Biblical Place Names

Traditional Jewish name and the implement said to have been used by Solomon to cut the huge stones for the building of the Temple.

Zorah, the Old Testament home of Samson, is both soft and substantial.

Similar to but distinct from Samara, this pretty name was chosen for his daughter by rapper LL Cool J.

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

Anatolian city visited by Paul in the Bible, though risks sounding a tad antiseptic.

Judea — also spelled Judaea — is a mountainous region in the Middle East historically part of Jerusalem, that is significant in religions like Judaism and Christianity. As Jude and Judah dominate in the charts, and fresh Biblical place names like Jericho and Galilee feel stylish as ever, Judea holds a lot of potential.

Though this Biblical place name is found among early American settlers, usually as a male name, today it sounds completely feminine. As a place name, its gender is mutable in any case. An unusual and intriguing Biblical option, albeit one with an unhappy meaning.

A city of the Shephelah that works as a first but you'll be forever explaining why it's not Kayla.

A city in Benjamin's territory that makes a perfect first name.

Marah is where the Israelites camped right after they walked through the parted Red Sea. Marah is related to Mara and has the same "bitter" meaning.

Closely tied to the widow of John Lennon.

Idalah is a town in Zebulon that makes a distinctive first name for a modern girl. Where the boys get most of the ancient yet unusual Biblical names, Idalah is one for the girls' side.

A minimalist choice, Uz is the Biblical home of Job. It's also the name of a character in the Bible, the father of Aram and the grandson of Shem, as is Uzziah. Uz is one of those names that could go either way depending on the personality of your child: super-cool or scuzzy. Proceed with caution.

Lydda is the name of a Biblical town whose similarity to Lydia makes it plausible as a first name. But if you're considering Lydda, we can't help but wonder: Why not just stick with Lydia?