Abel הֶבֶל, Ἄβελ m English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Georgian, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
הֶבֶל (Hevel) meaning
"breath". In the Old Testament he is the second son of
Adam and
Eve, murdered out of envy by his brother
Cain. In England, this name came into use during the Middle Ages, and it was common during the Puritan era.
Adah עָדָה f BiblicalMeans
"adornment, ornament" in Hebrew. This is the name of the wives of both
Lamech and
Esau in the Old Testament.
Adam אָדָם, Ἀδάμ m English, French, German, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Romanian, Catalan, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Georgian, Malay, Indonesian, Dhivehi, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical HebrewThis is the Hebrew word for
"man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew
אדם (ʾaḏam) meaning
"to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian
adamu meaning
"to make".
... [more] Ahab אַחְאָב m Biblical, Biblical LatinMeans
"uncle" in Hebrew, from the combination of
אָח (ʾaḥ) meaning "brother" and
אָב (ʾav) meaning "father". This was the name of a king of Israel, the husband of
Jezebel, as told in the Old Testament. He was admonished by
Elijah for his sinful behaviour. Herman Melville later used this name in his novel
Moby-Dick (1851), where it belongs to a sea captain obsessively hunting for a white whale.
Amos עָמוֹס, Ἀμώς m English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical HebrewFrom Hebrew
עָמַס (ʿamas) meaning
"load, burden". Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Amos, which speaks against greed, corruption and oppression of the poor. Written about the 8th century BC, it is among the oldest of the prophetic books. As an English name,
Amos has been used since the Protestant Reformation, and was popular among the Puritans.
Anah עֲנָה f & m BiblicalMeans
"answer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to one female character and two male characters.
Anna Ἄννα f English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Armenian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicForm of
Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the
Hannah spelling instead of
Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized
Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin
Mary.
... [more] Azel אָצֵל m BiblicalMeans
"reserved" in Hebrew. This is both the name of a minor character and a place name in the Old Testament.
Boaz בֹּעַז m Biblical, Hebrew, Dutch, Biblical HebrewMeans
"swiftness" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the man who marries
Ruth. This was also the name of one of the two pillars that stood outside Solomon's Temple (with
Jachin).
Cain קָיִן m Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
קָיִן (Qayin) possibly meaning
"acquired", from the root
קָנָה (qana) meaning "to acquire, to purchase". In Genesis in the Old Testament Cain is the first son of
Adam and
Eve. He killed his brother
Abel after God accepted Abel's offering of meat instead of his offering of plant-based foods. After this Cain was banished to be a wanderer.
Eber עֵבֶר, Ἔβερ m Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"region beyond" in Hebrew, derived from the root
עָבַר (ʿavar) meaning "to pass over, to cross". In the Old Testament he is a descendant of
Shem said to be the ancestor of the Hebrews.
Edna עֶדְנָה f English, Hebrew, BiblicalMeans
"pleasure" in Hebrew, a derivative of
עָדַן (ʿaḏan) meaning "to delight". This name appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha, for instance in the Book of Tobit belonging to the wife of
Raguel. It was borne by the American poet Edna Dean Proctor (1829-1923). It did not become popular until the second half of the 19th century, after it was used for the heroine in the successful 1866 novel
St. Elmo by Augusta Jane Evans. It peaked around the turn of the century and has declined steadily since then, falling off the American top 1000 list in 1992.
Edom אֱדוֹם m Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom Hebrew
אָדֹם (ʾaḏom) meaning
"red". According to the Old Testament,
Esau, who is described as having red skin, was given this name because he traded his birthright for a helping of red broth. The bible goes on to tell that Esau was the founder of the ancient nation of Edom, located to the south of the kingdom of Judah.
Ehud אֵהוּד m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical HebrewMeaning unknown, possibly related to Hebrew
אָחַד (ʾaḥaḏ) meaning
"to unite" or
הוֹד (hoḏ) meaning
"glory". In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the biblical judges. He killed Eglon, the king of Moab, and freed the city of Jericho from Moabite rule.
Elah אֵלָה m BiblicalMeans
"terebinth tree" in Hebrew. This was the name of the fourth king of Israel, as told in the Old Testament. He was murdered by
Zimri, who succeeded him.
Elam עֵילָם m Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means either
"hidden" or
"eternity" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including a son of
Shem who was the ancestor of the Elamite peoples.
Elon אֵילוֹן m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"oak tree" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament this was the name of one of the ruling judges of the Israelites. A notable modern bearer is the entrepreneur Elon Musk (1971-), who was born in South Africa and also holds Canadian and American citizenship (he is not Jewish).
