Abijah is a truly unusual, truly unisex, truly appealing biblical name. There were several male Abijahs in the Bible, one of them, known as Abijah of Judah, was the fourth king of the House of David, and also a couple of females. 
 A Colonial era favorite with an energetic, modern aura, Abijah is a possible Elijah replacement. A short form found in historical records: Bige, though Abe can work too.

Abijah

Absalom, because of its biblical and literary associations, just might appeal to the daring namegiver. 
 In the Old Testament, Absalom was the handsome, favored but rebellious son of King David. In literature, Absalom appears in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, as the repeated title of a Faulkner novel--which refers to the biblical personage rather than the name of a character-- in the novel Cry, the Beloved Country and, on a more trivial note, as the name of the caterpillar in the Tim Burton version of "Alice in Wonderland."
 The growing-in-popularity Axel is the Scandinavian form of the name.

Absalom

Ajax was the strong and courageous Greek hero featured in Homer's "Iliad," known as Ajax the Great. But it's also the name of a foaming cleanser, and if you find that reference too strong, you might try the shortened Jax instead.

Ajax

This name has a nice mythological, historical, Three Musketeers-ish ring. 

Artemas

Azuba is a form of Azubah, the Old Testament wife of Caleb.  The name was used among early African-Americans.

Azuba

Ainsworth 

Asenath

Popular with the Puritans, this name of the shrewd and beautiful wife of King David and mother of King Solomon could be a bit of a load for a modern girl to carry. 
 Bathsheba is the name of the central character in the Thomas Hardy novel Far from the Madding Crowd and there's a Harry Potter character named Bathsheba Babbling, Ancient Runes professor at Hogwarts.

Bathsheba

The unisex word name Bean, distant cousin of the infamous Apple, was used for the name of a child of mysterious gender in Louise Penny's novel "A Rule Against Murder."  While we can imagine Bean as a cute nickname for a yet-unnamed and unborn baby, we don't recommend it for real life.

Bean

In the Bible, Beulah is a place, not a person, applied to the land of Israel by the prophet Isaiah. The land of Beulah has sometimes been considered a reference to heaven. Beulah began to be used as a given name in England at the time of the Reformation and was used by the seventeenth century Puritans.
 The Beulah Show ran on the radio in the 1940s and became a television sitcom in the 1950s, the first to feature an African-American title character. But that accomplishment is undercut by the fact that Beulah is a somewhat stereotypical maid.
 Only 14 baby girls were named Beulah in the US in 2015. So yes, the name Beulah would challenge the most audacious baby namer--but maybe that audacious baby namer is you.

Beulah

It’s ok, we can talk about Bruno now!
 
Tough-yet-cuddly Bruno is an international name even in its origins: it derives from the Germanic word for “brown” plus a Latin ending, and was borrowed as a color word in many European languages.
 
Today, Bruno is popular in Latin America, Spain, and Eastern Europe, but has been — until recently, at least — neglected in North America.
 
In the middle ages, it was worn by several rulers and bishops, and an eleventh-century saint. In modern times, Bruno gets its “strong man” image from people like wrestler Bruno Sammartino, and Frank Bruno, the British boxer. That, and the fact it was traditionally a name for bears in children’s tales.
 
owever, Bruno also has a more gentle, soulful side that more and more parents are seeing. Singer Bruno Mars (born Peter, but nicknamed Bruno from a young age after Sammartino) has done a lot to raise its popularity in the last 20 years.
 
The Disney movie Encanto may do even more, thanks to its misunderstood prophetic Uncle Bruno, and the catchy song We Don’t Talk About Bruno.
 
As <ahref="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/901/boy-names-ending-in-o">boy names ending in O</a> continue to rise, we can see this appealing to parents looking for something well-known, multicultural, and not too popular.
 
Its color meaning makes it especially good for a <ahref="https://nameberry.com/list/351/names-for-autumn-babies">boy born in autumn.

Bruno

Bethiah

Biah

A name halfway between its old milquetoast image and a more jovial Irish-sounding contemporary one. 

Chauncey

Crispin, which was introduced into the mainstream by actor Crispin Glover and which means "curly-haired" in Latin, has an image very much like its first syllable: crisp, autumnal, and colorful.
 St. Crispin, the patron saint of shoemakers, died in the third century and, as rousingly referenced by Shakespeare, Henry V fought a great battle on St. Crispin's Day. Crispin Glover was actually named for the Shakespearean speech.
 In the Harry Potter books, Crispin Cronk is an egyptophile wizard who kept several sphinxes in his backyard.
 Crispian is an interesting, rarely used variation, as is Crispus, associated with African-American hero Crispus Atticus, the first colonist to die for independence in the Boston Massacre.

