Masia: Tribulationists

  1. Moses
    • Origin:

      Egyptian
    • Meaning:

      "delivered from the water"
    • Description:

      Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's choice of this white-bearded Old Testament name helped bring it into the modern age, along with brethren Elijah, Isaiah and Isaac. User-friendly nicknames include Moe and Mose.
  2. Noah
    • 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.
  3. Nehemiah
    • Obadiah
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "servant of God"
      • Description:

        For the seriously audacious biblical baby namer who wants to move beyond Elijah and Josiah, this name has considerable old-fangled charm. Obadiah, who gave his name to one of the shortest books in the Bible, was a rich man who had the gift of prophecy. There are several other men named Obadiah in the Bible, as well as a Saint Obadiah. There have been two prominent U.S. senators named Obadiah.
    • Phineas
      • Origin:

        English, Egyptian
      • Meaning:

        "the Nubian"
      • Description:

        Phineas is the English variation of Phinehas, a Hebrew name likely derived from the Egyptian name Pa-nehasi. Pa-nehasi, meaning "the Nubian" can also be translated as "the bronze-colored one." The Egyptians distinguished themselves from their Nubian neighbors through differences in skin tone.
    • Reuban
      • Selah
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "praise, pause"
        • Description:

          The name is derived from the term commonly used in the Book of Psalms, which has a many Hebrew scholars in confusion over its meaning. Given its context in the Bible, Selah is likely to mean "to praise" or "pause and reflect upon what has just been said." Lauryn Hill used this name for her daughter. It is the last word in Anita Diamant's novel The Red Tent.
      • Seth
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "appointed, placed"
        • Description:

          The long-neglected name of Adam and Eve's third son after Cain and Abel, Seth is appreciated for its gentle, understated presence -- and strong middle-name potential. It reached a high of Number 63 in the year 2000.
      • Tamar
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "date palm tree"
        • Description:

          Tamar is a rich, strong Old Testament name sometimes given to girls born on the holiday of Sukkoth, as palm branches were used to make the roof of the sukkah. In the Bible, there are several Tamars, including a daughter of King David and also Absalom's daughter, who is praised for her 'fair countenance'.
      • Tobias
        • 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.