Fifty-two biblical names, with who bore them and what they mean

Biblical names are the deepest layer of naming in the English-speaking world, and they are also the most misquoted. The table below gives the figure in scripture, the underlying Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic sense, and a note where the popular meaning is wrong or disputed. Ranks in the notes are the Office for National Statistics 2025 figures for England and Wales unless stated.

Name	In scripture	Meaning and language	Note
Noah	Builder of the ark, Genesis	Rest or comfort; Hebrew	Noa, a separate Hebrew name borne by a daughter of Zelophehad in Numbers, is female
Adam	The first man, Genesis	Man, or earth; Hebrew adamah	26th in England and Wales in 2025
Abraham	Patriarch, Genesis	Father of many; Hebrew	Ibrahim is the same figure in Arabic
Isaac	Son of Abraham	He laughs; Hebrew	Named for Sarah's laughter at the promise of a son
Jacob	Son of Isaac	Holder of the heel, or supplanter; Hebrew	James is the same name through Late Latin Iacomus
Joseph	Son of Jacob; and the husband of Mary	He will add; Hebrew	Yusuf is the Arabic form, 64th in England and Wales
Benjamin	Youngest son of Jacob	Son of the right hand; Hebrew	—
Levi	Son of Jacob	Attached, joined; Hebrew	—
Reuben	Eldest son of Jacob	Behold, a son; Hebrew	29th in England and Wales
Judah / Jude	Son of Jacob; and the apostle	Praised; Hebrew	Jude reaches the Bible through Greek Ioudas; 14th in England and Wales
Asher	Son of Jacob	Happy, blessed; Hebrew	—
Moses	Leader of the Exodus	Disputed — Hebrew "drawn out", or an Egyptian element meaning "son"	Musa is the Arabic form, 64th in England and Wales
Aaron	Brother of Moses	Uncertain; possibly Egyptian rather than Hebrew	The popular gloss "mountain of strength" has no good basis
Caleb	Spy sent into Canaan	Disputed — Hebrew for dog, or from a root meaning whole-hearted	82nd in England and Wales
Joshua	Successor to Moses	The Lord is salvation; Hebrew	Jesus is the Greek form of the same name
Gideon	Judge of Israel	Hewer, one who cuts down; Hebrew	—
Samuel	Prophet and judge	God has heard, or name of God; Hebrew	66th in England and Wales, down 43 places in a decade
David	King of Israel	Beloved; Hebrew	73rd in England and Wales, and falling in Scotland too
Jesse	Father of David	Gift, or the Lord exists; Hebrew	51st in England and Wales
Jonathan	Friend of David	The Lord has given; Hebrew	—
Solomon	King of Israel	From shalom, peace; Hebrew	—
Nathan	Prophet in David's court	He gave; Hebrew	99th in England and Wales, down 35 places since 2015
Elijah	Prophet, Kings	My God is the Lord; Hebrew	23rd in England and Wales
Elias	The New Testament form of Elijah	Greek rendering of the Hebrew	69th in England and Wales, up 120 places since 2015
Isaiah	Prophet	The Lord is salvation; Hebrew	—
Ezra	Scribe, post-exilic	Help; Hebrew	38th in England and Wales, new to the top 100 since 2015
Micah	Prophet	Who is like the Lord; Hebrew	Same question, same root, as Michael
Malachi	Prophet	My messenger; Hebrew	Possibly a title rather than a personal name
Amos	Prophet	Borne, carried; Hebrew	—
Jonah	Prophet swallowed by the fish	Dove; Hebrew	Yunus is the Arabic form
Daniel	Prophet in exile	God is my judge; Hebrew	62nd in England and Wales, down 38 places in a decade
Gabriel	Archangel	God is my strength; Hebrew	—
Michael	Archangel	Who is like God; Hebrew, and a rhetorical question	—
Simon	Apostle	He has heard; Hebrew Shimon	Confused early with an unrelated Greek name Simon
Thomas	Apostle	Twin; Aramaic	35th in England and Wales
Matthew	Apostle and evangelist	Gift of the Lord; Hebrew	—
Mark	Evangelist	Of Mars; Latin, not Hebrew	A Roman name carried into the New Testament
Luke	Evangelist	From Lucania; Latin	Also Greek, but not Hebrew
Timothy	Companion of Paul	Honouring God; Greek	—
Silas	Companion of Paul	Probably a short form of Silvanus; Latin	Sometimes wrongly given a Hebrew origin
Tobias	Book of Tobit	The Lord is good; Hebrew	In the Catholic and Orthodox canon, not the Hebrew Bible
Eve	The first woman	To breathe, or to live; Hebrew Chavah	Éabha, the Irish form, is Ireland's second most popular girls' name
Sarah	Wife of Abraham	Princess, noblewoman; Hebrew	—
Rebecca	Wife of Isaac	Disputed; often given as "to tie", which is uncertain	—
Rachel	Wife of Jacob	Ewe; Hebrew	—
Leah	Sister of Rachel	Disputed — weary, or possibly Akkadian for cow	—
Miriam / Mary	Sister of Moses; and the mother of Jesus	Genuinely uncertain; dozens of proposed derivations	Maryam, the Arabic form, is 52nd in England and Wales
Naomi	Mother-in-law of Ruth	Pleasantness; Hebrew	47th in the United States in 2025
Ruth	The book of Ruth	Companion or friend; Hebrew	—
Abigail	Wife of David	My father is joy; Hebrew	41st in the United States in 2025
Delilah	Judges	Disputed; often given as "delicate", on thin evidence	32nd in England and Wales
Esther	The book of Esther	Probably from the Babylonian goddess Ishtar	Her Hebrew name in the text is Hadassah, "myrtle"
Elizabeth	Mother of John the Baptist	My God is an oath; Hebrew Elisheva	74th in England and Wales, down 36 places in a decade
Phoebe	Deacon greeted in Romans 16	Bright, radiant; Greek	Also a Greek Titan, so the name predates the letter

