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270+ Biblical Boy Names

270+ Biblical Boy Names

Biblical boy names have dominated the US popularity list for its entire history, with Bible names for boys Jacob and Noah taking the top spot for nearly twenty years until recently, when Liam took over.

Along with Noah and Jacob, other Bible baby boy names in the US Top 25 include James, Benjamin, Elijah, Lucas, Ethan, Samuel, David, and Asher. Unique biblical boy names gaining visibility — in the UK and Australia as well as the US — include Felix, Cyrus, Ezra, and Thaddeus.

Faith and religion have always been important components of why parents choose Bible names for their sons. Boys' names from the Bible that have ranked highly in the US since the 19th century include John, James, Joseph, and Thomas. These and many other Bible boys' names have been so widely used over so much time that many people may forget their biblical antecedents.

Old Testament names for boys once considered too antiquated for the modern world have become more popular in recent years. More and more baby boys are being given such Old Testament names as Abraham, Moses, Micah, Jonah, and Abel, going far beyond Biblical boy names like Adam, Zachary, and Samuel which were among the first Old Testament boy names to be revived.

Old Testament names are the only Biblical names that Jewish parents consider, whereas Christian names for boys can come from both the Old Testament and New Testament, which includes Jesus Christ.

New Testament boy names becoming more popular include Silas, Jude, Titus, and Luke. James, a classic boys' name from the New Testament, is popular as both a first and a middle name and is beginning to be used for girls. A names from the Bible are popular today for boys: Asher, Abel, Abraham.

As parents are searching for uncommon but meaningful names for their sons, the Bible can be a great source of inspiration. Unique boy names from the Bible we are hearing more of include Abiah, Azariah, Boaz, Lazarus, Lucius, Phineas, and Rufus.

Biblical names for boys are widely used outside the US, too. In the UK, the top Biblical boy names are Noah, Jacob, and Thomas. In Germany, Paul and Elias are the top Bible names for boys, while in France Gabriel and Adam are the most popular boys' names from the Bible.

The names below, with meanings, are ranked in order of current popularity on Nameberry.

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Biblical Names

Boy Names

  1. SilasHeart
    • Origin:

      Aramaic, Latin, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "of the forest; or prayed for"
    • Description:

      Silas is both a mythological and Biblical name, hitting its highest popularity point ever in the US last year. Now ranking firmly in the Top 100, Silas is a longstanding favorite with Nameberry visitors.
  2. FelixHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "happy, fortunate"
    • Description:

      Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.
  3. JudeHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin diminutive of Judah
    • Meaning:

      "praised"
    • Description:

      Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity -- for more than a decade now. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
  4. TobiasHeart
    • Origin:

      Greek from Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is good"
    • Description:

      Tobias is one of a number of s-ending boys' names that are riding a wave of popularity. With its Old Testament-Dickensian feel, it's a name with a distinguished pedigree.
  5. EzraHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "help"
    • Description:

      Ezra has a lot going for it: the strength of its heroic Biblical legacy, its quirky sound, and its fresh but familiar feel. Ezra is now at its highest point ever, but its intuitive streamlined spelling and deep roots could make it a worth successor to Elijah in the Top 10 -- or even to Liam or Noah at Number 1.
  6. JamesHeart
    • Origin:

      English variation of Jacob, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys' baby names, and is the most common male name, counting people of all ages, in the US.
  7. CyrusHeart
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "sun"
    • Description:

      Cyrus is one of those surprising names that have always ranked among the Top 1000 boy names in the US. On an upward trend since the mid-90s, Cyrus now sits in that comfortable place between too popular and too unusual.
  8. AsherHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "fortunate, blessed, happy one"
    • Description:

      In the Bible, Asher was one of Jacob's twelve sons who gave their names to the tribes of Israel. Asher is derived from the Hebrew word osher, which means "happiness." Rabbinical scholars claim that the Asherites lived up to this meaning, as they had the most oil, wisdom, and male children compared to the other tribes.
  9. NoahHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "rest, repose"
    • Description:

      Noah is nearly a patriarch of popular baby names at this point, going from Old Testament graybeard to Top 10 name in 2009, hitting Number 1 in 2013, and now settled into second place in the US for five years.
  10. EthanHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "strong, firm"
    • Description:

      Ethan is a name that succeeds in being at once classic and fashionable, serious and cheery, strong and sensitive. Given a big boost via the name of the Tom Cruise character in the Mission Impossible film series, Ethan has fallen from its peak at Number 2 in 2009 and 2010, but is still popular in the US along with several other countries.
  11. LucasHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin form of Luke
    • Meaning:

      "man from Lucania"
    • Description:

      Lucas is a Top 10 boys' name with a slightly-less-popular almost-identical twin brother, Luke. Like Elijah and Elias, Lucas and Luke come from the same root and have the same meaning and so feel even more popular than they are.
  12. NathanielHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      Nathaniel was derived from the Hebrew name Netan’el, meaning "gift of God," composed of the elements natan, meaning "to give," and ’el, in reference to God. The name is featured several times in the Old and New Testaments, typically spelled Nathanael. In the New Testament, Nathanael is also known by his other name, Bartholomew.
  13. LeviHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "joined, attached"
    • Description:

      In the Old Testament, Levi was the third son of Leah and Jacob, from whom the priestly tribe of Levites descended; in the New Testament, Levi was Matthew's given name before he became an apostle. It is suspected that Levi derives from the Hebrew word yillaweh, meaning "he will join."
  14. ElijahHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Yahweh is God"
    • Description:

      The Top 10 boys' name Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements ’el and yah, both of which refer to God. In the Old Testament, Elijah was the prophet who went to heaven in a chariot of fire, a story sure to inspire any young Elijah.
  15. GabrielHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my strength"
    • Description:

      Gabriel was derived from the Hebrew name Gavri’el, taken from the elements gever, meaning "strong," and ’el, in reference to God. In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is the archangel who heralded the news of Jesus' birth, and appears in Christian, Jewish and Muslim texts. He presides over Paradise, serving as the angel of mercy, life, joy, judgment, truth and dreams.
  16. CalebHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "dog; whole heart"
    • Description:

      Caleb has two potential derivations, the first being from the Hebrew kelev, meaning "dog," and the second from the Hebrew components kal and lev, together meaning "whole heart." In the Old Testament Caleb is one of only two ancient Israelites (Joshua was the other) who set out from Egypt to finally enter the promised land.
  17. IsaacHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "laughter"
    • Description:

      Isaac has shaved off his biblical beard and leaped into the upper echelon of popular boys' names, outrunning cousin Isaiah. A favorite of the Puritans, Isaac has never dipped below Number 400 on the US list of top boy names.
  18. AzrielHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my help"
    • Description:

      Azriel is more masculine than Ariel, more unusual than Israel. Also spelled Asriel and Azrael, Azriel is the name of the Angel of Death in Jewish and Muslim traditions.
  19. SimonHeart
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "he has heard; flat-nosed"
    • Description:

      Simon is pure and simple (not in the nursery rhyme sense), and an appealingly genuine Old and New Testament name that's not overused – making Simon a stylish choice. In the Bible, Simon was the second son of Jacob and Leah and the original name of Saint Peter, as well as the name of several New Testament figures. Historically, Simon Bolivar is known as The Liberator of Latin America.
  20. ThomasHeart
    • Origin:

      Aramaic
    • Meaning:

      "twin"
    • Description:

      Thomas is the Greek variation of the Aramaic name Ta’oma’. It came about because there were too many apostles named Judas; Jesus renamed one Thomas—meaning "twin"—to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot and the Judas also known as Thaddeus. At first, it was used only for priests.