Biblical Names & Meanings

The Christian Bible consists of two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament encompasses the legends, histories, laws, and prophecies of the ancient Hebrew prophets, written from the 12th to the 2nd century BC. Its primary language is Hebrew, from which most of its names originate.

The New Testament chronicles the ministry of Jesus and his early disciples, and contains several epistles written by John, Paul, and others in the 1st-2nd century AD. Originally composed in Greek, it features a diverse array of Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Roman names.

Numerous English translations of the Bible exist. The list of names provided is derived from the Revised English Bible, which utilized the "best available texts of both Testaments," and was informed by two reference works: Nave's Topical Bible and Easton's Bible Dictionary. While primarily consisting of personal names, this list represents only a subset of all biblical names.

NAME	SEX	NAME MEANING	NAME	SEX	NAME MEANING
Aaron	M	“Exalted” or “High Mountain”	Jeremiah	M	“Yahweh will Exalt”
Abaddon	M	“Destruction”	Jeroboam	M	“The People will Contend”
Abednego (Azariah)	M	“Servant of Nebo”	Jesse	M	“Gift; Existence”
Abel	M	etymology uncertain	Jesus	M	“To Save”
Abigail	F	“Wisdom, Discernment, Grace”	Jethro	M	“Abundance”
Abijah	M & F	“My Father is Yahwah”	Jezebel	F	“To Exalt, To Dwell”
Abimelech	M	“Desired Council”	Joanna	F	“God is Gracious”
Abner	M	“Father of Light”	Joash	M	“Fire of Yahweh”
Abraham	M	“The Father is Exalted”	Job	M	“Persecuted, Hated”
Abram	M	“Exalted Father”	Jochebed	F	“To be Glorious”
Absalom	M	“Father of Peace”	Joel	M	“Yahweh is God”
Adah	F	“Adornment”	John	M	“Yahweh is Gracious”
Adam	M	“Earth”	Jonah	M	“Dove”
Adonijah	M	“My Lord is Yahweh”	Jonathan	M	“Yahweh has Given”
Aeneas	M	“Praiseworthy”	Joseph	M	“To Add, to Increase”
Agrippa	M	etymology uncertain	Joshua	M	“Yahweh is Salvation”
Ahab	M	“Father’s Brother”	Josiah	M	“Yahweh Supports”
Ahaz (Ahaziah)	M	“He has Possessed”	Jubal	M	“Stream”
Ahimelech	M	“My Brother is King”	Judah	M	“Praise”
Alexander	M	“Defender of Men”	Judas	M	“Let God be Praised”
Alphaeus	M	“Exchange”	Jude	M	“Thankful”
Amos	M	“Load, Burden”	Judith	F	“Jewish Woman”
Amram	M	“Exalted Nation”	Julia	F	“Youthful”
Anaiah	M	“Yahweh has Answered”	Julius	M	“Downy-Bearded
Ananias (Hananiah)	M	“Yahweh is Gracious”	Kemuel	M	“Raised by God”
Andrew	M	“Masculine Man”	Keturah	F	“Incense”
Antipas	M	Herod "the tetrarch"	Laban	M	“White”
Aquila	M & F	“Eagle”	Lamech	M	“To Make Low”
Arphaxad	M	“Stronghold of Chaldees”	Lazarus	M	“God is My Helper”
Asenath	F	Belonging to the goddess Neith”	Leah	F	“Weary, Grieved”
Asher	M	“Happy, Blessed”	Lemuel	M	For God”“
Augustus	M	“Exalted, Venerable”	Levi	M	“Joined, Attacked”
Azariah	M	“Yahweh has Helped”	Linus	M	“Flax”
