellen
- Karen
- Barbara
- Linda
- Robin
- Debra
- Bonnie
- Judith
- Nancy
- Ruth
Most Popular Jewish Baby Names for Boys in the 1950s
- Michael
- David
- Robert
- Gary
- Jonathan
- Lawrence
- Steven
- Daniel
- Howard
- Richard
Most Popular Jewish Baby Names in the 1960s
According to the study, the 1960s witnessed the beginning of a transition toward more Jewish names. Biblical names such as Rachel, Elizabeth, and Sharon ascended for girls, while David, Daniel, and Jonathan dominated for boys.
Most Popular Jewish Baby Names for Girls in the 1960s
- Lisa
- Susan
- Deborah
- Rachel
- Karen
- Laura
- Amy
- Elizabeth
- Julie
- Sharon
Most Popular Jewish Baby Names for Boys in the 1960s
- David
- Michael
- Daniel
- Jonathan
- Mark
- Robert
- Steven
- Scott
- Joseph
- Matthew
Most Popular Jewish Baby Names in the 1970s
The 1970s and 1980s shared the same top three Jewish girl names: Rachel, Sarah, and Rebecca. Deborah‘s popularity began to decline during the decade while Jessica, the name of a Shakesperean character who is Jewish, was on the rise.
80% of the top Jewish boy names of the 1970s started with one of three initials: A, D, or J. David and Daniel were the most widespread, and the 1970s was the height of Joshua‘s favor among Jewish baby boys.
Most Popular Jewish Baby Names for Girls in the 1970s
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Rebecca
- Jennifer
- Amy
- Lisa
- Elizabeth
- Jessica
- Deborah
- Melissa
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Most Popular Jewish Names for Boys in the 1970s
- David
- Daniel
- Joshua
- Michael
- Benjamin
- Jonathan
- Adam
- Andrew
- Jeremy
- Aaron
Most Popular Jewish Names in the 1980s
The top Jewish names of the 1970s: Rachel, Sarah, and Rebecca for girls, and David and Daniel for boys stayed unchanged in the 1980s. The 1980s also saw the height of popularity for Jewish names such as Jessica, Sara, and Aaron.
Most Popular Jewish Names for Girls in the 1980s
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Rebecca
- Jessica
- Lauren
- Sara
- Jennifer
- Emily
- Melissa
- Elizabeth
Most Popular Jewish Names for Boys in the 1980s
- David
- Daniel
- Benjamin
- Joshua
- Michael
- Aaron
- Matthew
- Jonathan
- Jacob
- Adam
Most Popular Jewish Names in the 1990s
Rachel grabbed the title of the most popular Jewish name of the 1990s, but newer girl appellations with links to Judaism such as Hannah and Leah rapidly achieved success.
The 1990s for boys was the first decade that all ten of the most popular Jewish boy names came from Jewish origins. Names that peaked in favor among Jewish boys in the 1990s include such hits as Benjamin, Zachary, and Max.
Most Popular Jewish Names for Girls in the 1990s
- Rachel
- Hannah
- Sarah
- Rebecca
- Emily
- Leah
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Samantha
- Jessica
Most Popular Jewish Names for Boys in the 1990s
- Benjamin
- Daniel
- Samuel
- Jacob
- Joshua
- Jonathan
- Aaron
- Zachary
- David
- Max
Most Popular Jewish Names in the 2000s
Following in the footsteps of the boys, the 2000s was the first decade in which all ten of the most popular Jewish girl names are of Jewish origins. Hannah, Miriam, Talia, Abigail, and Sophie were the most common for Jewish girls in the 2000s.
Classic Jewish boy appellations Samuel and Jacob saw the most favor in the 2000s, along with favorites Noah, Jonah, Gabriel, Adam, and Eli.
Most Popular Jewish Names for Girls in the 2000s
- Hannah
- Maya
- Miriam
- Rebecca
- Talia
- Eliana
- Abigail
- Sophie
- Naomi
- Sarah
Most Popular Jewish Names for Boys in the 2000s
- Samuel
- Jacob
- Benjamin
- Noah
- Daniel
- Jonah
- Gabriel
- Adam
- Eli
- Ezra
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Most Popular Jewish Names in the 2010s
Many of the leading Jewish names of the 2010s remain top choices today. Storied appellations like Maya, Noah, Talia, Yael, and Ari are also among the most prevalent names in Israel.
Maya, Noa, Eliana, Shoshana, and Yael were more popular than ever before during the 2010s, along with boy names Ezra, Asher, Ethan, Isaac, and also Ari.
Most Popular Jewish Names for Girls in the 2010s
- Maya
- Noa
- Hannah
- Eliana
- Miriam
- Naomi
- Abigail
- Shoshana
- Talia
- Yael
Most Popular Jewish Names for Boys in the 2010s
- Ezra
- Asher
- Benjamin
- Jacob
- Samuel
- Jonah
- Ethan
- Isaac
- Ari
- Eli