What the data actually shows

The biblical stock is holding while individual names churn

In the ONS top 100 for England and Wales in 2025, Noah is second, Jude 14th, Elijah 23rd, Adam 26th, Reuben 29th, Thomas 35th, Ezra 38th, Jacob 41st, James 42nd, Joseph 59th, Daniel 62nd, Elias 69th and Samuel 66th. But the direction of travel inside that group differs sharply. Ezra and Elias were not in the top 100 ten years ago; Daniel is down 38 places over the same period, Samuel 43 and Nathan 35.

The same figures appear under Arabic names

Muhammad is the most popular boys' name in England and Wales, and beneath it sit Musa, Yusuf, Yahya and Ibrahim — Moses, Joseph, John and Abraham. Musa and Yusuf both rank 64th and Yahya 81st. Any honest list of scriptural names in modern Britain has to include them, because they are the same people under different phonology.

Several popular meanings do not survive checking

Aaron's origin may not be Hebrew at all. Esther is probably named for a Babylonian goddess rather than anything in Hebrew. Mary is one of the most-used names in human history and its meaning is genuinely unresolved. Delilah's usual gloss, "delicate", rests on very little. Where the answer is unknown, the table above says so rather than picking the prettiest option.

How to use this list

Decide which tradition's form you want before you choose the name. Jacob and James are the same name; so are Joshua and Jesus, Elijah and Elias, John and Yahya and Sean and Ivan. Choosing between them is a choice about which language and community your child's name will read as belonging to, not a choice between different meanings.

Check whether the figure is one you actually want attached. Delilah, Jezebel, Judas and Herod are all perfectly ordinary names phonetically, and three of them are unusable for reasons that have nothing to do with sound. Delilah's rise to 32nd in England and Wales suggests the association has faded; the others have not.

Finally, remember that these registries rank spellings, not names. Elijah and Elias, Sarah and Sara, Rebecca and Rebekah, Micah and Mica all count separately in every official table on this site.

Biblical Baby Names, With Real Meanings