The bible is an excellent, glorious source for inspiration when it comes to naming a baby. Sarah, Jacob, James, and Elizabeth are all examples of names found in the bible. However, these classic names might seem overused to you. As a parent, you want a name that has some uniqueness or significance and we decided to find some of the lesser-known monikers from the bible to share with you.
For every Luke, there’s a Lazarus and for every Nora, there’s a Nebuchadnezzar. There is no shortage of rare or even strange names found in the bible. We took a look through the holy book and found 25 underrated names from the bible that are perfectly suited for your little angel on earth.
25. Bartholomew
Bartholomew was one of the 12 apostles of the New Testament. He evangelized in India and Armenia before being martyred. Bartholomew is a mouthful, but it does have a certain charm to it. Bart is a fun nickname you can use with this boy’s name. Bartholomew means “peaceful.”
24. Selah
Selah was not used as a name in the Bible, but it appears dozens of times at the end of verses in Psalms. The name means “to pause” or “to praise.” Singer Lauren Hill gave her daughter the unique name.
23. Micah
From the Hebrew Mika’el, Micah means “who is like God?” The name is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. We love this name and think it would be an excellent alternative to the ubiquitous Michael.
22. Salome
There are two Salomes in the New Testament. One is the mother of apostles James and John, who also discovered that Jesus had risen from the dead. The other was the step-daughter of King Herod who requested that John the Baptist be beheaded. The name is Aramaic and means “peace.”
21. Thaddeus
Thaddeus has roots in Greek and means “courageous” or “God’s gift.” Judas Thaddeus or Jude was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament.
20. Noa
In the Old Testament, Noa was one of the five daughters of Zelophehad who successfully argued that they should be able to inherit their father’s holdings, even though that was against tradition. Noa is a beautiful Hebrew name that means “movement.”
19. Barnabas
St. Barnabus was an early Christian, mentioned in the New Testament. His feast day falls on July 11. He accompanied St. Paul on many missions. Barnabas means “son of comfort.”
18. Lois
Lois is a Greek name that means “superior.” In the New Testament, Lois was the grandmother of Timothy, who evangelized with Paul. Lois was an extremely popular name for girls in the US until the 1950s.
17. Abel
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Abel was the youngest son of Adam and Eve. He was murdered by his jealous brother Cain. Eeek! The Hebrew name means “breath.”
16. Kezia
In the Old Testament, Kezia was the second of the three daughters of Job born after the end of his suffering. The unique, Hebrew name means “cinnamon.”
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15. Jokim
Jokim was a descendant of Shelah of the tribe of Judah. This unusual name for boys means “Jehovah raises up” or “that makes the sun stand still.”
14. Jael
In the Old Testament, after Deborah defeats the Canaanite army, its captain takes refuge in the tent of Heber the Kenite, whose wife Jael kills the captain with a tent peg. SO, yeah. The beautiful name means “mountain goat.”
13. Zechariah
Zechariah is a prophet and a whole book of the Old Testament. The name appears as that of the father of John the Baptist in the New Testament. Zachary is the English form. The name means “God remembers.”
12. Talitha
Talitha is an Aramaic name that means “little girl.” In the New Testament, Jesus raises a child from the dead, who he calls Talitha. Should we update the name meaning to “little zombie girl”?
11. Hiram
Hiram was the Phoenician king of Tyre. The name means “exalted brother.”
10. Vashti
Vashti was the queen of Persia. Esther replaced her as the wife of King Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther. She is a figure in the Purim story. Astin is the Greek version of her name. The name Vashti was popular in only one decade in the US between 1900 and 1910. The name meaning is unclear but some scholars suggest it means “beautiful.”
9. Jethro
Jethro was the father-in-law of Moses. The name comes from the Hebrew Ithra meaning “excellence.”
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8. Shiloh
Shiloh is mentioned in Genesis as part of the benediction given by Jacob to his son Judah. It refers to a place. The Hebrew name means “peaceful.”
7. Ishmael
Ishmael, a figure in the Tanakh and the Quran, was Abraham’s first son according to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The name means “God will hear.”
6. Eunice
In the New Testament, Eunice was the mother of Timothy, who evangelized with Paul. This cute name is ready to make a comeback after falling from fashion in the 1950s. The Greek name means “good victory.”
5. Abram
God changed Abram’s name to Abraham in Genesis. He is regarded as the founder of both the Hebrews through his son Isaac and the Muslims through his son Ishmael. The name means “high father.” Abram reached 376 in 2013, the most popular it’s been in the US in recent decades.
4. Zillah
In Genesis, Zillah was one of the two wives in the first listed polygamist relationship. The Hebrew name means “shade” or “shadow.” Model, Nia Amey named her daughter Zillah.
3. Abner
Abner was the name of the commander of Saul’s army and appears twice in the New Testament. The name was traditionally popular among Puritans who brought the name to the US. This Hebrew name means “my father is light.”
2. Damaris
Damaris is mentioned in Acts of the Apostles as being a Christian convert in Athens. This Greek name means “calf” or “gentle.” The name enjoyed its most popular year in the US in 2003.
1. Zipporah
Zipporah was the wife of Moses and the daughter of Jethro. This highly unusual Hebrew name means “bird.” This beautiful name would be perfect for a strong-willed girl.
Biblical names can be very exciting and we think these 25 are great examples. It’s so important to many parents that their child has a unique and meaningful name and these all are excellent candidates that do just that.