11 Unusual Biblical Girl Names

These unusual biblical girl names will stun.
  1. Jemima
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "dove"
    • Description:

      Jemima, the name of a strong and beautiful Biblical daughter of Job, has long been among the chicest choices of aristocratic Brits, most recently ranking at #231 there in 2017. But despite its lovely sound and peaceful meaning, this attractive name hasn't ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1893, no doubt due to the problematic association with racial stereotyping, exemplified by the Aunt Jemima brand of pancakes.
  2. Dinah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God will judge"
    • Description:

      As the song says, "Dinah, is there anyone finer?" Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume.
  3. Dorcas
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "doe, gazelle"
    • Description:

      Classic name used by the Romans, the Puritans, and the Bard, but pretty much taboo today due to the objectionable connotations of both its front and back ends.
  4. Galilee
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "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.
  5. Tirzah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "delight"
    • Description:

      A fairly common Hebrew name without much crossover potential.
  6. Keturah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "incense"
    • Description:

      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.
  7. Atarah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "crown"
    • Description:

      This name of a minor character in the Old Testament, also spelled Atara, has a softly pleasing sound. In the Old Testament, Atarah was a descendant of Judah.
  8. Bithiah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "daughter of Yahweh"
    • Description:

      An Old Testament name, Bithiah is a bit like Tabitha, Keziah, and Beulah in sound, but heard far less often. In the Bible, Bithiah is the name of one of Pharaoh's daughters, often depicted as the one to take Moses out of the Nile. Used occasionally in the US, it was given to 14 girls in 2023 — the highest number on record.
  9. Tzipora
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "bird"
    • Description:

      An important biblical name, being the wife of Moses in Exodus. Has a number of spelling variations, including Tziporah, Zipora(h), Zippora(h), Tzipor and Tzipori. The Yiddish forms are Tzeitl and Tzertel.
  10. Photine
    • Origin:

      Ancient Greek
    • Meaning:

      "light up"
    • Description:

      Deriving from the Greek word phos meaning "light", Photine is a rare choice with a Biblical link. The name of the Samaritan woman in "Jesus and the Woman at the Well" (John 4), Photine is associated with Jesus's mercy and love, and with spreading the word of God.
  11. Zebidah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "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.