By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 42 pages
of 42
Hebrew
"oak tree"
Ilana is a name with seemingly endless variations, well used in Israel, sometimes chosen for little girls born on the holiday of TuB'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees. While some sources say Ilana is…
"dark-skinned"
Famous violinist-conductor Pinchas Zuckerman is the most famous modern bearer; the biblical Pinchas was the son of Eleazar and the grandson of Aaron -- both preferable name choices.
"lily"
Susannah is by far the most stylish form of the classic name now that Susan and Suzanne have retired. Susannah has biblical and musical pedigrees, is impervious to trends, and has an irresistible,…
"stone of help"
Ebenezer is the name of a biblical place --the stone set up by Samuel to mark his victory over the Philistines--rather than a person. It was adopted by the British Puritans as a first name and then…
Greek, French, from Hebrew
"gift of God"
One of the relatives on the widely-branching family of John names, Yanis is in the French Top 50 and was a fast rising choice in the UK in 2022, when it went from being outside the Top 1000 to within…
Variation of Athaliah, Hebrew
"the Lord is exalted"
Atalia, also appearing as Athaliah and Atalya, is a biblical name with a gory history but a bright and appealing sound. In step with the current fashion for A-starting and -a-ending names that are…
"ram's horn, ray of light"
Israeli-born singer Keren Ann introduced this traditional Hebrew name to the US, where it could well be mistaken for Karen. Nevertheless, 100 girls were given the name in a recent year.
Hebrew, Swedish
"good, pleasing; beautiful, beloved"
A lively feeling choice with multicultural origins, Tova is both a Hebrew name with a positive meaning and a Swedish variant of Tove, a modern Old Norse name meaning "beautiful, beloved". In Hebrew,…
"God is with my people"
Amiel is a biblical name with lots of connections to those with a creative spirit, including director Jon Amiel, French pop singer Thierry Amiel, and medieval troubadour Gaubert Amiel. Ami (which…
"persecuted"
A rare and single syllable Biblical name with a hint of Jude, Jonah, Jacob, and Joseph about it, Job is a weighty choice that may appeal to those who enjoy both heavily Biblical names and short,…
"deer"
Gentle meaning and bona fide Hebrew history, but feels old-mannish, like Herman and Menashe.
Diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
This Elizabeth nickname has a decidedly retro feel--think Betsy Ross and the Betsy Wetsy doll-- once seen as a perkier, younger-sounding alternative to Betty. But with Betty on the brink of a…
Hebrew place-name
"branch, shoot; watch, guard"
Nazareth, used equally for boys and girls, is one of several place names with religious associations -- Galilee, Jericho --that have been rising in use in recent years. The name may relate to branch…
"lion of god, or strength of god"
Othniel is mentioned in the Bible and Tanakh (in the Book of Judges) where he is the first of the biblical judges mentioned. Othniel was related to Caleb, which might make these two names a nice…
"my father is God"
Colonial Americans used many Biblical names forgotten by modern baby namers; this is an Old Testament descendant of Shem. If Moses and Noah can come back, why not Abimael and brethren?
"delight"
A fairly common Hebrew name without much crossover potential.
Yiddish variation of Eliezer or Lazarus
"God helps"
Lazer has some biblical cred as a form of Eliezer, Eleazar, or Lazarus, all relatives, and it's also a modern bad boy name a la Ranger and Breaker. Our recommendation would be to use one of the…
"cassia tree"
This lively Old Testament nature name (belonging to one of the three beautiful daughters of Job) may be missing from the current US Top 1000 list, but it ranks highly here on Nameberry — making it…
Variant of Alicia or Hebrew
"God is my salvation"
Elisha (ee-LYE-sha) is an Old Testament male name, sometimes borrowed for girls. Pronouced eh-LEE-sha, it is also used as a spelling variant of Alicia or Elysia.
"sickly"
Obscure Old Testament name -- he was the son of Naomi and the husband of Ruth -- that's become even more obscure over the past century, perhaps due to its unappealing meaning.