Esau עֵשָׂו, Ἠσαῦ m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
עֵשָׂו (ʿEsaw), which possibly meant
"hairy". In the Old Testament Esau is the elder of the twin sons of
Isaac and
Rebecca. Once when he was very hungry he sold his birthright to his twin
Jacob for a bowl of stew. Later Jacob disguised himself as Esau and received the elder son's blessing from the blind Isaac. Esau, also called
Edom, was the ancestor of the Edomites.
Ezer 1 אֵצֶר m BiblicalFrom Hebrew
אָצַר (ʾatsar) meaning
"treasured". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Seir the Horite. See also
Ezer 2.
Ezer 2 עֵזֶר m Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom Hebrew
עָזַר (ʿazar) meaning
"to help". This is the name of a few minor characters in the Old Testament. See also the unrelated name
Ezer 1, which is spelled differently in Hebrew.
Ezra עֶזְרָא m English, Hebrew, BiblicalMeans
"help" in Hebrew. Ezra is a prophet of the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezra. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. The American poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) was a famous bearer.
Gera גֵּרָא m Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"a grain" in Hebrew. This is the name of several members of the tribe of Benjamin in the Old Testament.
Heli 1 m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatin form of
Eli 1 used in the Old and New Testament. This form of the name is used in most English versions of the New Testament to refer to the father of
Joseph (husband of
Mary) in the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke.
Iddo עִדּוֹ m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
עִדּוֹ (ʿIddo), possibly derived from
עָדָה (ʿaḏa) meaning "to pass by". This is the name of a few characters in the Old Testament, including an obscure prophet who lived during the reign of
Solomon and the grandfather of the prophet
Zechariah.
Jada 2 יָדָע m BiblicalMeans
"he knows" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Jada is a son of Onam.
Jael יָעֵל f Biblical, Biblical PortugueseFrom the Hebrew name
יָעֵל (Yaʿel) meaning
"ibex, mountain goat". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to the wife of
Heber the Kenite. After Sisera, the captain of the Canaanite army, was defeated in battle by
Deborah and
Barak he took refuge in Heber's tent. When he fell asleep Jael killed him by hammering a tent peg into his head.
Jehu יְהוּא m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is he" in Hebrew, from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
הוּא (hu) meaning "he". In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Israel. He ruled in the 9th century BC, coming to power by overthrowing
Jehoram. This was also the name of a prophet during the reign of the king Baasha.
Joab יוֹאָב m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is father" in Hebrew, from
יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and
אָב (ʾav) meaning "father". According to the Old Testament, he was the commander of King
David's army. In separate incidents he killed both
Abner and
Absalom. When
Solomon came to power he was executed.
Joah יוֹאָח m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is brother" in Hebrew, from
יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and
אָח (ʾaḥ) meaning "brother". This is the name of four people in the Old Testament.
Joel יוֹאֵל m English, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹאֵל (Yoʾel) meaning
"Yahweh is God", from the elements
יוֹ (yo) and
אֵל (ʾel), both referring to the Hebrew God. Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Joel, which describes a plague of locusts. In England, it was first used as a Christian name after the Protestant Reformation.
John m English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, BiblicalEnglish form of
Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ἰωάννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name
יוֹחָנָן (Yoḥanan). It means
"Yahweh is gracious", from the roots
יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and
חָנַן (ḥanan) meaning "to be gracious". The Hebrew form occurs in the Old Testament (spelled
Johanan or
Jehohanan in the English version), but this name owes its popularity to two New Testament characters, both highly revered saints. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who is considered the forerunner of
Jesus. He baptized Jesus and was later executed by
Herod Antipas. The second is the apostle John, who is traditionally regarded as the author of the fourth gospel and Revelation. With the apostles
Peter and
James (John's brother), he was part of the inner circle of Jesus.
... [more] Jude 1 m English, BiblicalVariant of
Judas. It is used in many English versions of the New Testament to denote the second apostle named Judas, in order to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. He was supposedly the author of the Epistle of Jude. In the English-speaking world,
Jude has occasionally been used as a given name since the time of the Protestant Reformation.
Lael לָאֵל m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"of God" in Hebrew. This is the name of the father of Eliasaph in the Old Testament. It is misspelled as
Δαήλ (Dael) in the Greek translation, the Septuagint.
Leah לֵאָה f English, Hebrew, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
לֵאָה (Leʾa), which was probably derived from the Hebrew word
לָאָה (laʾa) meaning
"weary, grieved". Alternatively it might be related to Akkadian
littu meaning
"cow". In the Old Testament Leah is the first wife of
Jacob and the mother of seven of his children. Jacob's other wife was Leah's younger sister
Rachel, whom he preferred. Leah later offered Jacob her handmaid
Zilpah in order for him to conceive more children.
