Unusual Biblical Baby Names

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.

Interesting Old Testament name that embraces many traditional female attributes; also name of a place in the Jordan Valley. In the Bible, a daughter of King Ammon and wife of Solomon.

This name has a nice mythological, historical, Three Musketeers-ish ring.

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.

Keturah, the Old Testament name of Abraham's second wife, is a possibility for anyone seeking a truly unusual and interesting biblical name; certainly a lot more distinctive than that of Abraham's first wife, Sarah.

Kids would be more likely to associate this name with the hyperactive meercat in "The Lion King" than with the ancient Greek philosopher or Shakespearean character, which could cause playground problems.

In the Bible, Mahlah was one of five daughters of Zelophehad. The others were Noa, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Noa is popular, Tirzah is sometimes used, and Mahlah has a much better chance of modern revival than Hoglah.

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.

Although this Old Testament name is soft and delicate, it runs the risk of conjuring up the monstrous Godzilla.

In the Old Testament, Jair is a son of Manasseh as well as a judge of the Israelites. Jair is off its 2003 peak but is still hanging on in the Top 1000 and as a simple yet distinctive name with serious history, is worthy of consideration.

Simple Biblical name with an auspicious meaning. There are two men named Gad in the Old Testament — one the first son of Jacob and Zilpah, and the other a prophet of King David.

In the Hebrew bible, Azazel is the name of the place where the scapegoat bearing the Jews' sins during Yom Kippur,was sacrificed. In Christian and Islamic traditions, Azazel is the name of a fallen angel.

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.

Abijah is a truly unusual, truly unisex, truly appealing biblical name. There were several male Abijahs in the Bible, one of them, known as Abijah of Judah, was the fourth king of the House of David, and also a couple of females.

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.

The name of several minor characters in the Old Testament, including a leader of the Tribe of Simeon and a priest involved in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, Elioenai is a rare Biblical choice.

There is some disagreement whether there are one or two figures named Alpheus in the Bible. There's an Alpheus who's the father of James and an Alpheus who's the father of Levi, and if James and Levi are brothers, then that's the same Alpheus. Or not.

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

Israeli-born singer Keren Ann introduced this traditional Hebrew name to the US, where it could well be mistaken for Karen. Nevertheless, 100 girls were given the name in a recent year.

Like Isaiah but looking for a name that's more unique? Asaiah is a name found several times in the Old Testament. Think of it as a blend of Asa and Josiah and a possible substitute for Isaiah. Asaiah entered the Top 1000 in the US for the first time in 2022, and is looking like one of the fresher Biblical choices today.