In the Bible, it's the name of an ancient prophet who was able to withstand Satan. It has gained modest attention in recent years, hitting the US Top 1000 in 2008.
 Abdiel Colberg is a Puerto Rican professional rollerblader.

Abdiel

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.


Abiah

This name's buttoned-up British vibe is what makes it cool - that, and the fact that it was chosen by Anne Bronte as her pseudonym - Acton Bell. That's quite the literary - and may we add feminist - credential for a name. For those with an adventurous edge, Acton is one of the highest peaks in Antarctica.

Acton

Adeline has a lovely, old-fashioned "Sweet Adeline" charm, but has become so popular in the US under so many spellings and variations -- with Adalynn and Adalyn also popular -- that considered together it is far more popular than it first seems. Adorable nickname Addie is also pervasive. 
Adeline originated as a French diminutive of Adele, which came from the Germanic root adal, meaning "noble." Adeline was introduced to England by the Normans in the eleventh century, was very common during the Middle Ages, then vanished until the Victorian Gothic revival. Common variants of Adeline include Adalynn, Adalyn, Adelyn, Adelynn, Adelina, and Adaline.
 Adeline was introduced to England by the Normans in the eleventh century, was very common during the Middle Ages, then vanished until the Victorian Gothic revival.
 The song "Sweet Adeline" Is an old barbershop quartet favorite. JFK's grandfather John F. Fitzgerald, mayor of Boston, made it his theme song, and Mickey Mouse serenaded Minnie with it in a 1929 cartoon.
 Pronounced ad-a-line in America, it's usually ad-a-LEEN in France.

Adeline

Alaric is an ancient regal name that sounds modern enough to be considered. Alaric was a traditional name for the kings of the Ostrogoths, the most famous of whom was Alaric I, the King of the West Goths who sacked Rome in 410. 
 In literature, Alaric was a noble character in P. G. Wodehouse's Blandings Castle novels, the lead character in Alexander Theroux's Darconville's Cat, appeared in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, and was the name of a history teacher on The Vampire Diaries.
 More unusual than Frederic or Roderic, Alaric could make a quaintly quirky path to all the Al and Rick nicknames.

Alaric

The short form Archie is so open and friendly --and very trendy in the British Isles--that some parents are now beginning to consider the formerly fusty Archibald as well. SNL comedians Amy Poehler and Will Arnett are one couple who made this breakthrough choice.
 After being introduced to England in the twelfth century, Archibald became especially popular in Scotland, where it was in the Top 20 until the 1930s, but later took on a stuffy, aristocratic air. In the US, Archibald ranked as high as Number 279 in 1889.
 A notable literary namesake is poet Archibald MacLeish, and Archibald was the full name of both comic-book star Archie Andrews and curmudgeon Archie Bunker. And of course suave Cary Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach.

Archibald

This spelling variation of trending unisex Ari — both diminutives of Hebrew Ariel — means "lion of God".

Arie

A biblical character who was one of David's most valiant warriors and was known for being fast.  But in the modern English-speaking world, this name may be too close to an insulting anatomical word.

Asahel

Augusta is a dignified name reminiscent of wealthy great-aunts, but with the fashion for both August and Gus for boys, Augusta could get some fresh energy. 
 Augusta was the title of honor given to the wives and daughters of Roman emperors, which then morphed into a given name, brought to England by the German princess who became the mother of George III.
 Augusta is also a saint's name and a place name. Her literary Great-Aunt image was formed via the characters Lady Augusta Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, an elderly relative in the Harry Potter books, and Aunts Augusta in both Graham Greene's Travels with My Aunt and P.G Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster novels. 
 Augusta has a choice of two friendlier nicknames--Aggie and Gussie.

Augusta

Aurelia is an ancient Roman name that's become a surprise hit in the contemporary world. A top favorite on Nameberry, it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 70-year absence and continues to climb.
 
Aurelia is the female form of the Latin name Aurelius, an ancient Roman surname. Aurelius is derived from the Latin word aureus, meaning "golden," which was also the name of a gold coin used in Ancient Rome. Aurelius was a cognomen, a third name in Roman culture that often referenced a personal characteristic or trait, likely used for someone with golden hair.
 
The Roman classic Aurelius, from which Aurelia derives, was very common in the Roman Empire and is currently experiencing a resurgence in the US—it re-entered the Top 1000 list in 2012 after a 61-year hiatus. 
 
