JERUSALEM (JTA) — Noam was the most popular name for Israeli babies born in 2008.
The name was given to 1,970 boys and 515 girls, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, which released the data in advance of Universal Children’s Day on Friday.
For Jewish Israeli boys, the other most popular names were Itai, Ori, Daniel, Yehonatan, David, Ido, Moshe, Yosef and Yonatan.
For Jewish Israeli girls, the names topping the list were Noa, Shira, Yael, Tamar, Maya, Talia, Sara, Hila, Michal and Adi.
One-quarter of Muslim Israeli boys born in Israel in 2008 were given names derived from the name of the prophet Muhammad, including Muhammad, Ahmed and Mahmoud.
Some 156,900 babies were born in Israel that year.
