Find out how popular the first name Mahlah has been for the last 1 years (from 2008 to 2008) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Mahlah by gender

Based on the last 1 years of data, Mahlah is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2008, there were 5 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Mahlah.

The history of the first name Mahlah

The name Mahlah is of Hebrew origin and is believed to have its roots in ancient Biblical times. It is first mentioned in the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament as the name of one of the five daughters of Zelophehad, a man from the tribe of Manasseh.

According to the biblical account, the daughters of Zelophehad, including Mahlah, approached Moses and the leaders of the Israelite community to request an inheritance, as their father had no sons. Their petition was granted, and they were given a share of the land, marking an important precedent for women's rights to inheritance in ancient Israelite society.

The name Mahlah is thought to be derived from the Hebrew root "מחל" (m-ch-l), which means "to be sick" or "to be weak." Some scholars suggest that the name may have been given to signify physical frailty or vulnerability, perhaps reflecting the vulnerability of women's position in that era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mahlah outside of the biblical context is in the Talmud, an ancient Jewish text dating back to the 3rd to 5th centuries CE. In the Talmud, Mahlah is mentioned as the name of a female scholar who lived during the Tannaitic period (circa 70-200 CE).

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Mahlah, although it has remained relatively uncommon. One such person was Mahlah Jacobi (1712-1778), a Jewish financier and banker from Germany who played a significant role in the economic affairs of the Hesse-Kassel principality.

Another notable Mahlah was Mahlah Shemesh (1884-1960), an Israeli politician and one of the signatories of the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. She was also a member of the first Knesset (Israeli parliament) and served as the Minister of Labor and Social Services in the 1950s.

In the realm of literature, Mahlah Guttmann (1856-1937) was a German writer and educator who published several works on Jewish history and culture. Her most notable work was "Die Philosophie des Judentums" (The Philosophy of Judaism), published in 1933.

The name Mahlah also appears in the genealogical records of certain Jewish communities, particularly those with roots in the Middle East and North Africa. For instance, there are records of individuals named Mahlah in the Jewish communities of Morocco and Yemen from the 18th and 19th centuries.

While the name Mahlah has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, its biblical origins and connection to the struggle for women's rights in ancient Israelite society have given it a unique significance in Jewish and Israeli culture.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Mahlah was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mahlah, please contact us.

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