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 the Bible, Abraham was originally named Abram, but was bestowed the name of Abraham by God for he wanted him to be the "father of many nations". Abraham was married to Sarah and had eight sons. He is said to be the father of the Jewish nations through
Abram was the original name of Abraham in the Bible. God renamed him thusly: "No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of many nations". Abram means "exalted father", where Abraham means "father
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
Occasionally the meaning is given as "God is my majesty," but "followers of God" is more likely. In the Bible, Adriel was the son-in-law of Saul. Very occasionally used for a girl in English-speaking contexts, although the name is masculine.
Amir or emir is the name given to a prince of an Arabic state, though it also refers to a military leader.
Amir al-Muminin ('commander of the faithful') is a name used to refer to the Muslim caliphs.
Amos was minor prophet who condemned idol worship and pagan ritual and spurned spiritual reform in Isreal. An evil priest, Amaziah, accused him of treason to Jeraboam II due to his unwelcome message. Amos was a contemporary of Isaiah, Micah and Hosea.
As well as being a male Hebrew name, Ari can be used as a nickname for names such as Arianna, Ariel and Arietta.
In the Bible, Asa was the name of the third king of Judah. His father was the wicked Abijah. His grandmother was Maacah, a blasphemer. Against the odds of having a wicked father, Abijah, and a grandmother (Maacah) who was blasphemous, Asa became a righteo
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.
The male name Ben is from the Hebrew meaning "son", mentioned in the Old Testament.
Ben is also used as a nickname for Benjamin, the Anglicized form of Binyamin, meaning "son of my right hand". In the Bible, Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob.<
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, Caleb and Joshua were among the Israelites who left Egypt for Canaan with Moses. They were the only two who lived to see the promised land. Caleb is sometimes translated as "faithful" or "loyal," probably because a dog displays the
Cohen is either a Jewish surname from the Hebrew 'kohen' (priest) or an anglicised Irish surname from 'Ó Cadhan' (descendant of Cadhan).
Cohen is not a personal name in Hebrew. In the Jewish faith, a kohen is assumed to be a direct male de
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
Could also be a variant on Elijah or Eliam. The name of an early Welsh saint.
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.<
Enoch is an Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Chanok. It is a name borne by several biblical characters in the book Genesis: the eldest son of Cain, as well as a son of Jared and father of Metuselah. Jewish legends make Enoch the inventor of script, math
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
Variant transcription of Gidon, from the Hebrew meaning "mighty warrior", "hewer", or "maimed".
In the Old Testament, the name is borne by an Israelite judge and leader in the defeat of the Midianites.
Biblically, Hezekiah was a good King of Judah.
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
This is a late Roman version of Isaiah. Found in some versions of the Bible it is also the name of a saint.
In the Hebrew Bible, Ishmael is the first son of the patriarch Abraham. According to tradition, it was Ishmael who engendered the Arab people. He is also reputed to have built the foundations of the Ka'aba in Mecca.
Ishmael is the name of
Transcription of the Hebrew Yisrael which is from the Hebrew words meaning "to struggle; wrestle; contend" and "God". Another suggested meaning is "Prince of God".
In the Old Testament, when Jacob wrestled with the angel, he received the new name
This Russian form of John was the name of four rulers of Russia, including 'Ivan the Terrible', who was the first monarch to be called a 'tsar'. Ivan was also the codename given to 'Tsar Bomba', the largest nuclear bomb ever detonated, developed by the Ru
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
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
John was the name of two characters in the New Testament.
John is the personal name of four US Presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John Tyler, and John F. Kennedy.
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.
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.
“Magen David” is the Hebrew name of the "star of David". It is a six pointed star that is formed by two equilateral triangles which have the same center. The Magen David is a symbol of the Jewish faith and of Israel, represented on its flag. "Magen" is s
Menachem is a Hebrew boy name, derived from 'nachum' meaning "comfort, console". It is pronounced with a gluttural 'ch'. In the Old Testament, Menachem was a king of Israel. Menachem is a symbolic name for boys born during the month of Av, or on the ninth
Mordechai saved the Jews from the destruction planned by Haman, an event which is celebrated by the Jewish feast of Purim.
