Historic and Vintage Names · Classic Baby Names
Old Testament Names
Across 10 pages
of 10
Jehu
Hebrew
"God is he"
A rare Old Testament name that, although short, is resoundingly biblical. It belonged to name the tenth king of Israel, who seized power violently and reigned from about 841 to 814 BCE. Jehu Mountain…
Jephthah
Hebrew
"he opens"
The name of an important figure in the Book of Judges, a judge from Gilead who helped the Israelites defeat the hated Ammonites. Jephthah and its various derivative spellings have seldom been used as…
Jezebel
Hebrew
"not exalted"
Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab in the Hebrew Book of Kings, has long had a bad girl reputation. But in the modern secular world, this is somewhat mitigated by the feminist perspective of her as a…
Joab
Hebrew
"praise Jehovah"
Joab is the biblical name of an advisor of David, who led many military victories, and is surely much more usable than the burdened Job. A similar option is Joah, a possible replacement for Jonah or…
Joash
Hebrew
"fire of god"
An unusual Biblical name with modern appeal, borne by the father of Gideon, a king of Judah, and a son of King Ahab of Israel.
Job
Hebrew
"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,…
Joram
Hebrew
"exalted by God"
Biblical name from the Old Testament, and a nice full form of the sweet nickname Jory.
Jothan
Hebrew
"God is upright"
Jothan or Jotham was both a son of Gideon and a king of Judah in the Bible. One of the biblical boys' names that's still obscure -- though like so many others in this class, it could be rediscovered.
Kezia
Hebrew
"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…
Laban
Hebrew
"white"
An Old Testament name used by the Puritans, less well known than female relatives Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah and as deserving of revival.
Lamech
Hebrew
"strong or low"
The name of two characters in Genesis in the Old Testament, the first being a descendant of Cain, and the second being a descendant of Seth and the father of Noah.
Mahlon
Hebrew
"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.
Manasseh
Hebrew
"to forget"
The biblical Joseph named his oldest son Manasseh to symbolize that he'd forgotten the trials he suffered when his brothers sold him into slavery. Manasseh is the head of one of the Twelve Tribes of…
Menahem
Hebrew
"the comforter"
Menahem derives from a Hebrew word meaning "the comforter" King Menahem of the Old Testament did not live up to his name — he was one of Israel’s cruelest kings.
Michal
Hebrew
"brook"
In the Bible, daughter of King Saul and wife of King David.
Mordecai
Hebrew
"follower of Marduk"
Mordecai, although it has a noble heritage, has never caught on in this country, because of its rather weighty image. Nevertheless, with parents searching for rarer Biblical names that work as…
Naaman
Hebrew
"sweet herbs"
The double a makes it special.
Nadab
Hebrew
"generous"
Biblical name from the Old Testament.
Nahum
Hebrew
"comfort"
An underused Biblical name borne by a New Testament prophet, Nahum feels like a good option for parents looking for a rare but traditional name that fits in with current trends. Derived from the…
Naphtali
Hebrew
"wrestling, struggling"
Rarely used biblical choice -- he's a son of Jacob -- with a bit of a white-bearded image.