Unusual Biblical Baby Names

Biblical name from the New Testament. The Book of Philemon mentions Apphia as a Christian woman in Colossae.

Biblical name from the Old Testament.

Latin variation of Eli used in the Old and New Testament.

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.

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.

Old Testament name of the daughter-in-law of Naomi, now eclipsed by the originally misspelled Oprah. Oprah Winfrey may have made her name more famous than this original Biblical version, but no baby girls received either name in the US last year.

What the Old Testament Rachel originally named Benjamin, before his father changed it; rarely heard today.

Abiah is a gentle, rarely used Old Testament name belonging to Samuel's second son. This makes a good choice for the parent who wants a traditional biblical name that is not overly familiar.

A potential hero name: Crispus Attucks, an African and Native American man, was the first colonist to die for independence in the Boston Massacre.

A rare Biblical name, perhaps due to its slightly gloomy meaning, Chilion was one of Naomi's two sons, referred to alongside his brother Mahlon (meaning "sickly"), the husband of Ruth. He was married to Oprah.

Little-known name from the Old Testament.

Whatever its merits as a name, Haman is a Biblical villain, a member of the Persian king's court who plotted to slaughter the Jews. His plan was foiled by Queen Esther and Haman was hanged. Not a role model you want for your child.

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.

Sharing an etymology with Cleopatra, this masculine form of the name also has biblical ties. Cleopas was one of the men who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus following his resurrection. As a child's name, it has been a rare sight. While it does have an interesting history, it's connection to Cleopatra and obvious nickname Cleo could make it seem too feminine for some.

Sounds like a name from an old science fiction movie -- but this god of letters invented writing, and so might interest parents who are writers or professors.

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.

In the Bible this was the name of a midwife who helped deliver Moses.

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.

An extra zesty variation of Uzi, but not one that comes recommended — it’s strongly associated with the submachine gun.

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!