Hebrew name of the Biblical figure Moses. Its meaning of 'drawn out of the water', also referring to the Pharaoh's daughter saving the baby Moses from the river, is said to come from the phrase "Min Hamayim Meshitihu' - "I drew him out of the water".
In the Old Testament, Nathan is a prophet who served King David and his son, who was also called Nathan. Nathan is also used as a short form of Nathaniel or Jonathan.
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.
In the Old Testament, Noah rounded up two of every species and built an ark in order to survive the great Flood. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights and everyone on earth died except Noah and his family. After the Flood God sent a rainbow as a sign of the
Omar was borne in the Old Testament by a son of Eliphaz, Esau's eldest son. It is also a variant of Umar in Arabic, derived from the root 'umr meaning life.
Raphael is traditionally one of the seven archangels. He is mentioned by name in the apocryphal book of Tobit.
Raphael is also the name used when referring to Renaissance Italian painter Raphael Santi or Sanzio. One of the Teenage Mutant N
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
Well known from the Biblical story of Samson and Delilah. Samson was a prophet during the time that the Israelites were being attacked by the Philistines. He fell in love with Delilah, who was working for the Philistines, and revealed to her that the sour
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.
Biblically, Saul was the first king of Israel, as appointed by the prophet Samuel. He was replaced by David, who had fought against Goliath for him, but had later been his enemy as Saul did not want to give up the throne. Saul was also the name of the apo
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
Nickname for Shadrach. This is also the name of a type of fish.
Shiloh (variant transcription of Shilo) is a Biblical place name. It was a gathering place and sanctuary of the Hebrew at the time of the Judges, between Jericho and Sachem.
It is also used as a reference to the Messiah, although this is l
In the Bible Solomon is King David's son and successor. He is famous for his wisdom, wealth and writings. He was also said to possess the ability to communicate with animals.
Tom is more widely known as a short form of Thomas. It may also be a Hebrew name of its own, meaning "honesty, innocence."
Celebrity bearers of the name include Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks.
In the Bible Uriah is the husband of Bathsheba. He was put on the front lines of battle to guarantee his death, after which King David married Bathsheba.
In Hebrew lore, Uriel is one of the seven archangels.
In the Old Testament, Yaakov is the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham.
In the Old Testament, Yamin was a son of Simeon.
From the Hebrew meaning "thanks, gratitude", "praise."
In the Old Testament, Yehuda was a son of Jacob and Leah, who later married Tamar.
From the Hebrew meaning "the Lord is God" or "God is willing."
The name of a prophet in the Old Testament.
In the Old Testament, Yosef (Joseph in English) was the 11th son of Jacob and the first son of Rachel.
As a Hebrew independent name, Zach or Zak means "pure; clean; innocent".
Zach is more frequently used in English-speaking countries as a nickname for Zachary (meaning "the Lord remembers"), Zachariah, Zachaeus, Issac, or any other Zach- variant.
As a Hebrew name, Zak may be an independent name meaning "pure; clean; innocent". It may also be taken as a diminutive form of Zachary (Zecharya) meaning "the Lord remembers" or Isaac (Yitzchak) "he will laugh".
In the Old Testament, Zebulun is one of Jacob's twelve sons.
Zeke can also be a nickname for the Hebrew Zecharia meaning "memory."
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
Ada (AH dah) is a Hebrew biblical name meaning "adornment". An English form of the name is Adah. Ada was the wife of Lamech and the mother of Jabal and Jubal. Another Ada was a wife of Esau and the daughter of Elon the Hittite. It can also be a short form
Either from the Hebrew or from the feminine form of the Arabic Ali.
Aliyah or Aliya is the name given to the immigration of the Jews to Israel. This especially occurred in the 20th century, and the state of Israel was established in 1948. I
Variant of Alitza, from the Hebrew meaning "joy, happiness".
