Unusual Biblical Baby Names

Unisex name from the Old Testament, which is very in-keeping with current naming trends for girls.

If you're seeking a biblical name somewhat similar to the popular Samuel but way more distinctive, this could be the one.

Aram is a popular Armenian name with a pleasing sound that became known in this country through the works of William Saroyan, namely the 1940 book of short stories, My Name in Aram, centering on Aram Garoghlanian, a boy of Armenian descent growing up in Fresno, California. Saroyan also named his son Aram.

In Roman mythology, Silvanus was the god of the forests. He protected farmers and fields and was credited with developing a system for marking field boundaries.

Ananias is a New Testament name of three different figures. The two good ones were a high priest and a disciple of Paul. The not good Ananias was the husband of Sapphira who conspired to deceive the apostles and was struck dead.

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.

Parents seeking a distinctive New Testament name might consider this one. Adopted by some Puritans in the seventeenth century, Persis was used in the William Dean Howells novel The Rise of Silas Lapham for the wife of the protagonist.

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

An Old Testament warrior whose name still sounds tough.

Jada is one of those rare names that has a completely different root and meaning in its male and female versions. The male Jada is an obscure Biblical figure, a descendant of Judah. The female Jada is Spanish for jade and is much more common in English-speaking countries.

Rarely used biblical choice -- he's a son of Jacob -- with a bit of a white-bearded image.

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

A name from the ancient world that may get a mixed reception today. On the one hand, festive! On the other hand, fester. In the Bible, Porcius Festus was a Roman official who rubbed up against St Paul. In modern times, this name has had more love in African countries than anywhere else.

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

Abital is popular for boys as well as girls in Israel, but we rarely hear it here. In the Old Testament, Abital was one of King David's wives and the mother of his fifth son.

This Roman name is featured in the New Testament as that of the governor of Judea.

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!

Most famously, the name of a 1920s alley cat.

Biblical name from the Old Testament.

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 Greek, Peter in English.