Bible names for boys have dominated the US popularity list for its entire history, with Biblical names Jacob and Noah taking the top spot for nearly twenty years until recently, when Liam took over. 

Along with Noah and Jacob, other Bible baby names in the Top 25 for boys include James, Benjamin, Elijah, Lucas, Ethan, Samuel, and David. Unique biblical boy names gaining visibility – in the UK and Australia as well as the US – include Asher, Cyrus, Ezra, and Thaddeus. 

Faith and religion have always been an important component of why parents choose Bible names for their sons. Boys' names from the Bible that have ranked highly in the US since the 19th century include John, James, Joseph, and Thomas. These and many other Biblical boys' names have been so widely used over so much time that many people may forget their biblical antecedents.

As parents are searching for uncommon but meaningful names for their sons, the Bible can be a great source of inspiration. Unique Bible names for boys we are hearing more of include Abiah, Azariah, Boaz, Lazarus, Lucius, Phineas, and Zion.

Biblical names for boys are widely used outside the US, too. In the UK, the top Biblical boy names are Noah, Jacob, and Thomas. In Germany, Paul and Elias are the top Bible names for boys, while in France Gabriel and Adam are the most popular boys' names from the Bible.
The first 50 names below, shown in extended versions, are ranked in order of current popularity on Nameberry. More unique names are listed alphabetically below the top bible names for boys.

Access the full range of names for boys via our master page of <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boy names</a>.

Biblical Boy Names

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.

Elam

Like Bethany and Shiloh, a meaningful biblical place-name. 

Gilead

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 roller coasters. In a time when we're seeing more biblical names with chequered associations — Leviathan and Cain spring to mind — Goliath may appeal to some.

Goliath

A rare, unisex Biblical name, with a similar feel to choices like Omar, Haziel, Gideon, and Ofir, but also to Montgomery and Grover. In the Bible, Gomer was both a son of Japheth (and therefore grandson of Noah), and the wife of the prophet Hosea. 
 Once associated mainly with the good natured but very naïve Gomer Pyle, a character from The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer is now linked to the medical abbreviation "Get Out of My Emergency Room", referring to a patient who doesn't appear to be in need of medical care.
 More generally and more derogatively, it might also be used to describe a difficult patient who is often readmitted, or a foolish and incompetent work colleague. And then, there's gomerization, an informal farming term for a type of animal neutering. Not the associations you'd want for a baby, for multiple reasons.

Gomer

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 role model you want for your child.

Haman

Abraham's brother and Caleb's son in the Old Testament, also known as Aran. Haran is one simple and virtually unused Biblical name.

Haran

Old Testament male name and biblical place name.

Havilah

Biblical name -- he was an ancestor of Abraham's -- rarely used today but registered on the U.S. popularity list at the end of the 19th century.  With the rise of other obscure Old Testament names, just might have a shot at revival.

Heber

Latin variation of Eli used in the Old and New Testament.

Heli

Greek name featured in the New Testament.

Herod

Ehud

Hillel the Great was a famous Talmudic scholar, the spiritual and ethical leader of his generation, and his name is greatly honored by parents in Israel and, to some extent, here. 

Hillel

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 clinging to it, along with a little hillbilly feel as well. 

The name belonged to an Old Testament king of Tyre who helped David and Solomon plan and build the temple in Jerusalem, and was a favorite in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, though a couple of well-known bearers dropped it--Ulysses S. Grant was orignially Hiram Ulysses Grant, but he didn't like having the initials H.U.G., and country singer Hank Williams was also born Hiram.

With its definite funk factor, and its friendly nickname Hi, Hiram would make a distinctive choice.

Hiram

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 bearing his name, whose underlying message was a promise of restoration. The Talmud claims that he was the greatest prophet of his generation.
 Hosea Williams was an important civil rights leader. Martin Luther King called him "my wild man, my Castro," in recognition of Williams' skill as an organizer.

Hosea

Old Testament masculine name that could fit in well with contemporary baby names.

Huri

Biblical boy names, from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, with popularity and meanings, pictured by a boy holding a Bible

Biblical boy names

Bible names for boys including Old Testament boy names and New Testament biblical boy names, with meanings, origins, and current popularity (Page 14)

Bible Names for Boys (with Meanings & Popularity)