Historic and Vintage Names · Classic Baby Names
Old Testament Names
Across 10 pages
of 10
Ehud
Hebrew
Biblical judge from the Old Testament.
Elam
Hebrew
"distant"
Elam is the name of no fewer than eight Old Testament figures. The most notable was a grandson of Noah whose followers were dubbed the Elamites. Elam is commonly used in Amish communities today.
Eleazar
Hebrew
"God helps"
Eleazar is a distinguished Biblical name--in which it appears several times-- ripe for the picking following the stardom of Eli, Elijah, and other similar names. Eleazar is also a Twilight name,…
Elihu
Hebrew
"Jehovah is God"
Rarely used in the last two centuries, but might be worth dusting off and holding up to the light.
Elimelech
Hebrew
"my god is king"
The name of the late husband of Naomi in the Bible.
Elon
Hebrew
"oak tree"
The boys' name Elon is best known today as the name of Elon Musk, eccentric billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX. With Canadian singer Grimes, Elon Musk has a son with an even more unusual name, X…
Enos
Hebrew
"mankind"
A thundering biblical name - belonging to a grandson of Adam and Eve, also known as Enosh - that hasn't made as much of a comeback as similar Enoch. Enos is also a book in the Book of Mormon, and the…
Esau
Hebrew
"hairy"
A once neglected Biblical name, not seen in the US popularity charts since 1902, Esau has been seeing renewed interest in recent years. Appealing perhaps to those looking for alternatives to Elias,…
Esdras
Spanish and Arabic variation of Ezra
As Ezra becomes more popular, so is Esdras being rediscovered. Los Angeles chef Esdras Ochoa was recently named one of the top chefs in the US.
Gad
Hebrew or Navajo
"fortune; juniper tree"
Simple Biblical name with an auspicious meaning. There are two men named Gad in the Old Testament — one the first son of Jacob and Zilpah, and the other a prophet of King David. Gad can also be used…
Goliath
Hebrew
"exile"
Not a traditional biblical choice, but the Philistine giant isn't a bad character as such, just a champion fighter who lost to the underdog. He has given his name to everything from insect species to…
Hagar
Hebrew
"flight, forsaken"
Hagar is an Old Testament name with an unfortunate association with comic strip character "Hagar the Horrible."
Haggith
Hebrew
"festive"
One of the wives of King David in the Old Testament.
Ham
Hebrew
"hot, warm"
Along with Shem and Japheth, a son of Noah with a name that's almost never used -- for more obvious reasons than those of his brothers.
Haman
Persian
"illustrious"
Whatever its merits as a name, Haman is a Biblical villain, a member of the Persian king's court who plotted to slaughter the Jews. His plan was foiled by Queen Esther and Haman was hanged. Not a…
Haran
Hebrew
"hill, mountain"
Abraham's brother and Caleb's son in the Old Testament, also known as Aran. Haran is one simple and virtually unused Biblical name.
Hazael
Hebrew
"God sees"
This name of an Old Testament king is reminiscent of the woodsy nature name Hazel. Given to just 35 boys in 2024, it could make a similar but less popular option than Top 1000 Azael.
Hephzibah
Hebrew
"my delight is in her"
Hephzibah is an Old Testament name that came into use in the 17th century, but is not often used today. It does have less formal nicknames Eppie and Hepsie, which seem revivable. Hephzibah "Eppie"…
Hiram
Hebrew
"brother of the exalted one"
Hiram is the kind of forgotten biblical name that adventurous parents who wish to move beyond David and Daniel are beginning to reconsider--even though it has bits of its old stiff-collared image…
Hosea
Hebrew
"salvation"
Since so many of the biblical prophet names -- Daniel, Jonah, Nathan, Samuel -- are overused, you might want to consider this distinctive alternative. Hosea was the author of the book of prophesies…