Anglicisation of the Hebrew Aharon. In the Bible, Aaron was the brother of Moses. It is the name of 'the Moor', the lover of Tamora, in Shakespeare's 'Titus Andronicus'. Other famous bearers include TV producer Aaron Spelling, pop singer Aaron Carter and
According to the Bible, Abel has the distinction of being the first murder victim in history, having been slain by his brother, Cain. He was also considered to be the first shepherd or keeper of animals. The Bible indicates that he was the first person to
In Hebrew this is a generic word for 'man' not used as a name, but it is also associated with 'adama' (earth), from which God was supposed to have made the first humans. According to the Bible Adam and Eve were the first humans, and lived in the Garden of
Andrew was a disciple of Jesus and of John the Baptist, who it is said was martyred by being crucified on a cross in the shape of an "X". He became a saint. This symbol is now referred to as Saint Andrew's cross. Andrew was the brother of Peter.
In the Old Testament, Asher was the 8th son of Jacob and the second son of Zilpa, the maid of Jacob’s wife Leah. He was also the founder of the Tribe of Asher.
Benjamin is the anglicized form of the Hebrew Binyamin. In the Old Testament, Benjamin was the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob. Benjamin was the 24th most popular boy's name in the US in 2006, and the 11th most popular in the UK. It is also commonly fou
In the Old Testament, Daniel was a Hebrew prophet and the Book of Daniel contains prophecies concerning the future. Daniel was among the Jews who were taken captive in Babylon. He rose to a high position in the Babylonian government by interpreting the ki
Elijah was a Hebrew prophet who appeared mysteriously during the 9th century B.C.E. and left this earth in a blazing chariot ascending into the heavens. He appears in the Bible in 1 and 2 Kings, and is seen with Moses during the Transfiguration of Jesus.<
Ethan means strong and optimistic, solid and enduring, or permanent. The name Ethan appears eight times in the Hebrew Bible. Ethan the Ezrahite, is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. It may be that Ethan was a cymbal-player in King David's court. He authored
Ezekiel was a major prophet of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, is said to have been a descendant of Joshua by his marriage with the proselyte Rahab. He lived in Jerusalem until the Babylonian conquest and capt
From the Hebrew Yitzchak, meaning "he will laugh". In the Old Testament, Isaac is the son of Abraham and Sarah, the husband of Rebecca and the father of Jacob and Esau. Sarah could not bear children and was already very aged at the time of his conception.
Isaiah was a Jewish prophet in the Bible, the book of Isaiah was written by him. However, there is a curious jump in events and tone at Isaiah 40, which has led some scholars to believe that the two halves of the book were written by different authors. Th
In the Old Testament, Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the twin brother of Esau and the father of twelve sons and a daughter. From his sons came the twelve tribes of Israel - the Israelites. God later changed Jacob's name to Israel.
O
In the Old Testament, Jair was the father of one of King David's warriors.
There are many saints called James, the most famous being Saint James the Elder, one of the Apostles. As a common name it has many namesakes, such as the author James Joyce or the fictional British spy James Bond ("007"). The name has been used for royalt
In the Bible, Yared is the grandfather of Methuselah. Jared may also be taken as a variant of Yered, one of the names applied to Moses.
Actor and musician Jared Leto is a famous bearer.
Captain Jared Bilby is a main charac
From the Hebrew Yedidya, meaning "friend of God" or "God's beloved."
Yedidya was another name of King Solomon.
Yered was one of the ten names applied to Moses.
Biblically, Jeremiah was a prophet. He prophesied the besieging and taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon but was ignored by the princes of Jerusalem. His writings are found in the book of Jeremiah and, according to tradition, he wrote the book
Spelt Joël in French.
Joel was a prophet in the Old Testament.
Famous bearers include film directors Joel Schumacher and Joel Coen, and singer Joel Madden.
It was the 124th most popular name in USA in 2006. It
A prophet of the Old Testament.
A prophet of the Old Testament.
Famous bearers include Jonas Salk, American medical researcher and virologist, best known for his discovery and development of the first safe and effective polio vaccine and Disney's The Jonas Brothers (joe,
In the Old Testament, Jonathan was the eldest son of King Saul and the best friend of the future king David. Jonathan was a courageous defender of Israel and was killed in battle against the Philistines.
There are several Josephs in the Bible, including the husband of Mary in the New Testament and Joseph, son of Jacob - nowadays known for his many coloured coat. Joseph of Arimathea donated his own tomb for the burial of Jesus.
