Unusual Biblical Baby Names

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.

Ophir

Hebrew

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

Pallu

Hebrew

"distinguished"

Quirky Old Testament name.

Philetus

Greek

"beloved"

Obscure name from the New Testament.

Pontius

Roman

"fifth"

This Roman name is featured in the New Testament as that of the governor of Judea.

Sargon

Hebrew

"true king"

Name of a king featured in the Old Testament.

Seraiah

Hebrew

"Yahweh is ruler"

Seraiah is an Old Testament name attached to several minor Biblical figures. The father of Ezra the scribe was named Seraiah, as was the father of Joab. While Seraiah sounds somewhat feminine to the…

Sharar

Hebrew

"enemy"

Biblical name from the Old Testament.

Talmai

Hebrew

"furrowed"

Talmai is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament, including the father of Maacah, the wife of King David, and one of Anak’s three giant sons. The name Bartholomew can be…

Tammuz

Semitic variation of Dumuzid, Sumerian

"loyal child"

Tammuz is the Semitic variation of Dumuzid, a name from Sumerian mythology. Tammuz is the name of fourth month on the Hebrew calendar, corresponding with June and July on the Gregorian calendar. A…

Timeus

Greek

"honor"

Variation of Timaeus.

Tiras

Hebrew, meaning uncertain

We've been hearing a lot more of Silas and even of Cyrus, which means the obscure Tiras may have a shot at resurrection as a same-but-different name. And you can call him Ti. The Old Testament Tiras…

Tobit

Hebrew

"my good"

A rare alternative to Tobias, with a lesser-known Biblical story. The Book of Tobit is a part of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian canon. It tells the story of the blind Tobit and his son Tobias,…

Uzzi

Hebrew

"Jehovah is my strength"

An extra zesty variation of Uzi, but not one that comes recommended — it’s strongly associated with the submachine gun.

Adna

Hebrew

"pleasure"

This obscure biblical name is only mentioned twice in the Bible — first as a divorced Israelite and then as a priest.

Laban

Hebrew

"white"

An Old Testament name used by the Puritans, less well known than female relatives Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah and as deserving of revival.

Habakkuk

Hebrew

"embrace"

A minor Old Testament prophet, and a (deservedly) even more minor name.

Addar

Hebrew

"mighty one"

The Biblical Addar was a son of King Bela. This obscure name is simple and strong and well-suited to modern life. It feels almost like a cross between Adlai and Asher, two better-known boys' names…

Ephai

Hebrew

"gloomy"

Ephai may have a sad meaning but it's an interesting Biblical alternative to such widely-used names as Eli and Elijah.