Names from the Bible, and what they mean

Exalted; mountain of strength

Moses' brother and Israel's first high priest.

Breath; vapour

The second son of Adam, a keeper of sheep whose offering pleased God.

Father of a multitude

The father of the faithful, called from Ur on nothing but a promise.

Man; of the earth

The first man, formed from the dust of the ground.

Borne; carried by God

A shepherd whom God called to be a prophet of justice.

Manly; strong

The first disciple, who was always bringing people to Jesus.

Physician; healer

A king of Judah who did right in the eyes of the LORD.

Happy; blessed

The eighth son of Jacob, whose name means happy.

Lightning

The commander who fought alongside the prophetess Deborah.

Son of encouragement

The encourager who vouched for Paul and mentored Mark.

Son of the right hand

Jacob's youngest son, born of Rachel's last breath and renamed for honour.

Swiftness; in him is strength

The kind kinsman-redeemer who married Ruth.

Wholehearted; faithful

The spy who wholly followed the LORD, strong at eighty-five.

Sun; lord

The Persian king God called his shepherd, who freed the exiles.

God is my judge

The faithful exile who prayed openly and slept safely among lions.

Beloved

The shepherd boy who became Israel's greatest king, a man after God's own heart.

Ascended; my God

The priest who mentored the young prophet Samuel.

My God is the LORD

The fiery prophet who called down fire and was taken up in a whirlwind.

God is salvation

Elijah's successor, who asked for a double portion of his spirit.

Dedicated; trained

The man who walked with God and was taken without dying.

Fruitful; doubly fruitful

Joseph's son, named for God's fruitfulness in a hard land.

God will strengthen

The prophet of the valley of dry bones and the wheels within wheels.

Help; helper

The scribe who set his heart to seek and teach God's law.

God is my strength

The angel who announced the births of John and Jesus.

Fortune; a troop

A son of Jacob, and the name of a prophet who advised David.

Mighty warrior; feller of trees

The reluctant judge who conquered with three hundred men and torches.

The LORD strengthens

A king who trusted God like no other before or after him.

Salvation

The prophet whose marriage pictured God's faithful love.

He will laugh; laughter

The child of promise and laughter, born to Abraham and Sarah in old age.

The LORD is salvation

The prophet who saw the Lord high and lifted up, and foretold the Messiah.

He causes pain; sorrow

A man remembered for a bold, answered prayer.

Supplanter; one who follows

The heel-grabber renamed Israel, father of the twelve tribes.

He will enlighten; God enlightens

The synagogue ruler whose daughter Jesus raised.

Supplanter; one who follows

A name borne by two apostles and the brother of the Lord.

Descent; to descend

An early patriarch, the father of Enoch who walked with God.

The LORD will exalt; appointed by God

The weeping prophet, called before he was born.

Gift; the LORD exists

The father of King David, and the root of the Messiah's line.

Abundance; excellence

The wise father-in-law who counselled Moses.

Persecuted; the one who weeps

The righteous sufferer who trusted God from the depths of loss.

The LORD is God

A prophet who foretold the outpouring of God's Spirit.

The LORD is gracious

The disciple whom Jesus loved, and the forerunner who prepared his way.

Dove

The reluctant prophet swallowed by a great fish.

The LORD has given

The loyal prince whose friendship with David is Scripture's model of covenant love.

He will add; God shall increase

The dreamer sold into Egypt who rose to save his family and the nations.

The LORD is salvation

Moses' successor who led Israel into the promised land.

The LORD supports; healed by God

The boy king who rediscovered God's law and led revival.

Praise

The son from whom kings and the Messiah would come — the lion's tribe.

Praise; praised

A brother of Jesus and author of a short, fierce New Testament letter.

God has helped

The friend of Jesus raised from the dead after four days.

Joined; attached

The son whose tribe became Israel's priests, set apart to serve God.

Light-giving; from Lucania

The beloved physician who wrote the Gospel of grace and the book of Acts.

My messenger

The last prophet of the Old Testament, who foretold the coming Sun of righteousness.

Warlike; a hammer

The young companion of Peter and Paul who wrote the swiftest Gospel.

Gift of the LORD

The tax collector called from his booth to follow Jesus.

Gift of God

The disciple chosen to replace Judas among the twelve apostles.

Who is like the LORD?

The prophet who foretold Bethlehem and summed up true religion.

Drawn out of the water

The deliverer who led Israel out of Egypt and received the Law.

Comfort; consolation

A prophet who declared the LORD good and a stronghold in trouble.

He gave; gift

The prophet bold enough to tell King David the truth.

Gift of God

The honest disciple Jesus called an Israelite without guile.

The LORD comforts

The leader who rebuilt Jerusalem's walls through prayer and hard work.

Rest; comfort

The righteous man who built the ark and began the world again.

Servant of the LORD

A prophet, and the name of a God-fearing official who hid God's prophets.

Small; humble

The persecutor turned apostle who carried the gospel to the nations.

Rock; stone

The fisherman Jesus renamed the Rock, leader of the apostles.

Lover of horses

The disciple who found Nathanael and preached to an Ethiopian on the road.

Behold, a son

The firstborn son of Jacob, who tried to save Joseph.

