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A hint: This boy’s name is one of the most commonly found in the world.
By World Israel News Staff
Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has released new data on population growth and the most popular baby names in Israel ahead of the upcoming Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana.
The figures, covering the Jewish year that began in September 2025 and ends in September 2026, include data on the names most commonly given to babies, the number of births and the Israeli cities that recorded the highest number of births.
By sheer numbers, Mohammed was the most commonly given baby name in Israel during the past Jewish year. Mohammed is also among the most widely used male names across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the most common name for boys in England and Wales.
The next most popular names in Israel by overall numbers were Ariel, Yosef, Adam and David.
Several of those names are shared across religious communities. Yosef, Adam and David are all names used by members of the three Abrahamic faiths — Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Among Jewish Israelis, Ariel is also notable for being a unisex name given to both boys and girls.
However, when the statistics are broken down by religion and gender, a different picture emerges.
Among Jewish Israelis, Ariel was the most commonly given name for baby boys, followed by David. Rafael ranked third, followed by Lavi.
For Jewish girls, Avigayil was the most popular name. The traditional Hebrew name means “the joy of her father.”
Across all religious groups, Miriam was the second most commonly given name by sheer numbers. The biblical name is used by Jewish, Christian and Muslim families.
Among Jewish girls specifically, Libi — meaning “my heart” — ranked second after Avigayil. Tamar and Yael followed.
The CBS reported that a total of 179,398 babies were born in Israel during the past Jewish year, underscoring the country’s continued population growth.
Jerusalem, Israel’s capital and largest city, recorded the highest number of births, with 23,336 babies born in the city during the period covered by the data.
Bnei Brak, a predominantly ultra-Orthodox city in central Israel, ranked second, with 8,225 births. Tel Aviv-Yafo followed with 7,405 births.
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