Jewish Names for Both Male and Female Dogs
| Adar | Name of the Hebrew month when Purim occurs. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Purim. |
| Babka | A sweet bread/cake that originated in the Jewish communities of Poland and the Ukraine. Babka can be made with many different fillings, the most popular being chocolate and cinnamon. |
| Bagel | A bread roll originating in the Jewish community of Poland. Popularly eaten with lox and cream cheese. |
| Bamba | The most popular snack food in Israel. |
| Bialy | A traditional bread roll in Polish Ashkenazi Jewish culture. Short for “bialystoker kuchen,” from the city of Bialystok in Poland. |
| Bisli | A crunchy snack in the shape of pasta that’s very popular in Israel. |
| Borscht | Beetroot soup. Borscht is a traditional Ukrainian dish that is popular among Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe. |
| Brisket | A popular Ashkenazi Jewish meat dish, commonly served for Jewish holidays. |
| Eden | In the Book of Genesis, Eden is the garden of paradise inhabited by Adam and Eve. |
| Etrog | The yellow citron that is one of the “arba minim”/four species used on the festival Sukkot. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Sukkot. |
| Falafel | A deep-fried ball or patty, often made from chickpeas, that is popular in Israel and Middle Eastern Countries and the Diaspora. Often served in pita with hummus and tahini. |
| Gefilte | Made from a poached mixture of ground deboned fish (carp, whitefish or pick), gefilte fish is traditionally served as an appetizer by Ashkenazi Jews. |
| Hamentashen | Triangle filled pocket pastry eaten by Ashkenazi Jews on Purim. The name, which is Yiddish, means “Haman’s pockets,” and refers to Haman, the villain of the Purim story. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Purim. |
| Hummus | A Middle Eastern dip or spread made from chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice and garlic. |
| Kef | Means “fun” in Hebrew. |
| Kelev, nickname: Kelly | Means “dog” in Hebrew – from the same Hebrew root as Caleb/Kalev (see the name Caleb/Kelev under “Jewish Names for Male Dogs” below). |
| Kibbitz | Means “chitchat” in Yiddish. |
| Kipper | Kippered salmon is smoked at a higher temperature than smoked salmon, making it more flaky and have more of a “cooked” taste. Like lox, it is popular among American Ashkenazi Jews, and is often eaten on a bagel. |
| Kislev | Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. |
| Knish | A pastry stuffed with fillings (often mashed potatoes and onions) and wrapped in dough. Knishes are of Eastern European origin and popularized in America by Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants. |
| Kugel | A traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, kugel is a baked casserole, usually made from noodles or potato. |
| Latke | A potato pancake fried in oil and eaten on Hanukkah, to remind of us the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days, even though there was only enough oil for one day.This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Hanukkah. |
| Lox | A fillet of brined salmon, which may be smoked. Lox is originally from Scandinavia, but it has become very popular with Ashkenazi Jews, who frequently eat it on a bagel with cream cheese. |
| Lulav | One of the “arba minim”/four species used on the festival of Sukkot. “Lulav” refers to both the palm branch alone, as well as the combination of the palm branch, willow and myrtle. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Sukkot. |
| Mandel | Mandel bread (also known as mandelbrot), which is a popular Ashkenazi Jewish dessert, is a type of cookie similar to Italian biscotti. |
| Matzah/Matzoh | Unleavened bread that’s eaten on Passover. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Passover. |
| Matzoh Ball | Ashkenazi soup dumplings made from a mixture of matzah meal, eggs, water and a fat. |
| Mazel | Means “luck” in Hebrew. |
| Menorah | In Hebrew, a “menorah” is a seven branched candelabrum, like the one that was in the Temple in Jerusalem. Many Americans use the word menorah to refer to a “hanukkiyah,” the nine-branched candelabrum lit on Hanukkah. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Hanukkah. |
| Mishmish | Means “apricot” in Hebrew. |
| Motek | It’s a Hebrew slang term of endearment for someone who is sweet, equivalent to the English “sweetie.” |
| Simcha | Means “joy” or “gladness” in Hebrew. The word “simcha” is often used to describe a happy occasion. |
| Nisan | Name of the Hebrew month when Passover occurs. |
| Nova | Nova is salmon cured in salt, similarly to lox, but with less salt, for a more mild flavor. It is often eaten on a bagel with cream cheese. |
| Pastrami | A classic Jewish deli food that is smoked, cured and spiced before serving. Pastrami is often eaten on rye bread. |