Aliza Olmert is an artist and the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Could be explained as from the Hebrew, 'maiden', from the Germanic 'amal', 'effort', or from the Latin 'alma', 'nourishing'.
The River Alma in Ukraine was the site of a battle during the Crimean War, which was won by British, French and Ot
As a Hebrew name, Amira may come from the Hebrew meaning "speech" or "treetop" if written with the letter Aleph, or "sheaf of corn" if written with the letter Ayin. It is also the feminine form of the Arabic name Amir.
Amya (ah-MY-ah) has been modernly used in English-speaking countries as a variant of the Basque name Amaya.
Amya (ahm-YAH) is also a Hebrew name, meaning "people of God".
Variant transcription of the Hebrew Aniya.
Aniya may also have been used as a variant of Anya.
"Aria" is an Italian word meaning "air" - it is frequently used as a musical term in English as well as in Italian. An aria is melody for a solo voice in an opera, usually with orchestral accompaniment. Famous arias include 'O mio babbino caro' and 'Ness
Biblically, the village of Bethany was identified as being approximately 2 miles from Jerusalem, on the slope of the Mount of Olives. It was in Bethany that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and was anointed with expensive perfume by a woman. A religiou
Variant transcription of Hannah.
Variant form of Dahlia; Dalia is also a Hebrew name meaning "branch".
Daniela Hantuchová is a Slovak tennis player. In the US, the name is particularly popular in California, where it was #60 in 2006. In Spain it was #19.
Deborah is a Biblical judge and prophetess who guided the Israelite forces under Barak to victory over the Canaanites led by Sisera. Sisera himself was killed by another woman - Jael - who drove a tent peg into his skull. A different Deborah is mentioned
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
The name of the daughter of Jacob and Leah in the Bible. Also a diminutive of many Spanish female names ending in "dina" such as Bernardina and Geraldina.
Can also be a nickname for the Russian name Dinara.
The Latin "Eliana" derives from the Latin family name "Aelianus," which corresponds to the Greek word Helios (sun).
It is also a Hebrew name, meaning "God has answered".
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
Variant spelling of Eliana.
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,
Common English variant of Jacqueline.
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
Lilia is the plural of the Latin 'lilium', meaning "lily".
Lilia is also a Hebrew name which literally means "to me, to god" – whatever I own belongs to God also.
Lillian Bounds was the wife of animator Walt Disney. Lillian Gish and Lillian Roth were American actresses, and Lillian Hellman was a playwright. The name was most popular around 1900, and these four examples of bearers of the name Lillian were all born w
Mikal is a variant spelling of Mikhal or Michal, a contrated form of Michael.
In the Old Testament, Mikhal was a daughter of King Saul, who married David.
Mira is an Indian name, from the Sanskrit for "prosperous".
It is a short form of any of the names containing the Slavonic element 'meri' (great, famous - from a Latin source, 'mirus' or 'astonishing'). Mira is also commonly bestowed as an
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".
English form of Moriya.
In the Bible, Moriah is the name given to the mountain or mountain range where Abraham led his son Isaac for the sacrifice ordered by God.
The meaning of the name Moriya is debated.
Jewish scholars have
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
The Hebrew girls' name Noa is derived from the Hebrew, meaning "motion; movement".
In the Old Testament, Noa was a daughter of Zelophehad.
The Japanese name Noa may be written with the characters for "from; possessive particle; where
Odelia can either be a variant of Odila, or a Hebrew name variant of Odeleya, meaning "I will praise God".
From the Hebrew meaning light. Also a more modern name based on Latin oro "to pray".
This name is a variant of the Hebrew name Orali, but it could also be an English variant of French name Aurélie.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Rachel was a wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
Famous bearers include actresses Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams, and artist Rachel Whiteread. Rachel Green was a character on the TV sitco
Hebrew female name, meaning "friend".
Raya can also be a pet form of the Bulgarian Rayna.
The Indian title Raya is related to Raja.