Joseph was th
In the Old Testament, Joshua was appointed by God to lead the Israelites after Moses' death. The Greek form of Joshua is Jesus.
Joshua was the 3rd most popular boy's name in the US in 2006, and 4th most popular in the UK.
Fam
Josiah is the name of the 16th king of Judah. The book of Deuteronomy was rediscovered during his time as king.
Josiah Wedgwood was an 18th century potter, who helped industrialize the pottery industry.
From the Hebrew meaning "thanks, gratitude", "praise." In the Old Testament, Judah was a son of Jacob and Leah, who later married Tamar.
It is also the name of one of the two kingdoms of Israel. The Kingdom of Judah was the kingdom ruled by
Levi is a Hebrew name used in the Old Testament of the Bible. Levi was the name of one of the sons of Jacob. His descendants, the Levites, were the priests of Israel.
It is also the name of a popular brand of jeans, Levi-Strauss.
St Luke was the author of the Biblical books of Luke and of the Acts of the Apostles. He is traditionally seen as being a physician or a doctor.
Luke was ranked as the 17th most popular boy's name in the UK in 2006, but was rated 43rd in t
English form of Marcus.
Saint Mark the Evangelist is traditionally believed to be the author of the second Gospel (Gospel of Mark) and a companion of Peter.
A famous Roman bearer of the name was Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius), politi
Matthew is the English form of the Hebrew name Mattityahu meaning "gift of God", through the Greek Matthaios.
Matthew the Evangelist, traditionally held as the author of the Gospel of Matthew, is an important Christian figure best known as
English name derived from the Hebrew Micha. It is often taken as short form of Micaiah, meaning "who is like God?".
It was the name of several characters of the Old Testament, including a Prophet titular of the Book of Micah.
English form of Moshe.
According to the Bible, Moses was born to a Hebrew mother who protected him during a genocide of all newborn boys, and was adopted into the Egyptian royal family. He later freed the Hebrew slaves, leading them out of
In the Gospel of John in the Bible, Nathaniel is named as one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is not mentioned in any of the other gospels, and so is normally associated with Bartholomew.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist,
Nehemiah is a character in the Bible. He organized the rebuilding of Jerusalem following the Babylonian exile. The Book of Nehemiah is a continuation of the works set out in the Book of Ezra.
St Paul was an early Christian missionary. Originally a persecutor of Christians named Saul, who witnessed the stoning of Stephen, he was converted whilst on the road to Damascus, prompting a name change. Paul travelled throughout the Mediterranean teachi
St Peter was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, and became the first pope of the Church. Peter's original name was Simon, but it was changed by Jesus to the Aramaic name Cephas (rock). Peter is the Greek equivalent of Cephas.
The first R
Anglicised version of the Greek name Philippos.
St Philip was one of the twelve disciples.
Philip has long been used as a name in the ruling classes, from the Kings of Macedon (Philip II was the father of Alexander the Great
Reuben is the transliterated and anglicized form of the Hebrew name Re'uven. In the Bible, Reuben is the oldest son of Jacob and Leah and the founder of the tribe of Reuben.
Reuben is the name of a British alternative rock band. There is a
In the Old Testament, Samuel was the son of Hannah, a prophet and a judge who anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. Samuel was the 25th most popular boy's name in the US in 2006 and the 8th most popular in the UK.
In the Bible, Seth was the son of Adam and Eve, he was born after the murder of Abel by his twin brother Cain. Seth is noted as the son of Adam from whom Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph and consequently David and Jesus are descended. Seth or Set was also an
Latin form of Lebbaeus, which is of uncertain origin but is possibly Aramaic (possibly meaning praised or heart) and a variant of the Greek Theodoros/Theodotos (God's gift).
In the New Testament Thaddeus is listed as one of the apostles, probably e
Thomas has been very popular in the UK for several years, staying at second place in 2007. In the US it ranked 51st. St Thomas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is often known as 'doubting Thomas' as he requires proof of the resurrection of Jes
St Timothy was a companion of Paul, and the recipient of the two letters to Timothy, contained within the New Testament.
The name has been borne by James Bond actor Timothy Dalton, 'The Goodies' comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor and actor Timothy
A Roman praenomen (given name), possibly related to Latin titulus "title of honour".
Romans bearing the name Titus include Emperor Titus Flavius Vespasianus, who reigned between the years 79 and 81, and Titus Livius - the historian who is m
Abigail was an Old Testament character who saved her negligent husband from the wrath of King David. After her husband's death, she later married David. David's sister was also named Abigail.
