Yiddish Personal Names of Hebrew or Aramaic Derivation

When ratified by the Cataloging Committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries at the 2002 convention (June 23-26), a version of this list will provide the romanization authorized by the Library of Congress for 147 Yiddish personal names. Before ratification, forms in this list may be used in references from authorized headings for Yiddish authors.

Forms given in column 3 below are from Alexander Beider's Dictionary of Ashkenazic given names (Bergenfield, N.J. : Avotaynu, 2001). Authorized forms in column 4 agree with Beider's forms except when these conflict with forms or romanization practice in Uriel Weinreich's Modern English-Yiddish, Yiddish-English dictionary (New York: YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, 1968), LC's primary source for Yiddish romanization. Where Beider's romanization has not been adopted, the form in column 3 is bracketed. For names not found in Beider or Weinreich, equivalents have been supplied by analogy to attested forms.

If an authorized romanization is needed for a name not on this list, contact the Hebraica Cataloging Team c/o jbie@loc.gov.

Note: LC Yiddish romanization practice involves the substation of “ḥ” for Beider’s “kh,” the representation of final ה by “h,” and special characters for certain Hebrew letters: ṿ = consonantal ו, ṭ = ט, ḳ = ק, ś = ש, `s = ת.

Hebrew characters	Present ALA/LC romanization	Beider romanization	Proposed ALA/LC accommodation
אבא	Aba	Abe	Abe
אביגיל	Avigayil	Avigayl	Avigayl
אביעזר	Avi‘ezer	[Aviezer]	Avieyzer^1
אברהם	Avraham	Avrom	Avrom
אדם	Adam	[Odem]	Odem^1
אהרן	Aharon	[Orn]	Arn^1
אחיעזר	Aḥi‘ezer	[Akhiezer]	Aḥieyzer^1
אלחנן	Elḥanan	Elkhonen	Elḥonen
אליה	Eliyah	Elye	Elyeh^1
אליהו	Eliyahu	[Elye]	Elyohu^1
אלימלך	Elimelekh	Elemeylekh	Elemeylekh
אליעזר	Eli‘ezer	Elieyzer	Elieyzer
אלעזר	El‘azar	Elozer	Elozer
אליקים	Elyaḳim	Elyokim	Elyoḳim
אלישבע	Elisheva‘	Elisheve	Elisheve
אלקנה	Elḳanah	Elkone	Elḳoneh
אסתר	Ester	Ester	Ester
אפרים	Efrayim	Efroyem	Efroyem
אריה	Aryeh	Arye	Aryeh
אשר	Asher	Osher	Osher
בינה	Binah	Bune	Buneh
בן ציון	Ben Tsiyon	[Bentsiyen]	Ben Tsien ^1 2
בנימין	Binyamin	Benyomen	Benyomen
בצלאל	Betsal’el	Betsalel	Betsalel
ברוך	Barukh	Borekh	Borekh
ברכה	Berakhah	Brokhe	Brokheh
בת שבע	Bat Sheva‘	[Basheve]	Bas̀ Sheve^2
בתיה	Batyah	Basye	Bas̀yeh
גבריאל	Gavri’el	Gavriel	Gavriel
גד	Gad	God	God
גדליה	Gedalyah	Gdalye	Gdalyeh
גילה	Gilah	Gile	Gileh
גרשון	Gershon	Gershn	Gershn
דבורה	Devorah	Dvoyre	Dvoyreh
דב, דוב	Dov	Dov	Dov
דוד	Daṿid	Dovid	Doṿid
דינה	Dinah	Dine	Dineh
דן	Dan	Don	Don
דניאל	Daniyel	Daniel	Daniel
הדס	Hadas	Hodes ^3	Hodes
הדסה	Hadasah	Hadase	Hadaseh
זאב	Ze‘ev	Zev	Zev
זכריה	Zekharyah	Skharye	Skharyeh
זלמן	Zalman	Zalmen	Zalmen
חוה	Ḥaṿah	Khave	Ḥaṿeh
חזקיה	Ḥizḳiyah	Khiskie	Ḥisḳieh
חיא	Ḥiya	Khiye	Ḥiye
חיה	Ḥayah	Khaye	Ḥayeh
חיים	Ḥayim	Khayem	Ḥayem
חנא	Ḥana	Khone	Ḥone
חנה	Ḥanah	Khane	Ḥaneh
חנוך	Ḥanokh	Khanekh	Ḥanekh
חנינא	Ḥanina	Khanine	Ḥanine
טובה	Ṭovah	Tove	Ṭoveh
טוביה	Ṭoviyah	Tuvye	Ṭuvyeh
ידידיה	Yedidyah	Yedidye	Yedidyeh