The name of several minor early saints, Aurelia's sound and feel can be credited for it being on the rise again. Aurora and Oriana are Aurelia cousins you might also want to consider. 
 
Aurelia was the name of the mothers of Julius Caesar, the writer Sylvia Plath, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, in her honor, made it one of his daughter Christina's <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a>.

Aurelia

Alabeth

Alesoune

Billy

Bacy

Bernedicta

Bethiah

As 90s and early 2000s favorite Allie is starting to fall, Callie is feeling extra fresh. Callie is a nickname name that is currently more popular on its own than any of its longer versions. 

Callie was popular in the late 1800s when it was in the Top 200 for several years. However the name fell out of favor, eventually falling off the charts for some time. Callie has been rising again since the 70s, and it is now back in the Top 200 once again.

In the popular show Grey's Anatomy, doctor Callie Torez's full name is the Greek Calliope.

Callie

This frilly Victorian name is a variant of Cecilia and Cecily, with which it might well be confused. Cicely was a surprise choice for comedienne Sandra Bernhard. 
 Literary Cicelys can be found in Sir Walter Scott's "Kenilworth" and the 1925 Dos Passos novel "Manhattan Transfer."
 A distinguished bearer is actress Cicely Tyson. Cicely, or Sweet Cicely is also a herbaceous plant with a strong taste reminiscent of anise,and is sometimes used for medicinal purposes.

Cicely

This ancient feminine form is the kind of name your child will grow into...at least by her fiftieth birthday. 

Clemencia

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.
 <br/
Cordelia is a Nameberry favorite—Number 106 on the site—and it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 60+ year absence. By 2016 it sank below that line again, must to the relief of many Cordelia fans who feared the name would get too popular.
 
If you're torn between Cordelia and the equally lovely Cora, you can always choose Cordelia for long and then call her Cora for short—or Delia, Lia, Del, or even the extremely different Cordie.
 Cordelia also appeared in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, as detective Cordelia Gray in P.D. James's mystery novels, and was promoted by a character on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.
 And then there's that quote from the heroine of Anne of Green Gables: "I would love to be called Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."

Cordelia

Ceclia

One of the flower names, used occasionally in Britain (where it's pronounced DAY-lee-a). It seems to have recovered from what was perceived as a slightly affected la-di-dah air. The flower was named in honor of the pioneering Swedish botanist Andreas Dahl, which means dale.
 In the Victorian language of flowers, Dahlia denotes elegance and dignity.
 In P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves stories, Dahlia is Bertie Wooster's more sympathetic aunt, described as being constructed along the lines of Mae West. Reporter Dahlia Lithwick covers legal matters for the online magazine Slate.

Dahlia

In the New Testament, Damaris was an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by St. Paul. Known for her charitable work, her name was a favorite among the Puritans. Having slid off the bottom of the Top 1000 in 2012, Damaris might be deserving of more attention by parents in search of a New Testament name that is unusual but accessible, especially since girls' names ending in 's' are coming back into fashion. 
 Damaris is a supermodel name via Damaris Lewis; it's currently a Top 100 name in Chile.

Damaris

Editha

Eleazar is a distinguished Biblical name--in which it appears several times-- ripe for the picking following the stardom of Eli, Elijah, and other similar names. 
 Eleazar is also a Twilight name, first appearing in the Stephenie Meyers book Breaking Dawn.
 It's related most closely to Eliezer, which also appears in the Bible many times. The name also belonged to three great Talmudic scholars.

Eleazar

A bit too elephantine for a modern child.

Eliphalet

A major figure in the Old Testament, Enoch was the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather of Noah whose Book of Enoch provides a focal point for ancient Jewish mysticism. Another Enoch was the son of Cain. "Enoch Arden" is a famous poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. On the negative side, British politician Enoch Powell gave the infamously racist Rivers of Blood anti-immigration speech, taking the name out of consideration for many parents in the UK.

Enoch

Ephraim is an Old Testament name we would place high on the list of neglected Biblical possibilities, solid but not solemn.
 In Genesis, Ephraim is the second son of Joseph, and founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The name also appears as characters in Oliver Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield, Charles Dickens's novel Little Dorrit, and in works by Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. More recently, Ephraim Black was a character in the Twilight saga, a shape-shifter who was the great-grandfather of Jacob.
 Father and son violinist and actor Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. and Sr, simplified the spelling.