Abigail was quite commonly used in English-sp
Damaris appears in Acts 17.34 in the Bible.
A Biblical name of uncertain origin. Delilah may come from the Hebrew 'dal' meaning "weak, poor", or maybe from the words meaning "hair" or "slender; delicate". In the Old Testament, Delilah was the Philistine woman who betrayed Samson by cutting off his
Derived from the Hebrew, Edna is found in the apocryphal book Tobit, as the name of the mother of Sarah and stepmother of Tobias.
Edna is also an anglicized form of Irish Eithne.
From Elisabet, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Elisheva meaning "my God is a vow".
In the Old Testament, Elisheva is the wife of Aaron.
In the New Testament, the name is borne by a kinswoman of the Virgin Mary and mother of John the Bapti
From the Hebrew name Chava, which was derived from the Hebrew word Chai "life". In the Genesis, Eve was the first woman, wife of Adam and "the mother of all that lives". It is her role as a mother that is put forward in this name.
Eve is al
In the Old Testament, Hannah was the mother of the prophet Samuel. She had been unable to bear her husband Elkanah a child, and so prayed at the temple that if God gave her a son then she would give him up to be a priest. When the child, Samuel, was born,
From the Latin and Greek form Ioanna. In the New Testament, the name is borne by a woman who was one of Jesus's followers.
Other famous Joannas include actress Joanna Lumley and author Joanna Trollope.
'Joanna' is cockney rh
In the Old Testament, Judith was the wife of Esau, who was a son of Isaac and Rebecca.
The Book of Judith is an Apocryphal book of the Bible, meaning that it is not always contained in Bibles as it's reliability and accuracy has been ques
This name may also be taken from the Hebrew word meaning "wild cow" or "gazelle".
Biblically, Leah is the wife of Jacob and the older sister of Rachel. Jacob laboured for seven years for Leah's father Laban to win Rachel's hand. On his wed
Lydia is the name of a historic region of Asia Minor, that included Troy and Ephesus. Lydia is also the name of a purple goods seller, in the Bible. She is considered the first European convert to Christianity. She was living in Thyatira which was on the
French cognate of Magdalene, also in common use in English-speaking countries.
A madeleine is a famous sort of French butter cookie or cake. Several French communes and geographical features are named Madeleine after Mary Magdalene.
The pronunciation of our modern "Mariah" was actually a common pronunciation of the name "Maria" in nineteenth-century England. This alternate spelling has retained the nineteenth-century pronunciation. The "h" was probably added to appear more Biblical
Originally a Middle English Anglicized form of the French "Marie," derived from the Latin "Maria," and ultimately from the Hebrew name of uncertain origin "Miryam".
This is the New Testament form of Miriam, which St. Jerome derives from ele
Miriam is the form of the Hebrew Miryam most commonly found in English. In the Old Testament Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron.
Its meaning is disputed. It may come from the Hebrew 'leharim' (to raise), thus giving "she who raises".
In the Old Testament, Naomi was the mother-in-law of Ruth.
The name is borne by supermodel Naomi Campbell, actress Naomi Watts and journalist Naomi Klein.
It is noted by some playground-goers that "Naomi" spells "I moan" bac
Sometimes touted as meaning 'to tie/to bind' or 'heifer', this name is of doubtful meaning and probably has its roots in Aramaic. The Biblical Rebecca was the wife of Isaac in the Old Testament and the mother of Jacob and Esau.
This is al
Of uncertain etymology, most think it is derived from a contraction of the Hebrew re'uth ("companion, friend"). The name is borne in the Bible by the wife of Mahlon and daughter-in-law of Naomi. After the death of her husband, father-in-law, and brother-i
Variant of Sarah. Sara may also be a Sanskrit male name [sah-ruh] meaning "the Essence."
Sara Lee is a food company that specialises in frozen and packaged foods. Sara Ramírez is an actress, and Sara Evans is a country singer-songwriter.
In the Old Testament, Sarah was the wife of Abraham, and the mother of Isaac.
Her name was first Sarai ("my princess"), which God changed to Sarah ("princess") as her descendants were to be the future nation of Israel.
Famous bearer
In the Old and New Testament, the angel Gabriel makes several appearances; he is the angel who informs Mary that she will give birth to Jesus. According to Hebrew tradition, Gabriel is one of the seven archangels.
Bearers include Columbia