Fruma is a Jewish girls’ name, whose meaning is not as straightforward as you might think!

Fruma sounds uncannily like the Yiddish word “frum,” which means “pious” or “devout.” Some scholars take this at face value and explain that this name was given as a wish that the young girl grow up to be pious. According to this approach, Frumet is an outgrowth of this name.

There are also some who claim that the name derives from the German word Frohmut (“joy”) and that it was given as a translation of the Hebrew name Simchah. This is highly improbable, as this name has always been used exclusively by women, and Frohmut is in the masculine form.

Others, however, explain that Fruma is actually an adaptation of Frumet, which comes from Old French and refers to a species of grape.

Common variations include Fruma, Frumie, Frumet and Frimet.