| Pickles | Pickles are a common deli food, and Ashkenazi Jews have traditionally had a love for pickles and delis. |
| Pita | Flatbread which is often round and has a pocket in the middle. Pita is popular in Israel – as well as throughout the Arab world – and is commonly filled with falafel, hummus, tahini and more. |
| Rimmon | Hebrew for “pomegranate.” |
| Rugelach | A filled baked dessert that originated in the Jewish communities of Poland. |
| Sababa | Comes from Arabic and means “great, excellent, cool” in Hebrew. |
| Sabra | Refers to a Jewish person born in Israel. The word comes from a fruit of the cactus species that’s prickly on the outside but soft on the inside. |
| Seder | The ritual feast celebrated at the beginning of the holiday of Passover (the first night in Israel, and typically the first two nights in the Diaspora). This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Passover. |
| Sevivon (Hebrew) or Dreidel (Yiddish) | A four-sided spinning top, played with during Hanukkah. In the Diaspora, the four Hebrew letters on the Dreidel (nun, gimmel, heh, shin) stand for the Hebrew words that mean “a great miracle happened there.” In Israel, the four Hebrew letters (num, gimmel, heh, peh) stand for the Hebrew words that mean “a great miracle happened here.” This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Hanukkah. |
| Shaked | Means “almond” in Hebrew. Shaked is a great name to give a dog born or adopted around Tu B’Shevat, the New Year of the trees. |
| Shakshukah | A Moroccan Jewish dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion and garlic. |
| Shamash | Often referred to as “the helper candle,” the shamash is the ninth candle (typically in the middle of the menorah, at a greater height than the other candles) on a “hanukkiyah,” or Hanukkah menorah, which is lit and then used to light the wicks of the other candles. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Hanukkah. |
| Shnecken | A sweet bun or roll of German origin (means “snail” in German). Germans, including German Jews, brought shnecken to America in the 19th century. |
| Shofar | The ram’s horn blown on Rosh HaShanah and at the end of Yom Kippur. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around the High Holy Days. |
| Shushan | The capital of Persia, where the Purim story read from Megillat Esther/the Book of Esther takes place. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Purim. |
| Sidney | Originally Sidney was an Anglo-Saxon name, but it became a popular Jewish male name from 1900-1920. Ironically, Jewish parents originally named their sons Sidney because they wanted them to have names that “didn’t sound too Jewish.” |
| Sufganiyah (Hebrew) or Doughnut (English) | A deep-fried doughnut eaten on Hanukkah, to remind us of the miracle of the oil. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Hanukkah. |
| Tahini or Tahina | A Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground sesame. |
| Tishrei | Tishrei is the seventh month on the Jewish calendar, but it’s the month in which we celebrate Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah also fall in Tishrei. |
| Tovah | Means “good” in Hebrew. |
| Tsimmes | A traditional Ashkenazi Jewish stew usually made form carrots and dried fruits like prunes and raisins, often combined with other root vegetables. |
| Yofi | Means “beauty” but is used in modern Hebrew to mean “great.” |
| Zatar | A Middle Eastern herb spice mixture. |
| Zohar | Means “light, brilliance, splendor, radiance.” The Zohar is a foundational work in the the literature of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). |
Jewish Names for Male Dogs
| Abraham, nicknames: Abe, Avi | Abraham was the first patriarch. He was called by God to found a new nation and God promised him that he’d have many descendants who would inherit the land to which God sent him (then called Canaan, now Israel). |
| Adam | The first man in the Bible. Adam was formed out of a combination of the dust of the ground and the breath of life from God. |
| Akiva (Hebrew) or Akiba (English) | Rabbi Akiva was a leading contributor to the Mishna and to Jewish law, who is referred to in the Talmud as “Chief of the Sages.” |
| Asher | Jacob’s eighth son; one of the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| Aviv | Means “springtime” in Hebrew. |
| Barak | Means “thunder” in Hebrew. In the Book of Judges in the Bible, Barak is a military commander who, along with Deborah, defeats the Canaanite armies led by Sisera. |
| Baruch | Means “blessed” in Hebrew, This is a Jewish male name that goes back to Biblical times. |
| Bernard, diminutive: Bernie | From the ancient Germanic name Bernhard, composed of the elements ber(n) (bear) and hard (brave, hardy, strong). As an Ashkenizic Jewish name, Bernard is an adoption of the German name because it has the same beginning as the Jewish name Ber. |
