Bible Names for Boys (with Meanings & Popularity)

Festus

Latin

"joyous, festive"

A name from the ancient world that may get a mixed reception today. On the one hand, festive! On the other hand, fester. In the Bible, Porcius Festus was a Roman official who rubbed up against St…

Ephraim

Hebrew

"fruitful, fertile, productive"

Ephraim is an Old Testament name we would place high on the list of neglected Biblical possibilities, solid but not solemn. In Genesis, Ephraim is the second son of Joseph, and founder of one of the…

Cornelius

Latin

"horn"

Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert. Cornelius has some magical…

Rufus

Latin

"red-head"

Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.…

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…

Moza

Hebrew

"fountain, going forth"

Moza is a Biblical name used for two figures, one a son of Zimri, the fifth king of Israel, and the other the son of Caleb and a concubine. This simple but rare name is pronounced with a long o and a…

Nadab

Hebrew

"generous"

Biblical name from the Old Testament.

Naphtali

Hebrew

"wrestling, struggling"

Rarely used biblical choice -- he's a son of Jacob -- with a bit of a white-bearded image.

Narcissus

Greek

"daffodil"

Mythological young man who fell in love with his own image: the first narcissist.

Nebo

Babylonian mythology name

Sounds like a name from an old science fiction movie -- but this god of letters invented writing, and so might interest parents who are writers or professors.

Ammiel

Hebrew

"people of God"

There are four figures named Ammiel in the Bible. The most notable was the father of Bathsheba.

Nekoda

Hebrew

"marked"

Old Testament name that could work as an alternative to Dakota.

Neriah

Hebrew

"light of Jehovah"

Neriah is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah as the father of Baruch and Seraiah ben Neriah. According to the Talmud, Neriah and his sons are all prophets. The name is traditionally…

Nicodemus

Greek

"victory of the people"

This rarely used New Testament name could make an unusual route to the cool nickname Nico. Borne by the person who helps to entomb Jesus following his crucifixion, it has the powerful meaning of…

Ami

Hebrew

"trustworthy, reliable"

A masculine name from the Old Testament, but would likely be confused for Amy.

Obadiah

Hebrew

"servant of God"

For the seriously audacious biblical baby namer who wants to move beyond Elijah and Josiah, this name has considerable old-fangled charm. Obadiah, who gave his name to one of the shortest books in…

Omri

Hebrew

"my sheaf"

Old Testament name of a king of Israel, related to the harvest.

Ophir

Hebrew

Biblical place name and masculine given name in the Old Testament.

Oshea

Hebrew

"salvation"

Variation of Hosea.

Othniel

Hebrew

"lion of god, or strength of god"

Othniel is mentioned in the Bible and Tanakh (in the Book of Judges) where he is the first of the biblical judges mentioned. Othniel was related to Caleb, which might make these two names a nice…