Asked of God; heard by God

The child of answered prayer who became prophet and kingmaker.

Appointed; granted

The son given to Adam and Eve in place of Abel.

Of the forest; asked for

Paul's companion who sang hymns at midnight in a Philippian jail.

He has heard

The devout old man who held the infant Jesus in the temple.

He has heard

The fisherman Jesus renamed Peter, the rock.

Peace

David's son, the wisest of kings, builder of the temple.

Crown; garland

The first Christian martyr, who died praying for his killers.

Twin

The disciple whose honest doubt became the Gospel's greatest confession.

Honouring God

Paul's beloved son in the faith, raised on Scripture from childhood.

Title of honour; pleasing

Paul's trusted troubleshooter, sent to set the churches in order.

Pure; innocent

The tax collector who climbed a tree to see Jesus.

Dwelling; honour

A son of Jacob, whose tribe's land Jesus would later walk.

The LORD remembers

The priest struck silent until the birth of his son, John the Baptist.

My father's joy

The wise and beautiful woman who calmed David's anger.

Grace; favour

The aged prophetess who recognised the infant Messiah in the temple.

Daughter of the oath

The wife of David and mother of Solomon.

Queen; queen mother

The title of an Ethiopian queen whose treasurer met Christ.

Green shoot; blooming

A believer in the early church mentioned by Paul.

Enclosure

A believer in Rome who sent greetings through Paul.

Gentle; calf

An Athenian woman who believed Paul's message at the Areopagus.

Bee

The prophetess and judge who led Israel to victory.

Delicate; languishing

The woman whose betrayal brought down Samson — a cautionary name.

Judged; vindicated

The only named daughter of Jacob.

Gazelle

The disciple full of good works, raised to life by Peter.

God is my oath

The wife of Aaron and mother of the priestly line.

God is my oath; consecrated to God

The mother of John the Baptist, whose child leapt for joy.

Star

The orphan queen who saved her people for such a time as this.

Good victory

Timothy's mother, who raised him on Scripture.

Life; living

The first woman, mother of all the living.

Complete

The wife of Hosea, whose story pictured God's faithful love.

Myrtle tree

The Hebrew name of Esther, the orphan who became a queen.

Flight; stranger

The servant who met the God who sees.

Grace; favour

The praying mother whose answered plea became the prophet Samuel.

Mountain goat; to ascend

The tent-dwelling woman whose courage ended a war.

Dove; day by day

The eldest daughter of Job, born in the days of his restoration.

The LORD is gracious

One of the women who supported Jesus and found the empty tomb.

The LORD is glory

The mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, who trusted God with her child.

Youthful

A believer in Rome greeted by Paul.

Youthful

A believer Paul honoured as of note among the apostles.

Incense; fragrance

Abraham's wife in his later years, mother of many nations.

Cassia; sweet-smelling spice

One of Job's beautiful daughters, born after his restoration.

Weary; delicate

The unloved wife whose fourth son's name meant praise.

Most desirable; agreeable

Timothy's grandmother, whose sincere faith was passed down.

From Lydia; noble one

The first recorded convert in Europe, a seller of purple.

Bitter

The name Naomi chose in her grief — honest before God.

Lady; mistress of the house

The busy hostess of Bethany who confessed Christ at her brother's grave.

Beloved; bitter

The mother of Jesus, whose humble yes changed the world.

Who is like God?

King Saul's daughter, David's first wife, who loved and lost him.

Queen; counsel

Abraham's sister-in-law, and one of Zelophehad's daughters.

Beloved; bitter (rebellious)

Moses' sister, a prophetess who led Israel in song.

Pleasant; my delight

The grieving widow whose emptiness God filled again.

Fawn; back of the neck

Ruth's sister-in-law, who turned back to Moab.

Persian woman

A beloved believer Paul praised for her hard work in the Lord.

Bright; radiant

The deaconess Paul trusted to carry his letter to Rome.

Ancient; venerable

The teacher and tentmaker who, with her husband, discipled Apollos.

Ewe; little lamb

The beloved wife for whom Jacob served twice seven years.

Wide; spacious

The Jericho innkeeper whose faith saved her whole household.

To bind; captivating

The bride found by a well, who chose faith with one word: I will go.

Rose

The servant girl overjoyed to hear Peter at the door.

Friend; compassion

The loyal Moabite whose pledge became the model of devotion.

Peace

A faithful follower of Jesus, among the women at the cross and tomb.

Princess

The mother of nations, who laughed at a promise and lived to keep it.

Pause; to lift up

A worshipful word from the Psalms — pause, and consider.

Beautiful; fair

A brave midwife who feared God and saved Hebrew babies.

Lily

One of the women who followed and supported Jesus.

Gazelle

A disciple full of good works, raised to life by Peter.

Palm tree

The wronged woman whom Judah declared more righteous than himself.

Delight; pleasant

One of the daughters of Zelophehad who won a landmark inheritance.

Delicate; dainty

A hard-working believer Paul greeted in Rome.

Beautiful; best

The queen of Persia before Esther.

Frailty; a trickling

A mother of two of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Bird

The wife of Moses, a shepherdess of Midian.