| Binyamin (Hebrew) or Benjamin (English), nicknames: Benji, Benny, Ben, Bibi | Jacobs’s twelfth and youngest son; one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In Hebrew the name means: “son of the right hand, son of the south, son of my days.” |
| Bo | The masculine command form for the word “come” in Hebrew. |
| Boaz | Boaz appears in the biblical Book of Ruth, which is read on the holiday of Shavuot. Boaz was a relative of Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi, and Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed, who became the father of Jesse, who became the father of King David. So Boaz was the great-grandfather of King David. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Shavuot. |
| Caleb (English) or Kalev (Hebrew) | Caleb was one of the Israelite scouts who was sent to scout out the Promised Land when the Israelites were in the wilderness (he and Joshua were the only ones to come back with positive reports). Caleb/Kalev is from the same Hebrew root as the word Kelev, which means “dog” (see the name Kelev under “Jewish Names for Both Male and Female Dogs” above. |
| Chayim | Means “life” in Hebrew. |
| Dan | Jacob’s fifth son; one of the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| Eliyahu (Hebrew) or Elijah (English), nickname: Eli | At a Passover Seder it’s traditional to have an extra cup of wine for Elijah, and then to open the door for him near the end of the Seder, hoping that he’ll enter, as he is a symbol of hope and redemption. Elijah is also invoked at a brit milah (ceremony for the covenant of circumcision – where there is traditionally a special chair for Elijah), and in the Havdalah ceremony at the end of Shabbat. According to Jewish tradition, Elijah’s return will usher in the coming of the messiah. Elijah is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Passover. |
| Ephraim | One of Joseph’s sons; often counted as one of the twelve tribes of Israel. On Friday nights, it’s traditional for Jews to begin the blessing of their sons with the words: “May you be like Ephraim and Menasseh” (Joseph’s sons, the patriarch Jacob’s grandsons). |
| Feivish, diminutive: Feivel | Means “bright” or “brilliant one” in Yiddish. |
| Fishel | Means “little fish” in Yiddish. |
| Gad | Jacob’s seventh son; one of the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| Gamliel | Rabban Gamliel was a leading authority in the Sanhedrin (Assembly of Elders) in the early first century of the Common Era. |
| Hershel (Yiddish), nicknames: Hersh, Hesh, Shel, Shelly | Yiddish for “deer.” |
| Hillel | Hillel is one of the best known sages of the Talmud. There are hundreds of disputes between the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai recorded in the Talmud, with the rabbis of the Talmud generally favoring the views of the House of Hillel. |
| Ilan | Means “tree” in Hebrew. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year of the Trees. |
| Irving | Irving is a name of Scottish and English origin, and it means “green water” or “river.” The name comes from the River Irvine and the town that got its name from that river. In the early 20th century Irving became a popular name for Jewish parents to give their sons. Ironically, Jewish parents originally gave their sons the name Irving (along with other names like Morris – see below) when they didn’t want their son to have a name that sounded “too Jewish.” |
| Israel, nickname: Izzy | The Jewish state and a homeland for Jewish people around the world. |
| Issachar | Jacob’s ninth son; one of the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| Kippah | A kippah (Hebrew) is a yarmulke (Yiddish) or skullcap traditionally worn by Jewish males (and in modern times, some women as well) to fulfill the requirement that their head be covered. |
| Lavan | Means “white” in Hebrew. |
| Lev | Means “heart” in Hebrew. |
| Levi | Jacob’s third son; one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Sometimes Levi (along with Joseph) isn’t counted as one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and instead Joseph’s two grandsons, Menasseh and Ephraim, are counted. |
| Maccabee | The Maccabees were a group of Jewish rebel warriors who took control of Judea, which at the time was part of the Seleucid Empire. They are the heroes of the Hanukkah story. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Hanukkah. |
| Max | The name Max is of Latin origin, and it was derived from Maximillian, a name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. It means “the greatest.” The name Max is popular in many countries and among people of different religious backgrounds, including Ashkenazic Jews, who may have started using it originally as an adoption of the German surname. |