Crispin

Chalkley

Chatman

Classic name used by the Romans, the Puritans, and the Bard, but pretty much taboo today due to the objectionable connotations of both its front and back ends. 

Dorcas

Desire

Though most parents would shy away from Ebenezer, short form Eben is affable and creative and perfectly able to stand alone; nothing Scroogish about it. This also makes a fresh new spin on the very popular Ethan or Evan.
 Eben Oleson is the name of the character played by Josh Hartnett in the movie "30 Days of Night."

Eben

Ebenezer is the name of a biblical place --the stone set up by Samuel to mark his victory over the Philistines--rather than a person. It was adopted by the British Puritans as a first name and then exported to America, where it had some early popularity, even entering the Top 1000 in the 1880s.
 After appearing in Walter Scott's novel Waverly and Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped, it made its most lasting impression as Dickens's miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, pretty much annihilating the name, but since Scrooge did reform at the end of A Christmas Carol, maybe there's some slight hope for the old name yet. If you have a sense of humor, you might consider it one of the darker <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">Christmas baby names</a>.
 The good news: the appealing short form Eben--so if you find Ebenezer too loaded and quirky for your taste, you might skip straight to the nickname.

Ebenezer

Four-syllable names can be tricky, but this rarely used Old Testament appellation has considerable potential. In the Bible, Eleazer is a son of Aaron and nephew of Moses who succeeds his father as High Priest.

Eleazer

Prince of the tribe of Zebulon in the Exodus, everyone will misunderstand this as Elias, with a stuffed nose.

Eliab

Little-used name borne by several biblical figures including a king. It would make an unexpected way to get the nickname Eli - or Kim.

Eliakim

A bit too elephantine for a modern child.

Eliphalet

Sounds elven in every sense of the word. 

Elvina

Experience was used by the Puritans but probably too joke-worthy for a modern child...or teenager. 

Experience

Euclides

Fidelia stems from the Latin word Fides, meaning faith. It has the some root as the English word fidelity. Fidelia gained popularity in the mid-19th Century after Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" gave this name cultural and virtuous significance.

Fidelia

Forward

Freelove

Gamaliel

Granville

Gambier

Grata

An old-school nickname for a rare biblical gem. Hetty is a more favorable option.

Hitty

Like Horace, Horatio is a variation on the Latin Horatius, but its Shakespearean and optimistic Horatio Alger pedigree makes it an attractive up-and-comer, especially with its cool final o. A modern reference is the charismatic TV character Horatio Caine played by David Caruso in CSI: Miami.
 Horatio was the given name of Lord Nelson, one of the most dashing of British heroes, the naval commander who led the British fleet to destroy the French at Trafalgar, and it also belonged to Hamlet's loyal friend. Another literary namesake is Captain Horatio Hornblower, the protagonist of a long-running series of naval novels penned by C. S. Forester, played on screen by Gregory Peck.

Horatio

Ichabod, an eccentric Old Testament name, is forever tied to the character of Ichabod Crane -- and worse, the teasing possibilities of "icky bod."  Even its original meaning is a negative.  Skip Ichabod, as if you were ever tempted.

Ichabod

Blink and you’ll miss that the first I in Jedidiah was swapped for an E.

Jedediah

Jemima, the name of a strong and beautiful Biblical daughter of Job, has long been among the chicest choices of aristocratic Brits, most recently ranking at #231 there in 2017. But despite its lovely sound and peaceful meaning, this attractive name hasn't ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1893, no doubt due to the problematic association with racial stereotyping, exemplified by the Aunt Jemima brand of pancakes.
 Jemima was well used by the Puritans, as was that of her sister, Keziah. Some other famous namesakes are Beatrix Potter's Jemima Puddle-Duck and characters in Chitty, Chitty, Bang Bang, Cats, and Thackeray's Vanity Fair. A real-life bearer is Jemima Kirke, who plays Jessa on Girls--and who happens to have a sister named Domino and a son named Memphis. Jemimah is a variant spelling, as seen in the Antonia Fraser crime series Jemimah Shore Investigates.

Jemima

This biblical name of the mother of King Jotham of Judah has an appealing soft Russian accent.

Jerusha

More unusual than Justin, less word-like than Justice, this New Testament name could make an intriguing choice. After being off the popularity lists from 1904 to 1993, it is now being used in steady numbers.
 There have been three notable saints named Justus: St. Justus of Canterbury, who was instrumental in the conversion of Anglo-Saxons to Roman Christians and became the fourth Bishop of Canterbury, and the martyred St. Justus of Beauvais and St. Justus of Lyons.

Justus

Juul

This lively Old Testament nature name (belonging to one of the three beautiful daughters of Job) may be missing from the current US Top 1000 list, but it ranks highly here on Nameberry — making it one to watch!

