Nearly 180,000 babies were registered in Israel during Hebrew year 5786, with Mohammed, Ariel and Avigail emerging as the most popular names nationwide, according to figures released by the Population and Immigration Authority ahead of Rosh Hashanah. A true “genocide” with the name Mohammed in the ranking for the top three most popular names!

As of Sunday morning, September 6, a total of 179,398 newborns had been entered into Israel’s Population Registry.

Mohammed ranked first among boys nationwide, followed by Ariel, Yosef, Adam, David, Omer, Rafael, Lavi, Michael and Eitan.

Among Jewish boys, Ariel was the most popular choice. David came in second, followed by Rafael, Lavi, Uri, Michael, Eliya, Eitan, Yehuda and Ari. Ariel has now maintained its position at the top of the Jewish boys’ rankings, having also led the list in 2024.

For girls, Avigail claimed the No. 1 spot both nationwide and among Jewish families. The overall top 10 were Avigail, Miriam, Lia, Libi, Tamar, Yael, Ayala, Sarah, Ella and Naya.

Among Jewish girls, Avigail was followed by Libi, Tamar, Yael, Lia, Ella, Ayala, Sarah, Noa and Naya. Avigail’s continued popularity also mirrors recent years, with the name topping the Jewish girls’ list in 2024 and ranking first in more recent Central Bureau of Statistics data covering babies born that year.

Traditional and biblical names continued to dominate the Jewish rankings. CBS data for 2024 similarly placed David, Levi and Ariel among the leading names for Jewish boys.

Mohammed has also consistently ranked among Israel’s most popular names nationwide, including taking the top spot in 2022, when Adam and Yosef followed.

Jerusalem recorded the largest number of births among Israeli cities, with 23,336. Bnei Brak followed with 8,225 births and Tel Aviv-Jaffa with 7,405. Other cities with high birth totals included Beit Shemesh with 6,974, Ashdod with 4,031, Haifa with 3,421, Rishon LeZion with 3,413, Netanya with 3,343, Petah Tikva with 3,338 and Modi’in Illit with 3,113.

The statistics were released just days before Israel welcomes Hebrew year 5787, with Rosh Hashanah beginning Friday evening.