| Melech | Means “king” in Hebrew. |
| Menachem (Hebrew) or Mendel (Yiddish) | Means “comforter.” These names are traditionally given to Jewish boys born around Tisha B’Av (when Jews mourn the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and other tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people), as this is a time when the Jewish people are seeking comfort. |
| Menasseh | One of Joseph’s sons; often counted as one of the twelve tribes of Israel. On Friday nights, it’s traditional for Jews to begin the blessing of their sons with the words: “May you be like Ephraim and Menasseh” (Joseph’s sons, the patriarch Jacob’s grandsons). |
| Mensch | Means “a person of integrity and morality” in Yiddish. |
| Mordechai, nickname: Mordy | In Megillat Esther/the Book of Esther, read on the holiday of Purim, Mordechai the Jew incurred the wrath of Haman by refusing to bow down to him, which led Haman to plot to kill all of the Jews of Persia. Mordechai convinced Queen Esther to reveal her identity as a Jew to the king, which ultimately led to the Jews being saved. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Purim. |
| Morris | Morris is an English variant of the French name Maurice, which derived from the Latin names Mauritius or Maurus. It is also an Anglicized form of the biblical name Moses. |
| Moshe (Hebrew) or Moishe (Yiddish) or Moses (English), nicknames: Moish, Mo | The most important Jewish prophet. Among other things, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt to freedom and to the Promised Land. |
| Naphtali | Jacob’s sixth oldest son; one of the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| Nes | Means “miracle” in Hebrew. This is a good name for a dog that is born or adopted around Hanukkah, to celebrate the miracle of the oil. On a dreidel, the letter “nun” stands for the word “nes.” |
| Noach (Hebrew) or Noah (English) | Noach means “comfort” in Hebrew. In the Book of Genesis, at God’s command, Noah built an ark to save his family and two of each species of animal from a flood brought on by God to destroy the earth. After a 40 day-flood, God made a covenant with Noah, promising that God would never destroy the earth by flood again. The sign of that Covenant is a rainbow. |
| Omer | The seven week period that begins on the second night of Passover (when Jews celebrate freedom from slavery) and continues until the beginning of Shavuot (when Jews celebrate the Giving of the Torah). It is considered a period of semi-mourning, and it’s traditional to recite a blessing each evening during the seven weeks and then announce the day of the Omer that is beginning. |
| Or | Means “light” in Hebrew. |
| Ruben or Reuben | Jacob’s oldest son; one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. |
| Shachar | Means “dawn” in Hebrew. |
| Shachor | Means “black” in Hebrew. |
| Shalom | Means “peace” in Hebrew. It’s also used to say “hello” and “goodbye.” |
| Shammai | Shammai is a well known sage of the Talmud. There are hundreds of disputes between the House of Hillel and the Shammai. Though the rabbis of the Talmud generally favored the views of the House of Hilel, the opinions of Shammai are also recorded in the Talmud. |
| Shimon (Hebrew) or Simeon (English) | Jacob’s second oldest son; one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. |
| Shimson (Hebrew) or Samson (English), nicknames: Shimmy, Shim, Sammy, Sam | In the Bible, Shimshon (the Hebrew name is related to the word “shemesh,” which means “sun”) was the supernaturally strong champion of the Israelites against the Philistines. He was betrayed by Delilah when she discovered that the secret of his strength was his long hair. |
| Tov | Means “good” in Hebrew. |
| Tuvya (Hebrew) or Tevye (Yiddish) | Means “God is good.” Tevye is the name of the patriarch in “Fiddler on the Roof.” |
| Tzvi (Hebrew) of Hersch/Hirsch (Yiddish), diminutive: Hershel | Means “deer.” |
| Yakov (Hebrew) or Jacob (English), nicknames: Akiva, Jake, Jay, Kobi | Jacob is the third (and final) patriarch – the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the younger twin of Esau. When Rebekah was pregnant with the twins God told her that the older would serve the younger. Jacob managed to obtain both the birthright from his older brother Esau and the blessing for the first-born from his father Isaac. Through his wives Leah, Rachel and their two maidservants he had twelve sons who were founders of the tribes of Israel. (Additionally, he had a daughter, Dina.) He also wrestled with a mysterious stranger, a divine being, who then gave him the name Israel. |
| Yehoshua (Hebrew) or Joshua (English), nicknames: Josh, Joshy, Shua, Shui, Shuki, Yoshi | Joshua was Moses’ successor in the Bible. Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses died at the end of the Book of Deuteronomy. The first book of the Prophets (the middle section of the Hebrew Bible) is named for Joshua. |
