Biblical Place Names

Zorah, the Old Testament home of Samson, is both soft and substantial.

Similar to but distinct from Samara, this pretty name was chosen for his daughter by rapper LL Cool J.

Anatolian city visited by Paul in the Bible, though risks sounding a tad antiseptic.

Marah is where the Israelites camped right after they walked through the parted Red Sea. Marah is related to Mara and has the same "bitter" meaning.

A city in Benjamin's territory that makes a perfect first name.

Closely tied to the widow of John Lennon.

Though this Biblical place name is found among early American settlers, usually as a male name, today it sounds completely feminine. As a place name, its gender is mutable in any case. An unusual and intriguing Biblical option, albeit one with an unhappy meaning.

A city of the Shephelah that works as a first but you'll be forever explaining why it's not Kayla.

It's a place in the Bible but also relates to the name Zebulon.

A minimalist choice, Uz is the Biblical home of Job. It's also the name of a character in the Bible, the father of Aram and the grandson of Shem, as is Uzziah. Uz is one of those names that could go either way depending on the personality of your child: super-cool or scuzzy. Proceed with caution.

Idalah is a town in Zebulon that makes a distinctive first name for a modern girl. Where the boys get most of the ancient yet unusual Biblical names, Idalah is one for the girls' side.

Lydda is the name of a Biblical town whose similarity to Lydia makes it plausible as a first name. But if you're considering Lydda, we can't help but wonder: Why not just stick with Lydia?