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. 

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]

Avieyzer1

אברהם

Avraham

Avrom

Avrom

אדם

Adam

Odem

Odem

אהרן

Aharon

Orn

Arn1

אוריה

Uriyah

Urye

Uryeh

אחיעזר

Aḥi‘ezer

[Akhiezer]

Aḥieyzer1

איסר

Isar

Iser

Iser

אלחנן

Elḥanan

Elkhonen

Elḥonen

אליה

Eliyah

Elye

Elyeh1

אליהו

Eliyahu

[Elye]

Elyohu1

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

אפרים

Efrayim

Efroyem

Efroyem

אריה

Aryeh

Arye

Aryeh

אשר

Asher

Osher

Osher

בינה

Bineh

Bine

Bineh

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 Sheve2

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

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

Zkharyeh

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

 יאיר

Ya’ir

 Yoyer

Yoyer

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 Ṭev1 2

יונה

Yonah