Avigayil and Ariel top Israeli baby names, but surge in ‘Be’eri’ honours kibbutz massacre victims
Avigayil and Ariel were the most popular names given to Israeli Jewish girls and boys born in the past year, but there was a surge of children named Be’eri, after the southern Israeli kibbutz that was decimated during Hamas’s attacks on October 7, Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority said on Monday.
Supernova music festival survivors Astar Moshe, 35, and Shlomi Tobi, 37, with their newborn baby in April 2024. Credit: Rambam Medical Centre.
The announcement comes ahead of Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins on Wednesday at sundown.
According to the ministry, 34 boys and 11 girls were named Be’eri. Be’er is Hebrew for a water well. Be’eri can be translated as “God’s well” or “my well.
More than 100 of Be’eri’s residents were massacred on October 7. Around 30% of the kibbutz’s residents were killed or taken captive that day.
Other communities whose names were given to babies in the past year were Nir, Oz and Erez.
The name Nova saw a small surge, in commemoration of the Nova music festival where 364 people were massacred and 40 others were taken hostage. Of all the locations attacked by Hamas on October 7, the highest death toll was at the music festival.
The most popular Jewish names for boys were Ariel, David and Lavi, while the most popular for girls were Avigayil, Tamar and Yael.
Muhammed remained the most popular Arab name.
Israel’s population stands at around 9,999,000 and is expected to hit 10 million in the next few weeks, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.
