Lavie—meaning “lion” in Hebrew—was the most popular name given to Jewish boys in Israel over the past year, the Population and Immigration Authority announced Sunday.
The name is a nod to Israel’s June military campaign against Iran—Operation Rising Lion—which left a clear roar on the public.
Muhammad, Yosef, and Adam were the three most popular names for boys among the general population.
About 20% of Israel’s population of 10 million are Arabs.
In the Jewish sector, Lavie is followed by the traditional Biblical names Ariel, meaning “lion of God” in Hebrew, and David.
Among girls, Avigail—who, according to the Bible, married the future King David after her first husband’s death—remains the most popular name both in the general population and within the Jewish sector, followed by Miriam and Libi, Hebrew for “my heart.”
