Unusual Biblical Baby Names
- Jetur
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"more, increase; row, column, rank"Description:
A rare Biblical name borne by one of the sons of Ishmael (and the grandson of Abraham and Hagar), Jetur derives from either the Hebrew yoter meaning "more, increase" or from the word toor meaning "column, rank". Another possibility however is that it comes from yatar meaning "abundance" and making it a cognate of Jethro.
- Abiel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is my father"Description:
Abiel is a biblical name (he was the grandfather of Saul) that was used by Puritans, particularly in Massachusetts, so it has a long pedigree. Parents are increasingly looking for underused traditional names, and this name, with the great nickname option of Abe, is ripe for more use!
- Philetus
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
Obscure name from the New Testament.
- Enoque
Origin:
Portuguese form of Enoch, HebrewMeaning:
"dedicated"Description:
The Portuguese form of the rising Biblical name Enoch was popular in Brazil from the 1930s up until the 80s. Reminiscent of Enrique, it could perhaps see more use again in the future.
- Amasa
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"burden"Description:
Amasa is a rare Biblical name borne by two figures. One is the son of Abigail and nephew of King David, who named him commander of the rebels. This Amasa met a tragic end when he was murdered by Joab. The other Biblical Amasa was one of the Children of Ephraim.
- Jarah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"honeycomb or honeysuckle"Description:
This Old Testament name feels feminine to a modern English speaker, thought the Biblical Jarah was male. In the most recent year counted, there were seven girls and five boys given the name. With the rise of Biblical boys' names that end in vowel sounds like Noah and Ezra, Jarah may have new possibilities for boys. An alternate spelling is Jarrah, which is also a distinct Arabic name. Jared and Jareth are unrelated but similar-sounding Biblical choices for boys.
- Kandake
Origin:
Greek variation of CandaceMeaning:
"white, pure, sincere"Description:
Greek variation of Candace used in the Bible.
- Ephron
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"fawn-like"Description:
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 border of the land of Judah.
- Jadon
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God has heard"Description:
The authentic Biblical form of a name that has become even more popular alongside Jaden, Jayden, Jaidan et al. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, whose children are named creatively after their parents as Willow and Jaden, helped launch the trend. This spelling peaked at Number 372 in 2003, though it has dropped drastically in usage over the last decade.
- Zerah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"to arise; dawn"Description:
The Biblical Zerah is etymologically related to such names as Zora, which also means dawn. While the vowel sound at the end of the name does not sound as feminine to our modern ear as it once did, thanks to such popular choices as Noah and Joshua, but the downside of Zerah is that it is quite similar to such girls' names as Zara and Sarah.
- Ithai
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"with me"Description:
Uncommon biblical name from the Old Testament.
- Elifaz
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"my God is fine gold"Description:
This unusual Biblical name includes the popular Eli- and the on trend letter Z, which could make it an unexpected alternative to Elijah, Elias, Azariah, or Azriel.
- Menahem
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"the comforter"Description:
Menahem derives from a Hebrew word meaning "the comforter" King Menahem of the Old Testament did not live up to his name — he was one of Israel’s cruelest kings.
- Helah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"rust"Description:
Biblical name from the Old Testament.
- Jescha
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"to behold"Description:
This variation of Iscah connects that biblical name to the Shakespearean Jessica, which it's believed to be the root of. Iscah, a niece of Abraham, is mentioned briefly in the Book of Genesis.
- Mahlon
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"sickly"Description:
Obscure Old Testament name -- he was the son of Naomi and the husband of Ruth -- that's become even more obscure over the past century, perhaps due to its unappealing meaning.
- Adna
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"pleasure"Description:
This obscure biblical name is only mentioned twice in the Bible — first as a divorced Israelite and then as a priest.
- Nekoda
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"marked"Description:
Old Testament name that could work as an alternative to Dakota.
- Tammuz
Origin:
Semitic variation of Dumuzid, SumerianMeaning:
"loyal child"Description:
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.
- Timeus
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"honor"Description:
Variation of Timaeus.