Jewish New Year Names: 15 neglected biblical boys

By Linda Rosenkrantz

The surprise top name for boys in 2013 was the Old Testament Noah, followed by the not so surprisingly high-on-the-list Jacob, Ethan, Daniel, Benjamin, David, Joseph, Joshua and Samuel—in other words many of the same biblical boys’ names that have been recycled for eons.

I thought that today, in commemoration of the Jewish High Holy Days, we would shake things up a bit and look at some Bible names that aren’t even in the Top 1000, but might be worthy of some consideration

Abijah— Similar in sound to the popular Elijah, the more unusal Abijah is found several times in the Bible, for both men and women, worn by Kings and Queens of both Judah and Israel. Frequently heard in America’s early days, it belonged to several noted politicians. A related possibility is Abiah.

Adlai—Pronounced either ad-lay or ad-lie, this distinctive biblical name made the Social Security list just three times, all in the 1890s.There has been a three-generation family of notable Adlai Stevensons– the Vice President under Grover Cleveland, his grandson Adlai Ewing Stevenson II—prominent recently on Ken Burns’ _The Roosevelts—_a two-time Democratic candidate for President, and his one-time Illinois Senator great-grandson.

Boaz—An unusual OT name with lots of energy and the great nickname Bo. Boaz is a major figure in the Book of Ruth, as her second husband, and so is a traditional appellation for boys born on Shavuot, when the Bible story of Ruth is read in the synagogue.

Ephron—pronounced EE-fron, and not to be confused with the better known Ephraim—it’s a name that has several meanings: ‘fawn-like’, ‘fruitful’ and ‘singing bird’ –and appears in the Book of Genesis. Also brings to mind the witty Ephron sisters, Nora and Delia.

Esau—The name of the eldest son of Isaac and Rebecca and twin of Jacob edged onto the lower echelons of the popularity list a few times at the turn of the last century. Rarely heard today, could it be a possible successor to Ethan, Eli—or even Sawyer?

Ishmael –“Call me Ishmael” is the opening line of Moby Dick, but not many parents have followed that dictum. The name of Abraham’s first son has been used very sparsely, finding its way to the bottom of the list a few times. There have been Ishmaels in James Fenimore Cooper and Lemony Snicket books; real life bearers include poet Ishmael Reed and producer Ishmael Merchant.

Jemuel—Samuel is a popular classic, Lemuel is heard occasionally, but Jemuel is virtually undiscovered. A biblical son of Simeon, he was one of the seventy who migrated to Egypt with Jacob. Diminutive Jem calls to mind the To Kill a Mockingbird character—a nice association

Jethro—Jethro was the kind and wise father-in-law of Moses–he was married to his daughter Zipporah. The name took on a kind of hayseed Beverly Hillbillies image for a while, but we think it’s time to wipe that away and look to the original meaning of the name—“excellence.” Some will remember the sixties rock group Jethro Tull, named for a British agricultural inventor.

Joah—Joah rhymes with Noah, but is far more distinctive, at the same time also familiar and friendly via its Jo-beginning—a kind of streamlined Josiah. The name Joah was borne by four men in the Old Testament.

Jotham— The youngest of Gideon’s seventy sons, Jotham governed Judah during his father’s illness and later ruled as king. Like his father, he was an enthusiastic builder and constructed numerous towers, forts and cities, making this an appropriate choice for someone in those professions.

Kenan—(pronounced KEE-nan)—is a quite modern sounding name that would easily fit in with all the other K-boys in the playground. A great-grandson of Adam and nephew of Abraham, Kenan died at the age of 910. His name appeared once on the US pop list, in 1997, and is borne today by SNL stalwart Kenan Thompson.

Perez—Perez was the first of twin sons born to Tamar and Judah.It’s a name that would blend in with a Hispanic community, but beware: there is the possibility of people assuming it to be the namesake of celebrity gossip disher Perez Hilton (born Mario).

Shallum—The name of several people in the Old Testament, including a King of Israel and a King of Judah. A Hebrew cousin of the Irish Callum, it could be confused with the greeting/name Shalom.

Tobiah—An authentic alternate to Tobias, Tobiah appears in the Book of Nehemiah as the name of a rebel Hebrew king, and as a name has a bit of a Dickensian novel character feel. Tobiah would fit in well with stylish playmates Isaiah and Josiah.

Zephaniah—A minor prophet in the Bible, scion of a noble family, this name has, despite its length, a breezy, zephyr-like feel. Zephaniah Kingsley was the great-grandfather of painter James McNeill Whistler.

So, which of these names can be redeemed?