Ephraim

Experience was used by the Puritans but probably too joke-worthy for a modern child...or teenager. 

Experience

Ezekiel used to be reduced to its nickname Zeke, but modern parents now embrace it in full for its power and dignity. Along with biblical brethren Asher and Ezra, Ezekiel is rising steadily up the popularity charts and is poised to take over for fading first wave Old Testament choices such as Zachary.
 Ezekiel is derived from the Hebrew name Yechezqel, composed of the elements chazaq, meaning "to strengthen," and ’el, referring to God. Ezekiel is a prominent prophet in the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezekiel, predicting the fall of Jerusalem and eventual rehabilitation of Israel. 
 
Ezekiel Cheever is a character in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible. An Ezekiel (nn Zeke) appeared on Wizards of Waverly Place, and is one of the Emanuel brothers to Rahm and Ari. 'Ezekiel' is a signature song of Harry Belafonte. 
 
Both Beau Bridges and Tisha Campbell-Martin have sons named Ezekiel. The growing stardom of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot may push this name even higher.

Ezekiel

Emilene

Eolia

Eudo

Gamel

Gartnait

Helena is one of those classic names that just misses making the US Top 1000 girl names for its entire history, falling off for a single year in 1992. Since then it's been drifting lazily up the charts, and makes a perfect choice if you want a name that both fits in and stands out.
An airier and more elegant version of Helen, Helena was a favorite of Shakespeare, who used it in both All's Well That Ends Well and A Midsummer's Night Dream. 

Historically, Helena was the mother of Constantine the Great (and, supposedly, the daughter of Old King Cole), who became a fourth century saint--Evelyn Waugh wrote his only historical novel, Helena, based on her story.
 British star Helena Bonham Carter and Danish model Helena Christensen have done much to keep the name alive, and it is also remembered via beauty mogul Helena Rubinstein. Helena is also the title of a song by the group My Chemical Romance.
 Helena is a recommended <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' name</a> for those who find the classic version a bit bland.
 HELL-ehn-a is the best modern pronunciation for Helena, but hell-AYN-a or even hell-EEN-a work too.

Helena

This name of an influential Old Testament king of Judah is one that would challenge even the most adventurous biblical name-seeker, but it does have the modernizing short forms Zeke or Kiah. 

Hezekiah

Humphrey is an old name that might have faded completely were it not for that Bogie flair. A royal name in Britain, where it's used somewhat more frequently, Humphrey might just have some life beyond Bogart here, especially with the recent interest in the names of Golden Age Hollywood stars. His first name was the maiden name of his mother, Maud Humphrey, a well-known illustrator who used baby H. as a model.
 Humphrey was brought to England by the Normans and was made famous by Duke Humphrey, the fifteenth century Duke of Gloucester and youngest son of Henry IV, a noted patron of literature, who appears in Shakespeare's Henry IV. In other literature, Humphrey Wasp is a character in Ben Jonson's Bartholomew Fair, and the eponymous hero of Tobias Smollett's early novel Humphrey Clinker. In James Joyce's Finnegans Wake Humphrey Climpden Earwicker represents the everyman.
 Bottom line: An interesting name with a noirish edge.

Humphrey

Hamon

Ichabod, an eccentric Old Testament name, is forever tied to the character of Ichabod Crane -- and worse, the teasing possibilities of "icky bod."  Even its original meaning is a negative.  Skip Ichabod, as if you were ever tempted.

Ichabod

Irby

Jershua

Katharina is an attractive form of Katherine and a great way to update a classic. But English speakers may want to choose the Katerina or Katarina spelling to avoid pronunciation confusion.

Katharina

This lively Old Testament nature name (belonging to one of the three beautiful daughters of Job) may be missing from the current US Top 1000 list, but it ranks highly here on Nameberry — making it one to watch!

 Also spelled Kezia, the name has multiple legitimate pronunciations — from "KEE-szhah" to "KEZ-ee-ah" to "keh-ZYE-ah" — and comes complete with the sweet and sparky nickname Kizzy. A related name is the lovely cinnamon-scented Cassia, which beginning to be discovered by lovers of the fashionable Cas- clan.