 Also spelled Kezia, the name has multiple legitimate pronunciations — from "KEE-szhah" to "KEZ-ee-ah" to "keh-ZYE-ah" — and comes complete with the sweet and sparky nickname Kizzy. A related name is the lovely cinnamon-scented Cassia, which beginning to be discovered by lovers of the fashionable Cas- clan.

Keziah

Kipling calls to mind writer Rudyard (b. Joseph) Kipling, author of the stories familiar to schoolchildren Gunga Din and The Jungle Story. Certainly, Kipling is a friendlier name than Rudyard these days, complete with cute short form Kip.

Kipling

Ancient saint's name used for cowardly cartoon lion. 

Lambert

A combo name that was used in the early 19th century, but has always been overshadowed by its sleeker counterpart, Luella. By blending Ella with Louise, Louella could mean "battle famous fairy maiden" and using the 'Lou' spelling means it remains more closely tied to Louise which may be more appealing to anyone hoping to use it as an honor.
 
 Both spellings of Louella disappeared from the US Top 1000 back in the 1950s, but Luella has seen a revival in recent years and is now back on the charts. Louella isn't there yet, use of the name has doubled since 2020, and it is now given to around 140 babies each year.

Louella

Liberty

Lyddington

Obscure Old Testament name -- he was the son of Naomi and the husband of Ruth -- that's become even more obscure over the past century, perhaps due to its unappealing meaning.

Mahlon

Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/325/mythological-baby-names-for-girls">mythology names for girls</a> that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents. With Juno and Jupiter, she made the Capitoline triad, whose worship was at the very center of Roman religion.
 
Minerva Pott is a character in Dickens's novel Pickwick Papers. In Harry Potter, Minerva McGonagall is a Witch and Deputy Headmistress of Hogswarts, and in the Artemis Fowl books, Minerva Paradizo is equally intellectual. There's also a series of kids' mystery books centering around a Minerva Clark.
 
Minerva was a Top 500 name through the early 1920s, last appearing on the list in 1973. It's well liked on Nameberry though—currently at Number 417. Nickname Minnie fits right in with the other currently stylish vintage nickname names. Curiously, though, actress Minnie Driver was not born Minerva, but Amelia.

Minerva

Meshack

Nehemiah is an Old Testament name used by the Puritans, whose white-bearded image kept it out of favor for centuries, until it suddenly reappeared in 1998, along with the more user-friendly Josiah and Isaiah.
 The biblical Nehemiah was the prophet assigned the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity—which could make it a fitting possibility for an architect or building contractor's boy. 
 In Sir Walter Scott's novel Woodstock, Nehemiah Holdenough is a Presbyterian minister. One modern namesake is football star Nehemiah Broughton.

Nehemiah

It may have been used by the Puritans, but any modern child would chafe under this name. 

Obedience

Floral, elegant, and bold, Ophelia re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts. It has risen more than 700 spots since then and shows no signs of slowing down. Now in the US Top 300, could Ophelia one day become the next Olivia or Amelia?
 
It's certainly catching up in the UK, where, as of 2022, it's in the Top 100 and given to nearly 600 baby girls. Less likely to be heard as 'I feel ya', as it is pronounced with four syllables in the UK, Ophelia makes an arty but approachable choice. 
 Derived from the Ancient Greek word "opheleia", which means "help", Ophelia was used first by the poet Sannazaro in his 15th century poem "Arcadia". It was then popularized by Shakespeare's Hamlet in the 1600s and again in the 19th century by John Millais' painting. 
 
Other namesakes include the gutsy Ophelia in Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 Uncle Tom's Cabin, which seems to have had some influence on baby namers at the time, and more recently, the song "Ophelia" by The Lumineers.
 Among the actresses who have played modern non-Shakespearean Ophelias are Jamie Lee Curtis in "Trading Places" and Blake Lively in "Savages". The heroine of the film Pan's Labyrinth uses the Spanish spelling, Ofelia, while a popular YA novel, Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie sticks with the Shakespearean one.
 Actress Patricia Neal and author Roald Dahl named one of their now grown daughters Ophelia, and more recently musician Dave Grohl named his baby girl Ophelia Saint.
 
A hugely popular name on Nameberry and now out in the 'real world' too, you may hear this Shakespearean gem more often in the coming years. So, if you love Ophelia but want to beat the trends, you could try Cressida, Olympia, Cordelia, or Cerelia.

Ophelia

Orin is one of a variety of similarly-spelled names that have a soft and sensitive image. The Orrin spelling has been known nationally via Republican Senator Hatch.
 Orin is the name of a character in Eugene O'Neill's drama Mourning Becomes Electra. Oren is a Hebrew name that means laurel while Oran is Irish and means pale little green one.

