Unusual Biblical Baby Names

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.

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.

Azubah is one of those unique baby names from the Bible that is both uncommon and usable, especially given that trendy letter Z in the middle. Azubah's sad meaning may be a strike against it. There were two figures named Azubah in the Bible, one the wife of Caleb and the other the mother of Jehoshaphat (as in Jumping).

Attractive name from the Old Testament. Adino was one of David's "mighty men," though texts do disagree on his name.

A rare alternative to Tobias, with a lesser-known Biblical story.

Intriguing alternative to Jedediah.

Biblical name from the Old Testament.

A place name and feminine given name in the Old Testament. Notable as the place where Rachel was buried, the alternative form, Efrat, is popular in Israel.

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".

Used in Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Croatia, Milka derives from the popular Slavic element milŭ, and is a diminutive form of feminine names containing that element such as Milena, Milanka, and Militsa. Alternatively, in Poland and Finland, it is used as a short form of Emilia, while as a Hebrew name, it might be a variation of Milcah, Malka, or Melech, meaning "royal" or "queen".

Derivative of Shalom and one of the unique baby names featured in the Old Testament.

Greek variation of Candace used in the Bible.

An Old Testament name, Bithiah is a bit like Tabitha, Keziah, and Beulah in sound, but heard far less often. In the Bible, Bithiah is the name of one of Pharaoh's daughters, often depicted as the one to take Moses out of the Nile. Used occasionally in the US, it was given to 19 girls in a recent year — the highest number on record.

One of the wives of King David in the Old Testament.

A Roman forename, and later family name, used for both sexes in ancient times (but more commonly men).

Feminine form of Herod.