Unusual Biblical Baby Names

  1. 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.
  2. Erastus
    • Origin:

      Latinized form of Greek Erastos
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      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 choices.
  3. 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.
  4. Aquila
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "eagle"
    • Description:

      An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation.
  5. Seraiah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Yahweh is ruler"
    • Description:

      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 English speaker, as one of the few unused Biblical names, it could rise in popularity for boys.
  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. 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).
  8. Omri
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "my sheaf"
    • Description:

      Old Testament name of a king of Israel, related to the harvest.
  9. Adah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "ornament"
    • Description:

      Adah is a biblical name twice over—one was the mother of Jabal and Jubal, the other was a wife of Esau. The latter Adah and Esau’s descendants settled in Edom and became the Edomites. Adah is unrelated to the visually similar name Ada, which is Germanic in origin.
  10. Balthasar
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "God protects the king"
    • Description:

      Balthasar was one of the biblical Three Kings who visited the infant Jesus, also used by Shakespeare and in the oil-rich Getty family; offbeat and intriguing. Balthazar is another, equally appropriate spelling.
  11. Mahala
    • Origin:

      Hebrew and Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "tender"
    • Description:

      An interesting and rhythmic name often heard in the Native American community; in fact,in the Gold Rush era in California and Nevada, it was so common that it became a generic English term for a Native American woman.
  12. Neriah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "light of Jehovah"
    • Description:

      Neriah is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah as the father of Baruch and Seraiah ben Neriah. According to the Talmud, Neriah and his sons are all prophets. The name is traditionally associated with Hanukkah, the festival of lights.
  13. Abaddon
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "ruin, destruction"
    • Description:

      An uncommon biblical name, Abaddon is the name of an angel of abyss in the New Testament. A totally cool name for a fictional character perhaps, though on a child it might be too reminiscent of the phrase "a bad 'un" or the word "abandon".
  14. Tiras
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, meaning uncertain
    • Description:

      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 was a grandson of Noah.
  15. Zillah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "shade"
    • Description:

      A light, bohemian-sounding biblical name, mentioned in the bible as a wife of Lamech, one of the first men.
  16. Barnabas
    • Origin:

      Aramaic
    • Meaning:

      "son of consolation"
    • Description:

      Barnabas, whose birth name was Joseph, was one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem, who undertook missionary journeys with Paul the Apostle, His name is a bit Old World compared to the update Barnaby, but could gain some attention as boys' names ending in 's' are enjoying a comeback.
  17. Ram
    • Origin:

      Arabic, Sanskrit, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "archer; pleasing; exalted"
    • Description:

      One of the most familiar, and assertive, names found throughout the Middle East and India, Ram has an assertive and solid air about it. Derived from a number of different origins, in English speaking countries, it may also be considered a word name, associated with a horned male sheep — or a form of computer memory.
  18. Sinai
    • Origin:

      Biblical place name, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "hatred"
    • Description:

      A sacred place to the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religions, Mount Sinai is where Moses received the Ten Commandments and also the name of the peninsula on which the mountain stands.
  19. Ami
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "trustworthy, reliable"
    • Description:

      A masculine name from the Old Testament, but would likely be confused for Amy.
  20. Jarah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "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.

Introducing the Nameberry App

Nameberry App
Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
  • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
  • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
  • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
  • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
Nameberry App Logo