Keziah

Kenner

Lettice is still occasionally heard in upper-class British families, but we fear it would cause too much salad-green teasing to be considered in the U.S.  Calling your little Lettice Lettie could help make the name more user-friendly, or go all the way to the original Letitia. 

Lettice

Somewhat flat-footed form; go for the original. 

Lora

Lucille is a name that had long been overpowered by its link to Lucille Ball, with an image of tangerine-colored hair, big, round eyes, and a tendency to stage daffy and desperate stunts. But with the newfound craze for double-L names like Lily and Lila, Lulu and Luna, and as the choice of Lucille by hipster parents Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson, Lucille is breaking free from its old clownish image, moving rapidly up the charts over the past decade after a long nap.
 Lucille has a history that far predates Lucille Ball and the 1950s. It was well used by Christians of the Roman Empire and began to be used in the U.K. and the U.S. in the nineteenth century, making it one of the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/322/classic-baby-names-for-girls">classic names for girls</a>. Reaching as high as Number 27 on the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular names</a> list of 1919—when there was a vogue for French sounding names like Marguerite and Genevieve—Lucille stayed in the Top 40 from 1906 to 1924. This was followed by an almost thirty-year slump starting in 1977, when it fell off the list completely, only to return in 2003.

Lucille

Laodarnia

Loveday

Fun fact: Marion was the birth name of movie star John Wayne. Although commonly thought of as a female name today, it was actually more popular for boys until the late 19th century, and was given to roughly equal numbers of boys and girls throughout the 1970s-2000s.

 
Marion as a male name derives from a French surname related to Marie, which ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Marion

Maud, lacy and mauve-tinted, was wildly popular a hundred years ago but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose Maud again, especially as a middle. Maude is another spelling, associated with actress Maude Apatow.
 
As a British royal name, Maud was the daughter of the youngest daughter of King Edward VII and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who went on to become Queen of Norway. As a lively young girl, she was given the boyish nickname of Harry.

Maud

Mayson

Merrit is a spelling variation of the more usual Merritt.

Merrit

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's choice of this white-bearded Old Testament name helped bring it into the modern age, along with brethren Elijah, Isaiah and Isaac. User-friendly nicknames include Moe and Mose.
 
The biblical story of Moses is, of course, one of the most familiar from the Old Testament -- Moses being found as a baby in the bulrushes, growing up to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and into the Promised Land, then bringing down the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai. 
 
Moshe, as in Israeli statesman Dayan, is the original Hebrew form of the name. In Spanish, it is Moises, and in Yiddish, Moishe.
 
A namesake from the world of sports is NBA Hall of Famer Moses Malone. Mose Allison, meanwhile, is a jazz blues pianist and singer.

Moses

One of many M names -- including Murray, Melvin, Morton, Milton, and Marvin -- given to first-generation Jewish boys to replace the old-fashioned Moses. Now we'd pick Moses over any of them. 
 Myron was the name of an important 5th century BC sculptor and also of several saints. In the US, it was a Top 200 name in the 1930s.

Myron

Margerye

Mehitable

Nehemiah is an Old Testament name used by the Puritans, whose white-bearded image kept it out of favor for centuries, until it suddenly reappeared in 1998, along with the more user-friendly Josiah and Isaiah.
 The biblical Nehemiah was the prophet assigned the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity—which could make it a fitting possibility for an architect or building contractor's boy. 
 In Sir Walter Scott's novel Woodstock, Nehemiah Holdenough is a Presbyterian minister. One modern namesake is football star Nehemiah Broughton.

Nehemiah

Nobel

Everyone says they want an unusual name &mdash; well, if you truly do, this is one with Biblical cred that fits the bill, with the added attraction of the user-friendly nickname of Oz or Ozzie. Ozias is the name of several minor figures in the Bible. Osias is another spelling.


Ozias

Though often Anglicized as Phoebe, Phebe has separate roots. It originated as a variation of Afua, an Akan day name, and commonly used among enslaved people in America.

Phebe

Philippa is a prime example of a boy's name adapted for girls that was common as crumpets in Cornwall, but rarely heard stateside. That was before the advent of royal sister-in-law Philippa Middleton, who goes by the lively nickname Pippa.
 Philippa has still never appeared in the Top 1000 in the US, quite an accomplishment for a classic name that's been around for centuries. It does, however, rank on England's as well as Nameberry's own internal lists.
 
