Biblical Place Names

A rarely used Biblical place-name with a soft and pleasant sound.

In the Bible, Joram and "all his chariots" pass over Zair.

Anatolian city visited by Paul in the Bible, though risks sounding a tad antiseptic.

Similar to but distinct from Samara, this pretty name was chosen for his daughter by rapper LL Cool J. It's the name of an ancient Palestinian city, located in present-day Jordan, and is associated with the Biblical story of "The Good Samaritan" who came from Samaria. Derived from shamar meaning "to guard" this name was chosen for 100 girls in 2023 in the US.

Though this Biblical place name is found among early American settlers, usually as a male name, today it sounds completely feminine. As a place name, its gender is mutable in any case. An unusual and intriguing Biblical option, albeit one with an unhappy meaning.

In the Hebrew bible, Azazel is the name of the place where the scapegoat bearing the Jews' sins during Yom Kippur,was sacrificed. In Christian and Islamic traditions, Azazel is the name of a fallen angel.

It's a place in the Bible but also relates to the name Zebulon.

Transferred from the geographical name, Jerusalem is a sacred city in many religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is given to around a dozen babies of each sex per year in the US.

A minimalist choice, Uz is the Biblical home of Job. It's also the name of a character in the Bible, the father of Aram and the grandson of Shem, as is Uzziah. Uz is one of those names that could go either way depending on the personality of your child: super-cool or scuzzy. Proceed with caution.

Transferred from the geographical name, Jerusalem is a sacred city in many religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is given to around a dozen babies of each sex per year in the US.

Traditional Jewish name and the implement said to have been used by Solomon to cut the huge stones for the building of the Temple.

A rare Biblical name borne by one of the sons of Ishmael (and the grandson of Abraham and Hagar), Jetur derives from either the Hebrew yoter meaning "more, increase" or from the word toor meaning "column, rank". Another possibility however is that it comes from yatar meaning "abundance" and making it a cognate of Jethro.

Lydda is the name of a Biblical town whose similarity to Lydia makes it plausible as a first name. But if you're considering Lydda, we can't help but wonder: Why not just stick with Lydia?

Zorah, the Old Testament home of Samson, is both soft and substantial.

Closely tied to the widow of John Lennon.

Idalah is a town in Zebulon that makes a distinctive first name for a modern girl. Where the boys get most of the ancient yet unusual Biblical names, Idalah is one for the girls' side.

Derived from the name of two places mentioned in the New Testament, Betsaida is the Spanish and Latin American form of Bethsaida, or a variation of Bethesda. As such, its meaning is sometimes contested, with "house of hunting" being most likely, while "house of fishing" and "house of grace" are other possibilities.

A city of the Shephelah that works as a first but you'll be forever explaining why it's not Kayla.