Old Testament Names

Balaam is a character mentioned in the Torah, said to have told King Balak how to get the Israelites to commit sin by enticing them with sexual immorality and food sacrificed to idols. He is described as a "wicked man".

An underused Biblical name borne by a New Testament prophet, Nahum feels like a good option for parents looking for a rare but traditional name that fits in with current trends.

An Old Testament name used by the Puritans, less well known than female relatives Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah and as deserving of revival.

Hagar is an Old Testament name with an unfortunate association with comic strip character "Hagar the Horrible."

The name of an ancient Babylonian king who captured Jerusalem, and ultimately destroyed the city's temple and deported many of its citizens, as told in the Old Testament. Nebuchadnezzar is certainly an eye-catching choice, and has the distinction of being one of the longest names mentioned in the Bible.

Abijah, which you might think of as Abigail with rhythm, is the name of both female and male personages in the Bible. A biblical Queen Abijah was the daughter, wife, and mother of kings. The name is pronounced with a long i, to rhyme with Elijah.

Old Testament name of the daughter-in-law of Naomi, now eclipsed by the originally misspelled Oprah.

Also spelled Achinoam, this Biblical name belonged to wives of both King Saul and King David.

Amasa is a rare Biblical name borne by two figures. One is the son of Abigail and nephew of King David, who named him commander of the rebels. This Amasa met a tragic end when he was murdered by Joab. The other Biblical Amasa was one of the Children of Ephraim.

This unusual Old Testament name belongs to one of the twelve sons of Jacob and Leah, the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Abraham's brother in the Old Testament.

Variant transcription of Hosea, the original name of Joshua in the Old Testament.

The double a makes it special.

The name of an important figure in the Book of Judges, a judge from Gilead who helped the Israelites defeat the hated Ammonites. Jephthah and its various derivative spellings have seldom been used as first names since Biblical times, but that may change going forward, thanks to Duck Dynasty castmember Jules Jeptha "Jep" Robertson.

Uzziah was an Old Testament king of Judah, among other personages. The initial U is a bit funky for modern tastes; we don't see this one enjoying a revival ala Isaiah and Noah anytime soon.

An unusual Biblical name with modern appeal, borne by the father of Gideon, a king of Judah, and a son of King Ahab of Israel.

It's a place in the Bible but also relates to the name Zebulon.