Hebrew names
Did you know that most of the poplar names in Hebrew have a meaning? Some come from the Bible, and some are invented. For boys you may come across names such as: Doron, Shay, Matan – all mean ‘gift’ or ‘present’. Names such as Or and Zohar mean Glow and light. For girls you can find names like Yael, Tzvia, Ayala and Ofra, which are all names of graceful animals. Liat means ‘you are for me’, Shely means ‘my own’, Simcha and Ron mean happiness and joy and Chaim means Life. Shalom means Peace and Tikva Means hope.
There are quite a few popular English names that are in fact of Hebrew origin. David, Benjamin, Sarah, Michael, Adam, Hannah – just to name a few – are names from the Hebrew Bible. They all have different meanings. Benjamin, for example, comes from the two Hebrew words: Ben=son, Yamin=right, meaning Benjamin is the son of the right hand, ‘the son of good’. Benjamin is also the name of one of the ancient tribes of the Israelites.
Check it out on yourself: do you know the origin of your name and what it means?