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
This spelling is seen as a more faithful transliteration of the Hebrew. It is commonly used by the Jewish people of Poland.
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
In the bible, there is a place named Samaria which could be where this name originates from. Samaria means "mountain lookout" or "watch mountain".
A samara is a flattened fruit, commonly called a 'helicopter' and found on trees such as the
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 Testament, Sarai is the original first name of Sarah who changed it when she embraced faith in God.
Sarai is said to mean "my princess; my woman of high rank", maybe referring to her relationship with her husband, or perhaps as the princ
This word occurs seventy-one times in thirty-nine of the Psalms and is thought to indicate a pause for reflection similar to the word Amen.
Shelia is probably most widespread as a coinage, derived from the name Sheila (itself a Gaelic cognate of Cecilia, from the Latin meaning "blind").
Shelia could however be taken as a variant transcription of the Hebrew Sheliya, meaning "god
Tamara de Lempicka was a Polish art deco painter. Tamara or Tammy Faye was an American Christian evangelist.
From the Hebrew meaning "right hand" and signifying strength.
Adin is a masculine Hebrew name meaning either "slender" or "voluptuous."
In the Old Testament Adin (also found as Adina - which is now the feminine form) was a son of Shiza and one of King David’s warriors (I Chronicles 11:42).
Adin is al
Ami is a Hebrew male name meaning "my nation, my people".
It is also a Japanese female name that may be written with the characters for "Asia" (a) and "beauty" (mi)
'Ami' is sometimes used as a variant spelling of Amy.
Variant spelling of the Hebrew name Anaia, meaning "God answered". The standard English form of the name is Anaiah.
Found in the Bible as the originator of the Arelites. Son of Gad.
This name and its re-spelling, Arely, is often also used for girls in the modern day.
Ariel is generally regarded as the masculine spelling of this name, with the feminine forms Ariela and Arielle. A famous male Ariel is Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Ariel appears in the Bible as a name for the city of Jerusalem and a
Cain has four separate origins. From the Hebrew, it means 'a spear'. In Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition, Cain was the world's first murderer. In Welsh Cain is a feminine name meaning 'beautiful' or 'fair' (this usage is completely unrelated to the
As a Hebrew male name, Dara may be derived from 'dar' meaning "mother-of-pearl", if written with the letters Dalet Resh Hey. Dara may also be written with the letters Dalet Resh Ayin. It is in such case a Biblical name of unknown meaning. Dara was a son o
Name of a man of the Levi tribe in later Biblical texts.
The Garden of Eden is described in the Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve, lived after they were created by God.
A male name in Hebrew, pronounced "eh LY shah." In the Old Testament, Elisha was a prophet - the disciple and successor of Elijah.
In modern times Elisha ("eh LEE shah") has gained popularity as an alternate spelling of the feminine name A
Of German roots, Evelyn is an English variant of Aveline. Aveline is itself related to Ava, Medieval short form of Germanic names beginning with the element "avi", of unknown meaning, possibly "desired".
It can also be considered a cognate
In the Bible Ira is King David's priest. Popular in the early part of the twentieth century it has since become rare. This is said EYE rah.
It is also used as a female name in Germany and other European countries. This use comes from it be
Jordan is the name of a country in the Middle East; it is also the name of the river that runs along Israel's eastern border in the Great Rift Valley. Jordan was in use as a male name in Europe by the Dark Ages, but it has recently become a popular choic
As a Spanish girls' name, Luz means "light". As a Hebrew boys' name, Luz means "almond tree" or "hazel tree". Luz was the ancient name of the biblical town, Beth El. It is also a symbolic name for children born on Tu b’Shvat, the Jewish Arbor Day.
As a Hebrew boys' and girls' name, Ron means "song" or "joy; gaiety". It is best known in English-speaking countries as a short form of boys' name Ronald.
Variant spelling of Talya, a Hebrew name meaning "dew of God", and "female lamb."
It can also be taken as a variant spelling of Greek Thalia in countries where Thalia is pronounced Talia.
It is also a nickname for Natalia.