Unusual Biblical Baby Names

Baruch

Hebrew

"blessed"

Think of this as the Hebrew equivalent of Benedict or Benito; best for observant Jews.

Benaiah

Hebrew

"built by God"

Benaiah is an unusual Biblical choice that can get you to Ben.

Beriah

Hebrew

"in envy"

Unusual biblical name that may be too close in sound to the feminine Mariah.

Buz

Hebrew

"contempt"

A name used in the Old Testament, as well as a variation of Buzz.

Cephas

Aramaic

"rock"

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…

Cleopas

Greek

"glory to the father"

Sharing an etymology with Cleopatra, this masculine form of the name also has biblical ties. Cleopas was one of the men who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus following his resurrection. As a…

Crispus

Latin

"curly-haired"

A potential hero name: Crispus Attucks, an African and Native American man, was the first colonist to die for independence in the Boston Massacre.

Dathan

Hebrew

"fountain"

Obscure Old Testament name that rhymes with (and might be a substitute for) Nathan.

Dionysius

Greek mythology name

"god of Nysa"

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…

Ebenezer

Hebrew

"stone of help"

Ebenezer is the name of a biblical place --the stone set up by Samuel to mark his victory over the Philistines--rather than a person. It was adopted by the British Puritans as a first name and then…

Eder

Basque

"handsome"

This is one Basque name that is very transferable to the American context — and it has a great meaning, too. The feminine version is Eider or Ederne.

Ehud

Hebrew

Biblical judge from the Old Testament.

Elam

Hebrew

"distant"

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.

Elihu

Hebrew

"Jehovah is God"

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

Elon

Hebrew

"oak tree"

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…

Enos

Hebrew

"mankind"

A thundering biblical name - belonging to a grandson of Adam and Eve, also known as Enosh - that hasn't made as much of a comeback as similar Enoch. Enos is also a book in the Book of Mormon, and the…

Ephron

Hebrew

"fawn-like"

Ephron was the Old Testament son of Zohar who sold his field and cave to Abraham to use as a family burial ground. Ephron is also a Biblical place-name, a mountain range that formed the northern…

Erastus

Latinized form of Greek Erastos

"beloved"

The Biblical Erastus was an assistant of Paul's in the New Testament. A name used in the 19th century that has fall off the scope, but may be revived as parents dig deeper for undiscovered Biblical…

Esau

Hebrew

"hairy"

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,…

Esdras

Spanish and Arabic variation of Ezra

As Ezra becomes more popular, so is Esdras being rediscovered. Los Angeles chef Esdras Ochoa was recently named one of the top chefs in the US.