Baal	M	“Demons”	Lois	F	“Desirable, Superior”
Balaam	M	“Devourer, Destroyer”	Lot	M	“To Conceal”
Barabbas	M	“Son of the Father”	Lucifer	M	“Bringing Light”
Barnabas	M	“Son of Encouragement”	Luke	M	“Friend, Worker, Follower”
Bartholomew	M	“Son of Talmai”	Lydia	F	“Woman from Lydia”
Basemath	F	“Fragrance”	Mahalath	F	“Lyre”
Bathsheba	F	“Daughter of the Oath”	Malachi	M	“My Messenger”
Belshazzar	M	“Bel Protect the King”	Manasseh	M	“Causing to Forget“
Ben-Hur	M	“Son of Hur”	Mark	M	“Consecrated to the god Mars”
Benjamin	M	“Son of the South”	Martha	F	“The Lady, the Mistress”
Bethuel	M	“Destruction of God”	Mary	F	“Beloved”
Bilhah	F	“Bashful”	Matthew	M	“Gift of God”
Boaz	M	“Swiftness”	Melchizedek	M	“King of Righteousness”
Caiaphas	M	etymology uncertain	Methuselah	M	“Man of the Dart”
Cain	M	“To Acquire, Purchase”	Micah	M	“Who is Like Yahweh”“
Cainan	M	etymology uncertain	Midian	M	“Judge, Cover”
Caleb	M	“Dog; Whole; Heart”	Milcah	F	“Queen”
Canaan	M	“Low, Humble”	Miriam	F	“Beloved”
Candace	F	“Queen Mother”	Moab	M	“Of his Father”
Castor	M	“To Excel, to Shine”	Mordecai	M	“Servant of Marduk”
Chloe	F	“Green Shoot”	Moses	M	“To Draw Out”
Claudia	F	etymology uncertain	Naamah	F	“Pleasant”
Claudius	M	“Lame, Croppled”	Nahor	M	“Snorting”
Clement	M	“Merciful, Gentle”	Nahum	M	“Comforter”
Cleopas	M	etymology uncertain	Naomi	F	“Pleasantness, Sweetness”
Cornelius	M	“Horn”	Naphtali	M	“My Struggle,  My Strife”
Cyrus	M	“Humiliator of the Enemy”	Narcissus	M	“Sleep, Numbness”
Damaris	F	“Calf, Heifer, Girl”	Nathan	M	“He Gave"
Dan	M	“He Judged”	Nebuchad- nezzar	M	“Nebu Protect My Eldest Son”
Daniel	M	“God is My Judge”	Nehemiah	M	“Yahweh Comforts”
Darius	M	“Possessing Goodness“	Nicodemus	M	“Victory of the People”
David	M	“Beloved”	Nimrod	M	etymology uncertain
Deborah	F	“Bee”	Noah	M	“Rest”
Delilah	F	“Delicate, Weak”	Obadiah	M	“To Serve, To Worship”
Demetrius	M	etymology uncertain	Og	M	etymology uncertain
Diana	F	“Divine, Goddesslike”	Omar	M	“Eloquent Speaker”
Dinah	F	“Judged”	Othniel	M	“Lion of God”
Dionysius	M	etymology uncertain	Paul	M	“Small, Humble”
Drusilla	F	etymology uncertain	Peleg	M	“Division”
Eber	M	“Region Beyond”	Perez	M	“Breach, Burst Forth”
Edom	M	“Red”	Peter	M	“Stone”
Ehud	M	“To Unite’	Philemon	M	“Affectionate”
Elam	M	“Hidden, Eternity”	Philip	M	“Friend of Horses”
Eleazar	M	“God has Helped”	Phinehas	M	“Serpent’s Mouth”
Eli	M	etymology uncertain	Phoebe	F	“Bright, Pure”
Elijah	M	“My God is Yahweh”	Pontius	M	“Fifth”
Eliphaz	M	“God is Fine Gold”	Priscila	F	“Steadfast Devotion”
Elisha	M	“My God is Salvation”	Rachel	F	“Beauty, Fertility, Love”
Elizabeth	F	“My God is an Oath”	Rehab	F	“Spacious”
Elon	M	“Oak Tree”	Reba	F	“Connection, Link”
Enoch	M	“Dedicated”	Rebecca	F	“Join. Snare, Tie”
Enosh	M	“Man, Person, Mortal”	Rehoboam	M	“He Enlarges the People”
Ephraim	M	“Fruitful”	Rueben	M	“Behold, a Son”