| Yehudah (Hebrew) or Judah (English) | In the Bible, Judah is Jacob’s fourth son; one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Hebrew word for Jew, “Yehudi,” comes form “Yehudah.” There is also a different Judah who is the hero of the Hanukkah story. Judah Maccabee was the Jewish guerilla leader who led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire and preserved Judaism by preventing the imposition of Hellenism upon Judea. Judah is a good name to give a dog born or adopted around Hanukkah. |
| Yitzhak (Hebrew) or Isaac (English), nicknames: Yitz, Yitzy | Isaac is the second patriarch – the son of Abraham and Sarah. Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac – but an angel of God intervened and told Abraham to sacrifice a ram instead. Isaac and his wife Rebekah were the parents of twins Jacob and Esau. |
| Yonah (Hebrew) or Jonah (English), nicknames: Jo, Jojo | Jonah is a prophet in the Bible (his story is traditionally read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur) who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of a city called Nineveh. Jonah tries to escape his divine mission, and gets swallowed by a whale. But the whale vomits him out at Nineveh, and he has to carry out God’s mission. Jonah is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Yom Kippur. |
| Yosef (Hebrew) or Joseph (English), nickname: Joe, Joey, Jojo, Yosi | Joseph was Jacob’s eleventh and favorite son, because he was the oldest son of Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel. Joseph is one of the twelve tribes of Israel, though sometimes Joseph (along with Levi) isn’t counted as one of the tribes and instead his two sons, Menasseh and Ephraim, are counted. |
| Zalman | This name is a Yiddish variant of Solomon, and it means “peace.” The name was common among Eastern European Jews, and is still common in many ultra-Orthodox, and especially Hasidic, communities. |
| Zebulun | Jacob’s tenth son; one of the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| Zelig | Means “blessed” or “holy” in Yiddish. |
| Zev (Hebrew) or Velvel (Yiddish) | Means “wolf.” |
Jewish Names for Female Dogs
| Arava (Hebrew) or Willow (English) | One of the “arba minim/four species” used on Sukkot. |
| Batya | Means “daughter of God” in Hebrew. According to the midrash (rabbinic interpretation of the Hebrew Bible), Pharaoh’s daughter received the name Batya as a reward for drawing baby Moses out of the Nile and adopting him. |
| Bluma | Means “flower” in Yiddish. |
| Boi | The feminine command form for the word “come” in Hebrew. |
| Bracha | Means “blessing” in Hebrew. |
| Carmi | Means “garden” or “orchard” in Hebrew. |
| Chava (Hebrew) or Eve (English) | The first woman in the Bible. . The Hebrew name means “living one” or “Source of life.” |
| Chaya | Means “life” in Hebrew. |
| Delilah | Her name is related to the Hebrew word/name “Lilah,” which means “night.” Delilah overcomes the apparently invincible strong man, Samson, by learning that the secret to his strength is his long hair. |
| Dodi | Means “my beloved” in Hebrew. |
| Dvash (Hebrew) or Honey (English) | It’s customary to eat honey on Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year – usually on apples or a round challah – in hopes that the new year will be sweet. This is a good to give a dog born or adopted near Rosh HaShanah. |
| Esther | In Megillat Esther/the Book of Esther, read on Purim, Esther saves the Jewish people and brings about the downfall of the evil Haman. |
| Faiga, Faigy | Means “bird” in Yiddish. |
| Frayda/Freda/Frida | Means “joy” in Yiddish. |
| Frumma | Means “pious” or “deeply religious” in Yiddish. |
| Gittel | Means “good” in Yiddish. |
| Golda, Golde, diminutive: Goldie | Means “gold” in Yiddish. Golde is the name of Tevye’s wife in Fiddler on the Roof. Golda Meir was the first – and so far, only – female Prime Minister of Israel, as well as the first female head of government in the Middle East. |
| Hadas (Hebrew) and Myrtle (English) | One of the “arba minim”/four species used on the festival of Sukkot. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Sukkot. |
| Hadassah | Means “myrtle” in Hebrew. “Hadassah” is Esther’s Hebrew name in Megillat Esther/the Book of Esther that is read on Purim. Hadassah is also the name of The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, “a volunteer organization that inspires a passion for and commitment to the land, the people, and the future of Israel.” This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Purim as well as a dog born or adopoted around Sukkot,since “hadas”/myrtle is one of the”arba minim”/four species used on Sukkot. |
