Hello berries!! I’m incredibly excited to share my culture with you, and talk about some beautiful Purim inspired names to celebrate the holiday (which begins at sundown.) I hope you enjoy hearing about these as much as I do, and please reply with your opinion on these names. I would love to hear what you think. Chag Purim sameach!!
If you would like to learn more about the holiday of Purim, here’s a link to [name_f]Mayim[/name_f] Bialik (the other [name_f]Mayim[/name_f]) talking about Purim and telling the story.
The incredibly abridged and dramatic retelling starts at 0:56
[name_f]Esther[/name_f] - אֶסְתֵר (Persian) “star”
It may be the most obvious of the Purim names, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful. The holiday of Purim is centered around [name_f]Queen[/name_f] [name_f]Esther[/name_f] and celebrating her bravery, after all. [name_f]Queen[/name_f] [name_f]Esther[/name_f] uses her brilliance to save the Jewish people from annihilation in [name_u]Persia[/name_u], and the name [name_f]Esther[/name_f] is equally spunky, strong, and has a beautiful meaning. #167 in the U.S. as of 2019, [name_f]Esther[/name_f] is widely known and well cherished. [name_f]Esther[/name_f], however, is not the queen’s true name, as she had to hide her Jewish identity from the king. Her Hebrew name is equally as beautiful, and it is…
[name_f]Hadassah[/name_f] - הֲדַסָּה (Hebrew) “myrtle tree”
[name_f]Queen[/name_f] [name_f]Esther[/name_f]’s Hebrew name, [name_f]Hadassah[/name_f] is wonderful and still strongly tied to the holiday of Purim, although it’s less obvious. The U.S. has taken much longer to warm up to [name_f]Hadassah[/name_f], and it was #672 as of 2019. [name_f]Hadas[/name_f], a less frilly variation, is equally as stunning. A great and sneaky way to honor [name_f]Queen[/name_f] [name_f]Esther[/name_f] and her bravery.
[name_f]Malka[/name_f] - מַלְכָּה (Hebrew) “queen”
[name_f]Malka[/name_f] is a unique and beautiful name, and is perfect for Purim, the day we celebrate a queen. It was not in the United States top 1000 as of 2019, meaning it’s a bit more rare than the other names. It’s short, sweet, feminine, and possible nicknames [name_f]Molly[/name_f] and [name_u]Allie[/name_u] make it more approachable. Overall, a lovely and discreet way to honor the heroines in your life. And don’t worry, this is my final name relating to [name_f]Queen[/name_f] [name_f]Esther[/name_f]!!
[name_f]Aliza[/name_f] - עַלִיזָה (Hebrew) “joyful”
Purim is arguably the most joyous Jewish holiday. It’s a mitzvah (good deed) to eat, drink, go to parties, celebrate, and give. That’s why [name_f]Aliza[/name_f] is perfect for Purim. Not only does it mean joyful, but it has a wonderful and spunky sound. An amazing variation to [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Aliza[/name_f] (ah-LEE-za) was slightly behind [name_f]Hadassah[/name_f] in 2019, at #680. It has many wonderful variations, my favorite of which is Alitze. [name_f]Aliza[/name_f] pretty much encapsulates the amazing spirit of Purim.
[name_f]Chaya[/name_f] - חַיָה (Hebrew) “life”
[name_f]Chaya[/name_f] is a beautiful feminization of the name [name_m]Chaim[/name_m] (or Chayyim) meaning “life.” I chose the “life” meaning for two reasons: one, we’re celebrating the Jews’ lives being spared thanks to [name_f]Esther[/name_f]’s cunning, and two, Purim reminds us to enjoy life and have a little bit of fun with it, and that’s especially important to remember (at least for me) in the middle of these crazy times.
I had a lot of fun making this, so I hope you enjoyed it!! 
I love it so much!!
