Yiddish Girl Names

Discover beautiful traditional Jewish girl names from Yiddish and Hebrew traditions. Each name carries deep meaning, cultural significance, and generations of heritage.

55 traditional Jewish girl names with meanings, pronunciations, and origins

Alte

אַלטע

“Old one; Elder”

Yiddish•AHL-teh

Given as a protective name to ensure long life

AltaAlttaAltke

Bella

בעלא

“Beautiful”

Yiddish•BEH-lah

Common among Eastern European Jews

BelaBelle

Bluma

בלומא

“Flower”

Yiddish•BLOO-mah

Symbolizes beauty and natural grace

BlumeBlumkeBlumele

Breindel

ברײנדל

“Brunette; Brown-haired”

Yiddish•BRANE-del

A descriptive name celebrating natural appearance

BraindelBreineBreindl

Bryna

ברײנא

“Brown; Brunette”

Yiddish•BREE-nah

Celebrates natural beauty and earthiness

BreineBrayneBryndle

Chana

חנה

“Grace; Favor”

Hebrew•KHAH-nah

Biblical Hannah who prayed for a son and bore Samuel

HannahChanahHanna

Charna

טשאַרנא

“Dark; Black-haired”

Yiddish•CHAR-nah

Descriptive name celebrating dark beauty

CharneTcharnaCharnke

Chava

חוה

“Life; Living one”

Hebrew•KHAH-vah

The biblical Eve, mother of all living

HavaEveChavah

Chaya

חיה

“Life”

Hebrew•CHAI-yah

Represents vitality and life

ChayeleChayka

Dvoira

דבורה

“Bee; To speak”

Hebrew•DVOY-rah

The biblical judge and prophetess Deborah

DevorahDvoraDeborah

Eidel

אײדל

“Gentle; Refined; Delicate”

Yiddish•AY-del

Represents refinement and gentle character

EdelEideleEidl

Elka

עלקא

“God's oath; Noble”

Yiddish•EL-kah

Yiddish diminutive form related to Elizabeth

ElkeElkehElkele

Esther

אסתר

“Star”

Persian•ES-ter

Queen Esther from the Purim story

EsterEsti

Faiga

פייגא

“Bird”

Yiddish•FAY-gah

Symbolizes freedom and spirit

FeigeFeigel

Feige

פייגע

“Bird; Fig”

Yiddish•FAY-geh

Yiddish vernacular form of Tzipporah, meaning bird

FaigeFeigaFaigy

Freida

פרײדא

“Joy; Happiness”

Yiddish•FRAY-dah

Represents joy and gladness

FreydeFraydeFreidel

Fruma

פרומא

“Pious; Devout”

Yiddish•FROO-mah

Represents religious devotion and piety for girls

FrumeFrumkeFrumele

Gitel

גיטל

“Good”

Yiddish•GIH-tel

Yiddish name expressing a wish for the child's goodness

GittelGittlGitta

Gittel

גיטל

“Good”

Yiddish•GIT-tel

Represents goodness and virtue

GitlGitteleGitle

Golda

גאָלדאַ

“Golden”

Yiddish•GOHL-dah

Represents value and preciousness

GoldieGoldy

Hadassah

הדסה

“Myrtle tree”

Hebrew•hah-DAH-sah

The Hebrew name of Queen Esther, heroine of Purim

HadasaDassieDassi

Henye

העניע

“Grace; Favor”

Yiddish•HEN-yeh

Yiddish form connected to Chana/Hannah

HeneHenyeHenke

Hinda

הינדא

“Deer; Doe”

Yiddish•HIN-dah

Symbolizes grace and gentleness

HindeHindelHindke

Hodel

האָדל

“Myrtle; Splendor”

Yiddish•HO-del

Yiddish form of Hadassah, Queen Esther's Hebrew name

HodlHodeleHadassah

Kayla

קיילא

“Crown of laurel; Slender”

Yiddish•KAY-lah

Represents grace and natural elegance

KeylaKailaKayleh

Kreindel

קריינדל

“Crown”

Yiddish•KREIN-del

Represents royalty and honor

KreineKreindele

Leah

לאה

“Weary; Wild cow; Gazelle”

Hebrew•LAY-ah

Biblical matriarch Leah, wife of Jacob and mother of six of the twelve tribes of Israel

LeaLeiaLia

Liba

ליבא

“Beloved; Dear one”

Yiddish•LEE-bah

Represents love and being cherished

LibeLibkeLibele

Malka

מלכה

“Queen”

Hebrew•MAHL-kah

Represents royalty and leadership

MalkeMalkie

Mindel

מינדל

“Wisdom; Understanding”

