The Name Game II

My favorite Hebrew weekly newspaper, Sha'ar L'Matchil (Gateway for the Beginer - offering news in easy Hebrew) recently reported on the most popular names in Israel for 2005 as compiled by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
Top girl's name = Noa, with 3% of baby girls getting that name. (The biblical ark builder, Noah, is pronounced very differently in Hebrew, No-ach).
Top boy's name = Uri, with 2.1% of baby boys getting that name.
Next top boy names:

• Noam (pleasantness)
• Itay
• Ido
• David
• Roi (shepard)
• Amit (friend)
• Yosef (Joseph)
• Moshe (Moses)
• Yonatan (Jonathan)

Next top girl names and their English meanings:

• Shira (song)
• Agam (lake)
• Maya
• Tamar (data palm)
• Roni (happiness?)
• Yael (mountain goat)
• Adi (jewel, precious stone)
• Sarah
• Yovel (jubilee)

And some new girls names that made the list too:

• Elia
• Gaya
• Alma
• Oryan
• Yaheli
• Noya
• Chava
• Liam
• Tohar
• Tair
• Nama

Not many changes in boys names.

In 2005, 144 thousand babies were born in Israel. 23% Muslim, 74% Jewish.

Most popular Muslim names included Mohamed (14%!!), Ahmed, Machmoud, Machmad. The most popular Muslim girl name was Aya. Among Christian boys, the most popular names were Elias (Elijah), George, and Fadi. Among Christian girls: Nicole, Natalie, Maya.

And nope, Cholent's name to be is not on the lists but we're not telling yet!