Hebrew Names for Boys

A rare Biblical name that may appeal to fans of Shiloh and Ari, Shimri is borne by a number of minor figures, including a descendent of Simeon, the father of one of David's warriors, and one of the Levites who helped cleanse the Temple in Judah following the reign of King Ahaz. 
 
The name can be interpreted as "guarded", "guard", " guarded by Yahweh" or "guard of Yahweh, Meaning "guarded" or "guarded by Yahweh".

Shimri

Do you love the likes of Raphael, Amadeus, and Azrael but want something rarer? This Hebrew Biblical option, borne by a king of Shinar (also known as Sumar) who appears in the Book of Genesis, has an intriguingly dark meaning, likely coming from amar meaning "talk, command" and aphel meaning "dark, obscure". Other sources link the second element to apilah giving it the alternative meaning of "to cast and command down".

Amraphel

A multicultural and unisex choice, Matara is both a variation of the Hebrew and Arabic Matar ("rain"), and a Sri Lankan place name ("the great ferry; the great crossing"). Used predominantly in India, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Chad, it is a rare name with an approachable feel.
 
From its Arabic and Hebrew roots, it has the cool weather and nature connection, while from its Sri Lankan connections, it is the name of a scared place for Buddhists.

Matara

Eziah was one of the fastest rising names of 2025, while this spelling variation was one of the top debuts. Given to 36 boys, it is most likely inspired by the Biblical Isaiah ("Yahweh is my salvation"), though it also be a spin of Ezra ("Yahweh is help") or Aziah ("God hath made").




Ezaia

Also written as Ben-Hail, this is a rare, Biblical name that appears in Chronicales, an official of King Jehoshaphat. Meaning "son of strength" or "son of bravery". It could be an unexpected way to reach nickname Ben.

Benhail

An Old Testament name and a biblical place name, Havilah has the vibrant meaning "to twist, to dance". It has appeared almost exclusively for girls in the US stats.

Havilah

This Old Testament name feels feminine to a modern English speaker, thought the Biblical Jarah was male.  In the most recent year counted, there were seven girls and five boys given the name.  With the rise of Biblical boys' names that end in vowel sounds like Noah and Ezra, Jarah may have new possibilities for boys.  

An alternate spelling is Jarrah, which is also a distinct Arabic name.  Jared and Jareth are unrelated but similar-sounding Biblical choices for boys.

Jarah

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 28)

Hebrew Boy Names