Orin

Orpha, with its Biblical roots and its animal meaning, was once a fairly popular name, but fell from sight around the time of the Second World War, along with so many other Old School Names. And its similarity to the word orphan probably didn't help.

Oprah Winfrey's name was originally Orpah. Today, zero baby girls receive any of these names, including Oprah, which is astonishing given its bearer's fame and popularity.

Orpha

There are several Percivals scattered through the Harry Potter series, which might help transform the old-fangled, fussy image it has accrued. Actually, the original Percival was the one perfectly pure Knight of the Round Table, a worthy hero. The name was invented in the twelfth century by a poet named Chretien de Troyes, for his ideal knight in the poem Percevale, a Knight of King Arthur. 
 Percival is found in other forms of literature as well, including Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White, and Tennyson's "Idylls of the King" contains a section devoted to Sir Percival. Wagner transformed the name to Parsifal for his opera.
 Percy, which seems like a nickname for Percival but is really a stand-alone Norman place name, is beginning to attract some favorable attention from cutting-edge namers.

Percival

Parents seeking a distinctive New Testament name might consider this one. Adopted by some Puritans in the seventeenth century, Persis was used in the William Dean Howells novel The Rise of Silas Lapham for the wife of the protagonist.
 In Romans 16.12 of the New Testament, Persis is a Roman woman who was an early follower of Christ, mentioned by St. Paul in a letter as "beloved" and having "worked hard in the Lord."
 Indian actress Persis Khambatta was Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Persis

Parruck

Fairly popular a hundred years ago but out of sight now, the quirky Roscoe deserves a place on every adventurous baby-namer's long list. It joins Rufus, Roman, Remy, Romulus, and Ray as one of the R names that sound fresh again after too many years of Robert, Richard, and Ronald.
Originally a place and surname, Roscoe had its glory days in the 1880s, when it reached as high as Number 138, then gradually declined, possibly damaged by the scandals surrounding silent star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, and then the hillbilly image it acquired thanks to Sheriff Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard. 
Roscoe has been out of the Top 1000 since 1978 but feels very much in step with the trending o-ending boy names popular now, such as Milo, Hugo, and Otto.
Trivia tidbit: The R in Edward R. Murrow stands for Roscoe; the distinguished newsman's first name was really Egbert.

Roscoe

Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.
 Fellow singer James Taylor named one of his twins Rufus, and Rufus Humphrey is a Gossip Girl character. Rufus Sewell is a commanding, intense English actor.
 Rufus is mentioned in the New Testament as the name of a son of Simon the Cytherian, and there are several St. Rufuses. He's also a major figure in the George Eliot novel Felix Holt: The Radical, an honest and passionate preacher and politician.

Rufus

Relief

Severin is an ancient Roman family name borne by several early saints. It's still alive throughout Europe, and could be ready for import here. Severin Winter is a wrestling prodigy character in John Irving's The 158-Pound Marriage and, in its original Latin form, Severus Snape appears in Harry Potter.

Severin

A name some people first encountered in the old children's book series The Five Little Peppers, in which Sophronia, the youngest of the Peppers is nicknamed Phronsie.`It was also used by Dickens in two of his novels: The Old Curiosity Shop and Our Mutual Friend.
 An archaic option for elaborating on Sophie/Sophia.

Sophronia

Sherburn

Soranus

Theron is best known these days as the surname of actress Charlize, but it does have a long history as a first name, ranking in the Top 500 in the early part of the 20th century and only dropping out of the Top 1000 in the early 1990s.  Theon is a similar name made familiar by the popular series Game of Thrones: Might it and Theron rise in tandem?

Theron

Temperence

Thankful

Thore

Thorndike

Truro

Warham

Whylliemus

Wooster

A New Testament tax collector was called Zaccheus, the freshest spin on this biblical favorite. 

Zaccheus

An Old Testament name with a Puritan feel and post-Zachary possibilities--one of several routes to the cool nickname Zeb.
 Pike's Peak was named for Zebulon Pike, the best known bearer of the name.
 In the Bible, Zebulon--or Zebulun-- was the son of Jacob and Leah, the ancestor of the tribe of Israel which bore his name and settled around Nazareth. The Zebulunites mustered the single largest army to fight for David's installation as king. 
 Zebulon is the name of a song by Rufus Wainwright, and Margaret Atwood used it for a character in her MaddAddam trilogy. It was also the name of the grandpa on The Waltons.

Zebulon

A highly unusual Old Testament name that had a burst of popularity in the States in the 19th Century. 

Zilpha

therhodera's list "The Most Interesting Names From My Family Tree" of 79 great name ideas: Abijah - Zilpha!

The Most Interesting Names From My Family Tree

The most unique, odd, and WTF names from my English/German lineage. 