Israel’s Most Popular (Biblical) Baby Names of 2024
Israel’s population topped 10 million in 2024, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics, with 181,000 children born. The most popular Israel baby name for Jewish girls in 2024 was Avigail (Abigail). Meaning “father’s joy”), according to data released by the Population and Immigration Authority on Tuesday. This is the second consecutive year that Abigail has topped the list, with 1,137 babies named.
In the Bible, Avigail was the wife of Nabal of southern Judah, on whose death she became one of the first wives of David (1 Samuel 25) and the mother of his son Chileab. The name Abigail was also borne by David’s sister (1 Chronicles 2:16), who was the mother of Amasa, commander of the army of Absalom.
Tamar (meaning “date palm”) ranked second with 833 names. In the Book of Genesis, Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah, as well as the mother of two of his children: the twins Perez and Zerah.
The third most popular girl’s name was Yael with 714. Meaning “ibex”, Yael is a heroine of the Bible who aids the Israelites in their war with King Jabin of the city of Hazor in Canaan by killing Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army. This episode is depicted in chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Judges.
Among Jewish boys, Ariel was the leading choice with 1,013 babies named. Meaning “lion of God”, Ariel was one of the “chief men” who, under Ezra, directed the caravan which he led back from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:16). The name occurs also in reference to two Moabites slain by Benaiah.
Among Jewish baby boys, David was a close second with 990. Meaning “beloved”, David was a shepherd in his youth and became King of Israel. He is most famous for playing the harp while worshiping God and for killing the Philistine giant, Goliath, with a slingshot and a rock. The Messiah is supposed to be a descendant of David.
Lavi, which was next, was chosen for 944 Jewish baby boys. While the terms Ari or Aryeh are used for generic lions, Lavi is denotes a lion in its prime of life, connoting awe-inspiring power and majesty. Often used in the Bible to symbolize strength, courage, and majesty. It is frequently employed in poetic and prophetic literature to convey the power and ferocity of a lion, as well as to illustrate the might and sovereignty of God or the strength of a leader or nation.
About 20% of Israel’s population of 10 million are Arabs. One in eight Muslim boys in Israel was named Muhammad, the name of the Islamic prophet and founder of Islam. It remains the most popular name for Muslim boys, with 1,740 babies given this name.
Yosef was the second most common name across the general population with 1,201 babies given that name. In Hebrew, Yosef was the first of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel, as well as Jacob’s twelfth child and eleventh son. Yosef means “to gather, remove, take away” or, alternatively, “to add.”
In Jewish tradition, he is the ancestor of a second Messiah called “Mashiach ben Yosef”, who will wage war against the forces of evil alongside Mashiach ben David.
The 12th chapter (Surah) of the Koran is named Yusuf. The text narrates the story of Yusuf, son of Jacob, who is a prophet in Islam, and recounts his life and mission.
The third most popular name among the general population was Adam, with 1,196 babies given that name. Adam was the first Man, created by God and placed in the Garden of Eden.
Israel’s population increased by 1.1%, reaching 10.027 million at the end of 2024. The year saw the birth of 181,000 children, while 51,400 people died.
But 82,700 Israelis moved out of the country, an unusually large number, presumably due to the war. 23,8000 Israelis returned home and 32,800 new immigrants arrived. While this is cause for celebration, the number of new immigrants was down some 15,000 from 2023.
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