... [more] Levi לֵוִי m Hebrew, English, Dutch, German, Biblical, Biblical LatinPossibly means
"joined, attached" in Hebrew. As told in the Old Testament, Levi was the third son of
Jacob and
Leah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites, known as the Levites. This was the tribe that formed the priestly class of the Israelites. The brothers
Moses and
Aaron were members. This name also occurs in the New Testament, where it is borne by a son of
Alphaeus. He might be the same person as the apostle
Matthew.
... [more] Lois 1 Λωΐς f English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekPossibly derived from Greek
λωίων (loion) meaning
"more desirable" or
"better". Lois is mentioned in the New Testament as the mother of
Eunice and the grandmother of
Timothy. As an English name, it came into use after the Protestant Reformation. In fiction, this is the name of the girlfriend of the comic book hero Superman.
Luke m English, BiblicalEnglish form of Latin
Lucas, from the Greek name
Λουκᾶς (Loukas), probably a shortened form of
Λουκανός (Loukanos) meaning
"from Lucania", Lucania being a region in southern Italy. Luke was a doctor who travelled in the company of the apostle
Paul. According to tradition, he was the author of the third gospel and Acts in the New Testament. He was probably of Greek ethnicity. He is considered a saint by many Christian denominations.
... [more] Mark m English, Russian, Belarusian, Dutch, Danish, Armenian, BiblicalForm of Latin
Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages,
Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form
Marcus.
... [more] Mary f English, BiblicalUsual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαριάμ (Mariam) and
Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of
Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including
"sea of bitterness",
"rebelliousness", and
"wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from
mry "beloved" or
mr "love".
... [more] Moab מוֹאָב m BiblicalMeans
"of his father" in Hebrew, a derivative of
אָב (ʾav) meaning "father". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Lot. He was the ancestor of the Moabites, a people who lived in the region called Moab to the east of Israel.
Noah 1 נֹחַ, נוֹחַ m English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch (Modern), French (Modern), BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
נֹחַ (Noaḥ) meaning
"rest, repose", derived from the root
נוּחַ (nuaḥ). According to the Old Testament, Noah was the builder of the Ark that allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the Great Flood. After the flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. He was the father of
Shem,
Ham and
Japheth.
... [more] Noah 2 נֹעָה, נוֹעָה f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
נֹעָה (Noʿa) meaning
"motion". In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of
Zelophehad. In English this name is typically spelled the same as the name of the male biblical character
Noah, though in Hebrew they are written distinctly.
Omri עָמְרִי m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"servant" in Hebrew (or a related Semitic language), from the root
עָמַר (ʿamar) meaning "to bind". This was the name of a 9th-century BC military commander who became king of Israel. He appears in the Old Testament, where he is denounced as being wicked.
Paul m English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Romanian, BiblicalFrom the Roman family name
Paulus, which meant
"small" or
"humble" in Latin. Paul was an important leader of the early Christian church. According to Acts in the New Testament, he was a Jewish Roman citizen who converted to Christianity after the resurrected
Jesus appeared to him. After this he travelled the eastern Mediterranean as a missionary. His original Hebrew name was
Saul. Many of the epistles in the New Testament were authored by him.
... [more] Puah פּּעָה f BiblicalMeaning uncertain. According to the Old Testament, Puah and
Shiphrah were midwives who refused Pharaoh's orders to kill any Hebrew boys they delivered.
Ruth 1 רוּת f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
רוּת (Ruṯ), probably derived from the word
רְעוּת (reʿuṯ) meaning
"female friend". This is the name of the central character in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who accompanied her mother-in-law
Naomi back to Bethlehem after Ruth's husband died. There she met and married
Boaz. She was an ancestor of King
David.
... [more] Saul שָׁאוּל m Biblical, Jewish, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
שָׁאוּל (Shaʾul) meaning
"asked for, prayed for". This was the name of the first king of Israel, as told in the Old Testament. Before the end of his reign he lost favour with God, and after a defeat by the Philistines he was succeeded by
David as king. In the New Testament, Saul was the original Hebrew name of the apostle
Paul.
Uzzi עֻזִּי m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"my power" in Hebrew, a possessive form of
עֹז (ʿoz) meaning "strength, power". This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.
Ziba 2 צִיבָה m BiblicalMeans
"station" in Hebrew. This is the name of a servant of
Saul in the Old Testament.
Zion צִיוֹן m Jewish, BiblicalFrom the name of a citadel that was in the center of Jerusalem. Zion is also used to refer to a Jewish homeland and to heaven.