Er	M	“Awake, Watcher”	Reumah	F	“Exalt, Elevate”
Esau	M	“Hairy”	Rhoda	F	“Rose”
Esther	F	“Star”	Rizpah	F	“Coal, Hot Stone”
Ethan	M	“Solid, Enduring, Firm”	Rufus	M	“Red-Haired”
Eunice	F	“Good Victory”	Ruth	F	“Friend, Companion”
Eve	F	“To Breathe”“	Salome	F	“Peace”
Ezekiel	M	“God will Strengthen”	Samson	M	“Sun”
Ezra	M	“Help”	Samuel	M	“Name of God”
Felix	M	“Lucky, Successful”	Sapphira	F	“Sapphire”
Gabriel	M	“God is My Strong Man”	Sarah	F	“Lady, Princess, Noblewoman”
Gad	M	“Fortune, Luck”	Sarai	F	“My Princess”
Gershom	M	“Exile”	Sargon	M	“King, Legitimate, True”
Gideon	M	“To Cut, To Hew”	Saul	M	“Asked for, Prayed for”
Gilead	M	“Heap of Witness”	Sennacherib	M	“Brother, to Replace”
Gog	M	“Mountain”	Seth	M	“Appointed”
Goliath	M	“Uncover, Reveal”	Shadrach	M	“Command of Aku”
Gomer	M & F	“Complete”	Shealtiel	M	“I have Asked of God”
Habakkuk	M	“Embrace”	Sheba	F	etymology uncertain
Hagar	F	“Flight”	Shelah	M	“That Breaks, unties, undresses”
Haggai	M	“Festive”	Shem	M	“Name”
Ham	M	“Hot, Warm”	Shiloh	M & F	“Tranquil”
Haman	M	etymology uncertain	Silas	M	“Of the Forest”
Hananiah	M	“Yahweh is Gracious”	Simeon	M	“Heard”
Hannah	F	“Favor, Grace”	Simon	M	“God has Heard”
Haran	M	“Hill, Mountain”	Sisera	M	“One that Sees a Horse or Swallow”
Havilah	M	“To Dance, To Circle”	Solomon	M	“Peace”
Hebron	M	“Place of Covenant and Inheritance”	Stephen	M	“That which Surrounds”
Hephzibah	F	“My Delight is in Her”	Susanna	F	“Lily”
Hermes	M	“Pile of Stones, Boundary Marker”	Tabitha	F	“Gazelle”
Herod	M	“Song of the Hero”	Tamar	F	“Date Palm”
Herodius	F	etymology uncertain	Terah	M	“Station”
Hezekiah	M	“Yahweh Strengthens”	Theophilus	M	“Friend of God”
Hiram	M	“Exalted Brother”	Thomas	M	“Twin”
Hosea	M	“Salvation”	Tiglth- Pileser	M	“ My Trust is in the Son of Esharra”
Huldah	F	“Weasel, Mole”	Timothy	M	“To Honor God”“
Ichabod	M	“No Glory”	Titus	M	[etymology uncertain]
Iddo	M	“To Pass By”	Tobiah	M	“Yahweh is Good”
Immanuel Emmanuel	M	“God with Us”	Tubal-Cain	M	“Smith” as in Blacksmith
Isaac	M	“He Will Laugh; He Will Rejoice”	Urban	M	“City Dweller”
Isaiah	M	“Yahweh is Salvation”	Uriah	M	“Yahweh is My Light”
Ishmael	M	“God Will Hear”	Vashti	F	etymology uncertain
Issachar	M	“There is Reward	Zacchaeus	M	“Pure, Innocent”
Jabal	M	“Father who Dwells in Tents with Herds”	Zadok	M	“Righteous”
Jacob	M	“Supplanter”	Zebedee	M	“The Lord has Bestowed”
Jael	F	“Mountain Goat”	Zebulun	M	“Exalted House”
Jairus	M	“He will Enlighten”	Zechariah	M	“Yahweh Remembers”
James	M	“Supplanter, Substitute”	Zedekiah	M	“Yahweh is Righteousness”
Japheth	M	“Enlarged”	Zephaniah	M	“Yahweh has Hidden”
Jared	M	“Descent”	Zerubbabel	M	“Born at Babel”
Jason	M	“Healer; to Heal”	Zillah	F	“Shade”
Jehoiakim	M	“Yahweh Raises Up”	Zilpah	F	“Frailty”
Jehoshaphat	M	“Yahweh has Judged him”	Zipporah	F	“Bird”
Jehu	M	“Yahweh is He”	Zohar	M & F	“Light, Brilliance”