Yiddish•MIN-del

Connected to wisdom and intellectual depth

MindlMindeleMindle

Mirele

מירעלע

“Bitterness turned to wonder”

Yiddish•MEER-eh-leh

Yiddish diminutive of Miriam, Moses' sister

MirelMirkeMiriam

Mushka

מושקא

“Musk; Fragrant”

Yiddish•MOOSH-kah

Beloved Chabad name, associated with Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson

MushkeMuska

Nechama

נחמה

“Comfort; Consolation”

Hebrew•neh-KHAH-mah

Represents comfort and solace

NechameNechamke

Perl

פּערל

“Pearl”

Yiddish•PERL

A precious gem name expressing a child's worth

PerlePerlaPerele

Perla

פּערל

“Pearl”

Yiddish•PER-lah

Represents beauty and rarity

PerlePerl

Pesha

פעשא

“Addition; Increase”

Yiddish•PEH-shah

Connected to fruitfulness and blessing

PeshePeshkeBatya

Raisa

רייזא

“Rose”

Yiddish•RYE-sah

Connected to the rose and natural beauty

RaiseRaizeRaizel

Raizel

רייזל

“Rose”

Yiddish•RAY-zel

Symbolizes beauty and love

RaizeleRaizka

Reina

ריינא

“Pure; Clean”

Yiddish•RAY-nah

Represents purity and moral clarity

ReineRayneReyne

Rivka

רבקה

“To bind; To tie; Captivating”

Hebrew•RIV-kah

Biblical matriarch Rebecca

RifkaRivkele

Rokhel

רחל

“Ewe; Lamb”

Hebrew•RO-khel

The beloved matriarch Rachel

RochelRachelRuchel

Shaina

שיינא

“Beautiful”

Yiddish•SHAY-nah

Represents beauty and grace

ShayneShayndel

Shayna

שיינע

“Beautiful”

Yiddish•SHAY-nah

One of the most beloved Yiddish names expressing inner and outer beauty

ShainaSheinaShayne

Sheindel

שיינדל

“Beautiful one”

Yiddish•SHAYN-del

Diminutive of Shayna, an especially tender form of the name

ShaindelSheindl

Shifra

שפרה

“Beautiful; Improved”

Hebrew•SHIF-rah

One of the heroic Hebrew midwives who defied Pharaoh

ShifrahShiphrah

Shprintze

שפּרינצע

“Hope; Esperanza”

Yiddish•SHPRIN-tzeh

One of Tevye's daughters in Fiddler on the Roof

ShprintzaShprintzlShprinca

Suri

סורי

“Princess; Sarah”

Yiddish•SOO-ree

Yiddish diminutive of Sarah, the first matriarch

SureSureleSura

Toiba

טויבא

“Good; Pleasant”

Yiddish•TOY-bah

Yiddish variant of Tova, representing goodness

ToybaToibeTauba

Tova

טובה

“Good”

Hebrew•TOH-vah

Represents goodness and kindness

TovahTovale

Tzipporah

ציפורה

“Bird”

Hebrew•tsih-POH-rah

Wife of Moses

TziporaTzipporaZipporah

Yente

יענטע

“Noble; Gentle”

Yiddish•YEN-teh

Iconic name in Yiddish culture, famous matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof

YentlYentaYentel

Yentl

יענטל

“Noble; Gentle”

Yiddish•YEN-tl

Diminutive of Yente, made famous by the Barbra Streisand film

YentelYentil

Zelda

זעלדא

“Blessed; Happy”

Yiddish•ZEL-dah

Connected to blessedness and contentment

ZeldeSeldeZeldele

Zissel

זיסל

“Sweet”

Yiddish•ZIS-sel

Represents sweetness and charm

ZiselZisskele

Zlata

זלאַטא

“Golden”

Yiddish•ZLAH-tah

Represents preciousness and golden worth

ZlateZlatkeZlatele

About Yiddish and Hebrew Girl Names

Yiddish girl names carry centuries of Jewish tradition, culture, and meaning. These names come from two main linguistic traditions: Hebrew, the sacred language of the Torah, and Yiddish, the everyday language of Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Eastern Europe.

Hebrew girl names like Chaya (life), Rivka (captivating), and Tova (good) connect daughters directly to biblical figures and spiritual values. Yiddish girl names like Shaina (beautiful), Golda (golden), and Raizel (rose) reflect the warmth and expressiveness of Eastern European Jewish culture.

Many Jewish families choose to give their daughters both a Hebrew name (shem hakodesh) and a Yiddish name. The Hebrew name is used for religious purposes such as being called to the Torah, while the Yiddish name serves as the everyday name. This dual-naming tradition preserves both the sacred and cultural aspects of Jewish identity.