390+ Biblical Names (with Meanings and Popularity)
- Atara
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"crown"Description:
Finally, an attractive, undiscovered Old Testament choice for girls.
- Hepzibah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"my delight is in her"Description:
This is a streamlined spelling of the biblical Hephzibah. Hephzibah is an Old Testament name that came into use in the 17th century, but is not often used today. It does have less formal nicknames Eppie and Hepsie, which seem revivable. Hephzibah "Eppie" Cass/Marner is the heroine of George Eliot's novel Silas Marner and Hepzibah Smith is a witch in the Harry Potter series.
- Jarah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"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.
- Syntyche
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"common fate"Description:
Unique baby name featured in the New Testament.
- Adina
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"slender, delicate"Description:
Name of an Old Testament soldier that's been also used as a girls' name in modern Israel. An alternate spelling is Adinah. Some mistake Adina and Adinah to be the root of Dinah, but the Biblical name Dinah is borne by a different figure and has a different meaning. You can consider the modern short forms Dena and Dina as stemming from either Adina or Dinah.
- Jamin
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"right hand"Description:
Jamin is unsurprisingly related to Benjamin, although it did not develop as a diminutive of the name. In the Old Testament, Jamin is a son of Simeon and a grandson of Jacob.
- Jerusha
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"inheritance"Description:
This biblical name of the mother of King Jotham of Judah has an appealing soft Russian accent.
- Naamah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"sweetness, grace, beauty"Description:
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.
- Abidan
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"my father is judge"Description:
In the Old Testament, Abidan was indeed a judge, head of the tribe of Benjamin and a leader at the time of the Exodus. Dan and Ab could work as nicknames. In 2015, there were only five boys in the US given the name.
- Uzzi
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"Jehovah is my strength"Description:
An extra zesty variation of Uzi, but not one that comes recommended — it’s strongly associated with the submachine gun.
- Abiel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is my father"Description:
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!
- Japheth
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"expansion"Description:
This name of a son of Noah, whose descendants were said to have populated Europe, was well used by the seventeenth century Pilgrims. Pronunciation challenges would seem to hinder its chances for resurgence today, but "Ja" names and obscure Old Testament names are both trendy these days, so you never know.
- Athaliah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is exalted"Description:
Unisex name from the Old Testament, which is very in-keeping with current naming trends for girls.
- Seraiah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"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.
- Hillel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"greatly praised"Description:
Hillel the Great was a famous Talmudic scholar, the spiritual and ethical leader of his generation, and his name is greatly honored by parents in Israel and, to some extent, here.
- Galilee
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"the province"Description:
Galilee is a highly unusual place name, Galilee being a large region in northern Israel, the home of Jesus during at least thirty years of his life, and also where he cured a blind man. The Sea of Galilee gets its name from the area.
- Justus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"just"Description:
More unusual than Justin, less word-like than Justice, this New Testament name could make an intriguing choice. After being off the popularity lists from 1904 to 1993, it is now being used in steady numbers.
- Zebidah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"to give"Description:
A rare name from the Old Testament, Zebidah appears in the Bible as the wife of King Josiah and the mother of Jehoiakim. While it has yet to see widespread use, Zebidah combines a number of current trends: a spiky letter Z, a lesser known Biblical option, and boyish-nicknames-for-girls, including Zeb, Zebbie, Zippy, Ziggy and Zed — though Zadie and Zia could be others.
- Jothan
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is upright"Description:
Jothan or Jotham was both a son of Gideon and a king of Judah in the Bible. One of the biblical boys' names that's still obscure -- though like so many others in this class, it could be rediscovered.
- Anan
Origin:
Hebrew, AkanMeaning:
"cloud; fourth-born child"Description:
Little-known name from the Old Testament.