יהודה	Yehudah	Yude	Yudeh
יהודית	Yehudit	Yudes	Yudes̀
יהוקים	Yehoyaḳim	Yukim	Yuḳim
יהושע	Yehoshu‘a	Yoshue	Yoshue
יואל	Yo’el	Yoyel	Yoyel
יוחנן	Yoḥanan	Yokhonen	Yoḥonen
יוכבד	Yokheved	Yokhved	Yokhved
יום טוב	Yom Ṭov	[Yontef]	Yon Ṭev^1 2
יונה	Yonah	Yoyne	Yoyneh
יונתן	Yonatan	Yonosn	Yono`sn
יוסף	Yosef	Yoysef	Yoysef
יחזקאל	Yeḥezḳel	[Ikheskzl]	Yịḥezḳl^1
יחיאל	Yeḥi’el	Yekhiel	Yeḥiel
יסכה	Yiskah	Yiske	Yiskeh
יעקב	Ya‘aḳov	[Yakef]	Yanḳev^1
יפה	Yafeh	Yofe	Yofeh
יפתח	Yiftaḥ		Yiftoḥ^4
יצחק	Yitsḥaḳ	[Itskhok]	Yitsḥoḳ^1
יקותיאל	Yeḳuti’el	[Ikusiel]	Yiḳu`siel^1
ירוחם	Yeruḥam	Yerukhem	Yeruḥem
ירחמיאל	Yeraḥmi’el	[Irakhmiel]	Yiraḥmiel^1
ירמיה	Yirmeyah	[Irmye]	Yirmyeh^1
ישמעל	Yishma‘el	[Ishmoel]	Yishmoel^1
ישעיה	Yesha‘yah	[Ishaye]	Yishayeh^1
ישראל	Yiśra’el	[Isroel]	Yiśroel^1
יששכר	Yiśakhar	[Isokher]	Yiśokher^1
כלב	Kalev	Kolef	Kolef
כתריאל	Katri’el	Kasriel	Ka`sriel
לאה	Le’ah	Leye	Leyeh
לביאה	Levi’ah	[Levye]	Levieh^4
מאיר	Me’ir	Meyer	Meyer
מיכאל	Mikha’el	Mikhl	Mikhl
מילכה	Milkah	Milke	Milkeh
מלך	Melekh	Meylekh	Meylekh
מלכה	Malkah	Malke	Malkeh
מלכיאל	Malki’el	Malkiel	Malkiel
מנוח	Manoaḥ	Menoakh	Menoaḥ
מנוחה	Menuḥah	Menukhe	Menuḥeh
מנורה	Menorah	Menoyre	Menoyreh
מנחם	Menaḥem	Menakhem	Menaḥem
מנשה	Menasheh	Menashe	Menasheh
מרדכי	Mordekhai	Mortkhe	Mortkhe
מרים	Miryam	Miryem	Miryem
משה	Mosheh	Moyshe	Moysheh
משולם	Meshulam	Meshulem	Meshulem
נח	Noaḥ	Noyekh	Noyeḥ
נחום	Naḥum	Nokhum	Noḥum
נחמה	Neḥamah	Nekhame	Neḥameh
נחמיה	Neḥemyah	Nehemye	Neḥemyeh
נחמן	Naḥman	Nakhmen	Naḥmen
נחשון	Naḥshon	Nakhshn	Naḥshn
ניסן	Nisan	Nisn	Nisn
נעמן	Na‘aman	Nayman	Nayman
נעמי	No‘omi	Noyme	Noyme
נפתלי	Naftali	Naftole	Naftole
נתן	Natan	Nosn	Nos̀n
סגולה	Segulah	Zgule	Zguleh
עובדיה	‘Ovadyah	Ovadye	Ovadyeh
עוזר	‘Ozer	Oyzer	Oyzer
עטרה	‘Aṭarah	Atare	Aṭareh
עמנואל	‘Imanu’el	Emanuel	Emanuel
עמרם	‘Amram	Amrom	Amrom
עקיבא	‘Aḳiva	Akive	Aḳive
פלתיאל	Palti’el	Paltiel	Paltiel
פנחס	Pinḥas	Pinkhes	Pinḥes
פסח	Pesaḥ	Peysekh	Peyseḥ
פרץ	Perets	Perets	Perets
פתחיה	Petaḥyah	[Psakhie]	P`saḥyeh^1
צבי	Tsevi	Tsvi	Tsvi
צביה	Tsivyah	Tsivye	Tsivyeh
צדוק	Tsadoḳ	Tsodek	Tsodeḳ
צמח	Tsemaḥ	Tsemekh	Tsemeḥ
צפורה	Tsiporah	Tsipoyre	Tsipoyreh
קלמן	Ḳalman	Kalmen	Ḳalmen
ראובן	Re’uven	Ruvn	Ruvn
רבקה	Rivḳah	[Rifke]	Rivḳeh^1
רוחמה	Ruḥamah	Rukhame	Ruḥameh
רחל	Raḥel	Rokhl	Roḥl
רחמן	Raḥaman	Rakhmen	Raḥmen
רפאל	Refa’el	Rifoel	Rifoel
שאול	Sha’ul	Shoyel	Shoyel
שבח	Shevaḥ	Shevekh	Sheveḥ
שבתי	Shabtai	Shapse	Shaps̀e
שושנה, ששנה	Shoshanah	Shoshane	Shoshaneh
שחור	Shaḥor	Shokher	Shoḥer
שכנא	Shakhna	Shakhne	Shakhne
שלום	Shalom	Sholem	Sholem
שלמה	Shelomoh	Shloyme	Shloymeh
שמאי	Shamai	Shame	Shame
שמואל	Shemu’el	Shmuel	Shmuel
שמחה	Śimḥah	Simkhe	Śimḥeh
שמעון	Shim‘on	Shimen	Shimen
שמריה	Shemaryah	Shmarye	Shmaryeh
שמשון	Shimshon	Shimshn	Shimshn
שפרה	Shifrah	Shifre	Shifreh
שרגא	Sheraga	Shrage	Shrage
שרה	Śarah	Sore	Śoreh
תמרה	Temarah	Tamare	Tamareh
תנחום	Tanḥum	Tankhn	Tanḥn

¹ Discrepancy from Beider form to accommodate Weinrich practice.

² If the name in the text is written as one word, romanize as one word.

³Beider gives this form as an equivalent of הדסה.

⁴ Form supplied by Zachary Baker.