Bible Names for Boys (with Meanings & Popularity)

  1. Amon
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Arabic, Greek from Egyptian
    • Meaning:

      "the hidden one; invisible"
    • Description:

      In Egyptian mythology, Amon is a major god associated with creation and the air. He was later fused with the Sun god, Ra, and became Amun-Ra.
  2. Theophilus
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "loved by God; friend of God"
    • Description:

      This is a multi-syllabic New Testament relic that could be yet another fresh way to get to Theo. In the beginning of Luke's gospel, he dedicates his words to Theophilus.
  3. Cephas
    • Origin:

      Aramaic
    • Meaning:

      "rock"
    • Description:

      The apostle Simon was called Cephas by Jesus because he was to be the rock upon which the Christian church was to be built. In most versions of the New Testament, Cephas is translated into Petros in Greek, Peter in English.
  4. Jemuel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "day of God"
    • Description:

      The undiscovered Biblical Jemuel -- he was a son of Simeon -- was used for just a handful of boys last year but could be prime for rediscovery now that Old Testament names like Noah and Ethan dominate the Top Ten. And it comes with user-friendly modern nickname Jem.
  5. Ishmael
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God will hear"
    • Description:

      Ishmael is most familiar through "Call me Ishmael," the opening line spoken by the youthful narrator of Moby-Dick. Few American parents have followed that advice, though the Spanish and Arabic spelling, Ismael, ranks at Number 362. With its warm and pleasant sound, though, we could see Ishmael tagging along behind Isaiah and Isaac.
  6. Eliezer
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God helps"
    • Description:

      Eliezer is a Biblical name with an air of antiquity, a distinctive sound, and hint of mystery. The name has been in and out of the US Top 1000 since the 80s, with its most recent appearance being in 2023, when it was given to more than 200 babies.
  7. Zebediah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "gift of Jehovah"
    • Description:

      Biblical names are expanding (literally) as some parents move from Isaiah and Elijah to more elaborate choices with simple short forms, like Jedidiah and Zebediah.
  8. Zimri
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "my music, my praise"
    • Description:

      This unusual and spunky biblical name was one of the Kings of Israel as well as one of Judah's grandsons and has a wonderful meaning. We'd like to see Zimri being used more, and we think it has potential — "traveling lite" names, or 2 syllable names ending in -i, such as Zuri, Ezri, and Rafi are red-hot right now.
  9. Stephan
    • Origin:

      Variant of Stephen
    • Description:

      If you wanted to try to get people to pronounce your son's first name the way Stephen Curry does, this might be a way to do it.
  10. Elon
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "oak tree"
    • Description:

      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 Æ A-12.
  11. Zeb
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Zebediah or Zebulon, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God, exaltation, or little dwelling"
    • Description:

      Short and to-the-point, it turns an ancient biblical name into a friendly cowboy.
  12. Heli
    • Origin:

      Latin variation of Eli, Biblical
    • Description:

      Latin variation of Eli used in the Old and New Testament.
  13. Shama
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "to hear"
    • Description:

      A Hebrew name that appears in the Bible as one of David warriors, Shama means "to hear" or "to listen", linking it to understanding and obedience too. An unexpected way to the nickname Shay perhaps, Shama coincides with the feminine Hindi and Arabic name, Shama, meaning "candle".
  14. Dionysius
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Meaning:

      "god of Nysa"
    • Description:

      Dionysius derives from Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, revelry and fertility. This Romanized spelling has been used for poets, soldiers, and saints throughout the centuries, but is hardly ever seen today.
  15. Shem
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "name"
    • Description:

      This down-to-earth Bible name is surprisingly little-used, considering the popularity of other Old Testament names. Shem was Noah's eldest son, and is the origin of the term Semitic (as in the language family).
  16. Jaziel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God apportions"
    • Description:

      Jaziel and spelling variation Jahziel are unique baby names from the Bible—he was the son of Nephtali and a grandson of Jacob and Leah—that are being rediscovered by a new generation of parents in search of names that are both unusual and traditional. And that middle z adds zest and cool. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015.
  17. Gadiel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "God is my fortune"
    • Description:

      A lesser-known archangel, but the name is probably best known today on comedian Gadiel Del Orte. Thanks to him, and the trend for biblical-sounding names, Gadiel has been rising in recent years.
  18. Elam
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "distant"
    • Description:

      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.
  19. Elihu
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah is God"
    • Description:

      Rarely used in the last two centuries, but might be worth dusting off and holding up to the light.
  20. Esau
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "hairy"
    • Description:

      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, Ezra, and Ethan, it was the name of Jacob's twin brother, son of Isaac and Rebecca in the Bible.

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