Pippa doesn't rank in the US either, but is far more popular than Philippa in the rest of the English-speaking world. It ranks in the Top 100 in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, and in the Top 200 in England and Scotland.
 
Philippa has been fashionable in England since the fourteenth century when King Edward married Philippa of Hainault. There have been several early Saint Philippas, and it was the name of the wife of Geoffrey Chaucer.
 Novelist Philippa Gregory authored the bestselling historical novel The Other Boelyn Girl.

Philippa

An old name still occasionally heard in the U.K., but still and perhaps forever a foreigner in the U.S.  Can be spelled Ranulf.

Ranulph

Now seen as the chap in the smoking jacket in a 1930s drawing-room comedy, Reginald has actually been on the US popularity list every year since 1880.
 A name that was quite common throughout the MIddle Ages, in the modern era Reginald has been associated—in its nickname form—with star athletes like Reggie Jackson and Reggie Bush, plus it's the birth name of Elton John. In literature, Reginald Wilfer is a character in the Dickens novel Our Mutual Friend; Reginald is also the first name of capable and oh-so-proper butler Jeeves in P.G. Wodehouse's books, and, indeed, it still reflects his pompous image.

Reginald

Roese

This name, once considered overly powerful due to the superhuman strength of the biblical figure, is now an option for parents in search of an unusual route to Sam. But you really don't need that p: Samson will do.

Sampson

Sleek and smart, with a hint of mystique about it, Silas is a recent addition to the US Top 100. Both mythological and Biblical in origin, Silas joins the ranks of Isaiah, Atlas, Elias, and Sebastian: polished and contemporary feeling names with plenty of history. 
The origins of Silas are debated or perhaps multiple. On one hand, it could a simplified form of the Latin Silvanus, meaning “of the forest.” 
In Roman mythology, Silvanus was the god of trees, and his name was originally bestowed on those who lived in forested areas or who worked with wood. This could bring either a hardy, outdoorsy ruggedness to the name or something more mystical, dark, and intriguing. 
On the other hand, Silas could be a Greek form of the Aramaic Seila or of the Hebrew Saul, meaning “asked for” or “prayed for”. 
Its Biblical roots can then be traced to either Saul, the first King of Israel, or to a companion of Paul the Apostle. Later venerated as a saint, Silas was a leading member of the early Christian community, who accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. 
Given as an English name from the 17th century onwards, Silas has a rich literary history. Notably used by George Eliot in Silas Marner and by Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code, Sheridan Le Fanu, Charles Dickens, Robert Frost, Willaim D. Howell, Neil Gaiman, and Mark Twain have also featured a Silas in their work. 
A longstanding favorite and <a href=“https://nameberry.com/popular-names/nameberry/boys”>one of the most searched names on Nameberry</a>, in the ‘real world’, Silas had mostly lingered towards the lower end of the US Top 1000 in the 20th century. 
It did gain some attention in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland in the 2000’s, but it took until the 2010’s for it to make significant moves in the US. Now, it is trending upwards and given to nearly 4000 babies each year. 
Based on its Nameberry popularity, its status as ancient but still fresh, and its similarity in sound or style to popular Elijah, Isaac, Lucas, and Samuel, Silas could continue to climb the charts. 
If you love it, but don’t want to be part of the crowd, you could consider one of Silas’s relatives, such as Sylvan, Sylvester, or Sylvius; alternatively, Linus, Rufus, Caius, Laurence, or Ozias might appeal as less popular options.

Silas

Seabra

In the Plymouth Colony of the seventeenth century, Thankful was the third most popular of the abstract word names.  It disappeared after 1700 and has virtually no chance of returning.

Thankful

Shades of Thurston Howell, the effete millionaire castaway on Gilligan's Island. 

Thurston

Toliver

Tryphena

Once aristocratic British surname yet to be revived.  Vince Vaughn recently gave his son the same double initials as his own when he named him Vernon Vaughn.

Vernon

Violetta is a more vibrantly colored, feminissima form of Violet. It is the name of the heroine of the Verdi opera La Traviata--in fact Violetta was the original title of the work.

Violetta

Vorhees

Waltheof

Walthew

Wolfric

Zema

sierraskye's list "Old Names" of 80 great name ideas: Abdiel - Zema!

Old Names

Most of these are from my own family tree, but some of them are just old names I found interesting. Dates ranging from 1940s and beyond.