| Hinda, diminutive: Hindel | Means “deer” in Yiddish. |
| Ilana | Means “tree” in Hebrew. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year of the Trees. |
| Leah | Leah was one of the patriarch Jacob’s wives. She was the older sister of Rachel (who was also Jacob’s wife, and who Jacob favored) and both are matriarchs. Leah gave birth to six of Jacob’s sons, including Judah. |
| Levana | Means “white” or “moon” in Hebrew. |
| Lilah | Means “night” in Hebrew. |
| Malka | Means “queen” in Hebrew. |
| Mamaleh | A Yiddish term that means “little mama” – but is used to refer to a young girl. |
| Mindel | Means “comfort” in Yiddish. |
| Miryam (Hebrew) or Miriam (English), nickname: Miri | Miriam was Moses’ sister in the Bible. Among other things, Miriam watched over her baby brother Moses on the banks of the Nile and she was involved in leading the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. According to legend, there was a well of water that followed Miriam around while the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness. In modern times, many Jews include a Miriam’s cup with water in it at their Passover Seders. |
| Mitzi | Means “bitter” or “small” in Hebrew. |
| Naomi | Means “pleasant” or “gentle” in Hebrew. In the Book of Ruth, which is read on the holiday of Shavuot, Naomi is Ruth’s mother-in-law. Naomi is a good name for a dog born or adopted around Shavuot. |
| Nissa | Means “sign” in Hebrew. |
| Orah/Orit | Means “light” in Hebrew. |
| Orly | Means “my light” in Hebrew. |
| Puah | Puah, along with Shifra, was a Hebrew midwife when the Jews were slaves in Egypt. When Pharaoh ordered that all Jewish males be killed at birth, Shifra and Puah, who “feared God,” disobeyed Pharaoh’s command. |
| Rachel | Rachel and her older sister Leah were both wives of Jacob, the third patriarch, and they were both matriarchs, but Rachel was Jacob’s favorite. She was the mother of Jacob’s favorite son Joseph, as well as the youngest of his twelve sons, Benjamin. |
| Rayzel | Means “rose flower” in Yiddish. |
| Rivka (Hebrew) or Rebekah (English), nicknames: Becca, Becky, Rivky | Rebekah, the second matriarch, was Isaac’s wife. She was the mother of Jacob and his twin brother Esau. |
| Ruth | The Book of Ruth is read on the holiday of Shavuot. Ruth from the Bible is often thought of as the first convert/the first person who chose to become Jewish. She is the great-grandmother of King David. And Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the second woman, and first Jewish woman, to serve on the Supreme Court. She served on the Court from 1993 until her death in 2020. This is a good name for a dog born or adopted near Shavuot. |
| Sarah, nicknames: Sadie, Sally | Sarah was the first matriarch in the Bible. She was the wife of Abraham. She was childless until the age of 90, when God promised her husband Abraham that she would conceive and bear a son. A year later she gave birth to Isaac. |
| Shanah | Means “year” in Hebrew. |
| Shayna, Shayna Punim, Shanyna Maydele | Shayna means “beautiful/lovely,” Shayna Punim means “pretty face,” and Shayna Maydele means “pretty young girl.” All are Yiddish. |
| Shekediyah | Means “almond tree” in Hebrew. Shekediyah is a great name to give a dog born or adopted around Tu B’Shevat, the New Year of the Trees. |
| Shifra | Shifra, along with Puah, was a Hebrew midwife when the Jews were slaves in Egypt. When Pharaoh ordered that all Jewish males be killed at birth, Shifra and Puah, who “feared God,” disobeyed Pharaoh’s command. |
| Shoshana, nicknames: Shosh, Shoshi | Means “lily” or “rose” in Hebrew. |
| Sivan | The festival of Shavuot, when Jews celebrate the Giving of the Torah, occurs on the 6th (and in many communities in the Diaspora the 7th as well) day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. This is a great name for a dog born or adopted in the Hebrew month of Sivan (which corresponds with May-June on the Gregorian calendar). |
| Tamar | Means “date” or “date palm tree” in Hebrew. Tamar is a great name to give a dog born or adopted around Tu B’Shevat, the New Year of the Trees. In the Bible, Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah, as well as the mother of two of his children, the twins Perez and Zerah. |
| Tikvah | Means “hope” in Hebrew. The Israeli National Anthem is “HaTikvah,” which means “The Hope.” |
| Tovah | Means “good” in Hebrew. |
| Vashti | In Megillat Esther/the Book of Esther, read on the holiday of Purim, Vashti was the first wife of the Persian King Ahasuerus, and thus the Queen of Persia, until she was banished when her husband the king summoned her to appear before the men at a drinking banquet and she refused. This is a good name to give a dog born or adopted near the holiday of Purim. |
| Vered | Means “rose” in Hebrew. |
| Zelda | Means “blessed” in Yiddish. |
