Hebrew Names for Boys

Likely inspired by popular Ezra, 27 parents used the name Ezryn for their baby boys in a recent count, with alternative spellings Ezren and Ezran being preferred, given to 83 and 69 boys in the same year. The Ezryn spelling appears in the book series Beasts of the Briar by Elizabeth Helen.

Ezryn

A son of Noah in the Bible who is also thought to be an ancestor of the Greek people and the guardian angel of Greece. An alternative to Jason or Jayden, perhaps.

Javan

If you're seeking a biblical name somewhat similar to the popular Samuel but way more distinctive, this could be the one. 

Kemuel

Hillel the Great was a famous Talmudic scholar, the spiritual and ethical leader of his generation, and his name is greatly honored by parents in Israel and, to some extent, here. 

Hillel

Joachim is an undiscovered biblical name with potential, although most modern parents would probably prefer the more lively Spanish version, Joaquin. Like many Old Testament names, it was primarily in use in the seventeenth century, and then became rare. In the Bible Joachim is a king of Judah; according to the Gospel of James, Saint Joachim was the husband of Saint Anne and the father of the Virgin Mary.
 br/>Currently well-used in France, the name Joachim is known in countries and languages around the world and pronounced somewhat differently in each. While American might be most familiar with the Spanish version of the name, Joaquin via actor Joaquin Phoenix, that pronunciation wah-keen is not similar to any of the pronunciations of Joachim, which all have three syllables often with the emphasis on the second.

Joachim

Romi and Romy are used interchangeably, though they have different roots. Both are on the rise especially for girls, given to more than 800 baby girls in the US last year and about 50 baby boys. 

Romi and Romy can also make short forms of any Rom-starting boys' name such as Roman or Romeo or even of a name like Jeremy.

Romi

Anglicized as Judah, this name of a biblical patriarch is given symbolically to boys born on Chanukah; a form of it was spotlighted by violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin. 

Yehudah

Little-used name borne by several biblical figures including a king. It would make an unexpected way to get the nickname Eli - or Kim.

Eliakim

A bright sounding name with a serious and spiritual meaning, Ezelio is a form of Eselias, itself the Greek variation of Hebrew Atsalyahu. It ranked in the US data for the first time in 2024, when it was given to 53 boys.
 
Some sources suggest Ezelio comes from Ezell, contracted from of Ezekiel.

Ezelio

Like its better known cousin Jedidiah, Jebediah is one of those four-syllable Old Testament names that is being shorn of its long white-bearded image, with the help of its modern-sounding Jeb nickname.

 Pop culture references: The Australian alternate rock band Jebediah, and the founder of the Simpson's hometown, Jebediah Springfield.
 Jeb Bush, by the way, was not born Jebediah: J.E.B. are his initials, as in John Ellis Bush.

Jebediah

An international name that, while short and simple, sounds strong and distinctive, stylish and sweet all at once. It may appeal to those who want a name that works in multiple languages, while also feeling fresh and charming.
 
From its Sanskrit roots, Manu means "thinking, wise", while in Hindu tradition is a title of the progenitor of humans. In Polynesian languages, such as Hawaiian and Māori, it means "bird". 
Alternatively, it is the Finnish form of Magnus (meaning "greatest"), while in Spanish, German, French and English, it is a diminutive for the Hebrew names Emmanuel and its variations, giving it the spiritual meaning "God is with us".
 
From its Akan and Ghanaian roots, it refers to a second born child and may also be spelled as Mǎnu.

Manu

An Old Testament name -- he was the eldest son of Joseph -- that's still used in the Jewish community. 

Menashe

This biblical name, pronounced ahr yeh, is a not <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/418/best-cool-unusual-boys-names"</a>uncommon boys' name</a> in Israel. It can also be spelled Aryeh , the most popular form by far, or Arieh. The feminine equivalent is Levi'a. Possible down side: Its similarity to the hot girl name Arya or Aria.

Arye

One of Noah's biblical grandsons, making it a natural to honor a relative with the name of the ark builder. 

Eilam

Tobiah is the original Hebrew form  of the better-known Greek Tobias, to which it could make a distinctive alternative. With its ah ending, Tobiah fits in with other stylish Biblical names today, from Noah to Isaiah to Josiah and Zachariah. And of course, Toby is an adorable nickname.


Tobiah

Pronounced zheel, it's a dashing conquistador; as gill, it's the nice and slightly boring guy down the street. 

An Old Testament name with a Puritan feel and post-Zachary possibilities--one of several routes to the cool nickname Zeb.
 Pike's Peak was named for Zebulon Pike, the best known bearer of the name.
 In the Bible, Zebulon--or Zebulun-- was the son of Jacob and Leah, the ancestor of the tribe of Israel which bore his name and settled around Nazareth. The Zebulunites mustered the single largest army to fight for David's installation as king. 
 Zebulon is the name of a song by Rufus Wainwright, and Margaret Atwood used it for a character in her MaddAddam trilogy. It was also the name of the grandpa on The Waltons.

Zebulon

The name of an Old Testament king, and yet another 'Z' choice from the Bible that still retains some zip, especially with the appealing nickname Zed. Zedekiah was the name of the last king of Judea before the city was destroyed by Babylon.

Zedekiah

Model Trish Goff's Nima is a boy, but the a ending gives this name a feminine feel.

Nima

Biblical names are expanding (literally) as some parents move from Isaiah and Elijah to more elaborate choices with simple short forms, like Jedidiah and Zebediah.
 Zebediah, or Zebadiah, is the New Testament father of apostles John and James, and there are a number of Zebadiahs in the Old Testament as well.

Zebediah

Hebrew boy names have been in continual use for thousands of years, and with good reason: such 

 are all Hebrew boys’ names. In fact, many of the most widely-used boys’ names in English-speaking countries are Hebrew in origin, include recent Number one names Noah and Jacob. 

Along with Noah and Jacob, other 

 include Adam, Asher, Caleb, Elijah, Isaac, Levi, Nathan, and Samuel. 

origins include James, Joseph, and John.



 popular in Israel include Uri — especially among Jewish Israelis — Ariel, Noam, and Eitan.


But some Hebrew boy names are still far off the beaten track. 

Hebrew boy names including meaning and popularity, with Old Testament boy names such as Isaac and Moses and top Hebrew boy names such as Noah and Jacob. (Page 14)

Hebrew Boy Names