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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Unused biblical names

119 replies

Flutterflybutterby · 04/12/2021 00:14

I mean the names that you're surprised about their lack of use, rather than names like Keren-Happuch which you can quite easily understand why they're not used much Grin

For example, I adore Moses. I think it's perfect. But I've never met a person called Moses in all my life. I also think it's odd how Noah is so popular but Shem, the name of one of his sons, isn't popular. To me, Shem is a nice name and seems usable.

I also always expect Phineas to become popular considering the popularity of Finn/Finley/Finnian... Just Finn names in general which are everywhere lately.

For girls, I always think Mahlah and Noa are pretty names and they also seem like pretty cool, strong biblical namesakes too. Yet I have never heard of a Mahlah being used (maybe because a Google search declares the meaning of the name to be 'sickness' which is incorrect?) and while Noa is known and often suggested on baby name boards, it always seems to be shot down by other posters and not chosen.

Lastly my beloved Zephaniah. I think this name is soft and gorgeous and I also think Zeph is a lovely nickname. But I never hear it. Maybe it's just too long.

There's so many other bible names that I adore like Josiah, Isaiah, Silas, Esther, Martha etc but they all seem much more well-used. I want to hear the names that you feel aren't as well-used as they deserve to be!

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Leeloo1233 · 08/12/2021 11:46

Ooh Shem is so cool!!

EishetChayil · 07/12/2021 23:49

A lot of these are quite common in Jewish communities! I know a Tzipporah and many a Moses, Abraham, and Keren.

rubydoobydoo · 06/12/2021 21:26

@LadyEloise1

How fo you pronounce Beulah *@rubydoobydoo* ? I know of a house called Beulah.
Sort of like "Bew-lah" or "byoo-lah" isn't it? It just surprises me how many people can't say it when they read it for the first time!
tenredthings · 05/12/2021 21:18

I always loved the name Judas but it's been given a bad rap ! Judah also is a favorite of mine.

tearinghairout · 05/12/2021 20:41

I know an adult Malachi - a bit out of place in.deepest Devon but a very cool guy! I also love Joel, nn Joe.

tearinghairout · 05/12/2021 20:38

I love Jedediah, nn Jed, who IIRC was the hero of the Earthsea novels.
I also love Tamar, Delilah and Tabitha.
An Abishag is a name for a hot water bottle (in the Bible she was the wife who kept Solomon warm at night in his old age).

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 05/12/2021 20:21

@1WildFlower

I like Noah, see it occasionally.
You'll see it a lot more than just occasionally in the years to come, @1WildFlower. #4 baby boy name in England and Wales in 2020. Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic for a decade or so now.
KateF · 05/12/2021 19:40

I used to attend an Evangelical church and there were children named Micah, Obadiah, Moses, Isaiah, Jonah, Ezra,Talitha, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Deborah, Abigail, Rebekah. I also know a Mikaiyah but had no idea it was biblical!

1WildFlower · 05/12/2021 19:33

I like Noah, see it occasionally.

floatinginmyhomie · 05/12/2021 19:32

I completely agree with Moses. It’s such a gorgeous name!!
Esau
Linus
Joah
Kenen
Adlai
Lemuel
Lael
Shem
Micah
Jared
Enoch/Enos

Adah
Junia

If I got to name my DC without DH’s input DS would be Moses or Kenen

Zimbolino · 05/12/2021 19:29

I knew a Barak a long time ago, before Barak Obama became well known, though he pronounced it BEAR-ak instead of Bah-rak.

SumAndSubstance · 05/12/2021 19:18

@curlymacv, I know three Asas in the UK. It's a good name!

I also know a couple of Balthazars, but one is German.

SumAndSubstance · 05/12/2021 19:17

@ILoveShula, I know that. It was just a joke! Grin

SirVixofVixHall · 05/12/2021 19:15

@vampirethriller

I've got a Keturah! I love Jabez and Jethro for boys and Hadassah for girls.
Oh Keturah is lovely ! I also think Jabez is a wonderful name.
ILoveShula · 05/12/2021 19:01

@SumAndSubstance, Job is pronounced Jobe. Lot was seduced by his daughters

curlymacv · 05/12/2021 18:11

I really like the name Asa. Not sure how it'd hold up in the UK though Grin

SumAndSubstance · 05/12/2021 18:04

Job and Lot in combination would be awesome 😁

GogLais · 05/12/2021 17:36

Lot and Onan seemed the obvious ones, but Job is not much used.

I know a few Ezekiels, a few Joels, one Saul

LadyEloise1 · 05/12/2021 17:27

How fo you pronounce Beulah @rubydoobydoo ?
I know of a house called Beulah.

Mammyloveswine · 05/12/2021 17:10

@OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow

Well, who knew the Dingles would be trend setters?
Ha when I named both my boys with biblical names my mam called us the dingles Grin
Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 05/12/2021 16:00

Interesting thread!

Judith seems to have dropped out of favour. I like it, in full - not so keen on Judy.

Sharon is a biblical name but obviously right out of fashion now. I wonder if it will ever come back.

Mary, Rebecca, Rachel, Ruth, Sarah - not so popular now, but all good solid names with a long history. Eve, Naomi, Anna, Leah, Martha and Hannah all seem to be more popular at present.

For boys, John, Jonathan, Mark, Peter, Andrew, Paul, David, Stephen and Philip - fallen down the ranks. Matthew, Luke, Samuel, Daniel, Adam, James, Joseph - holding their own. Ethan and Nathan/Nathaniel were exotic names when I was young, much less so now.

Some archangel names are good - Michael, Raphael, Gabriel. Azrael is rather fine, although Good Omens fans might struggle with it. Metatron probably sounds too like an early 1980s home PC to become popular. Uriel too like urine.

I understand Elijah is very popular at the moment, but Elisha isn't - I wonder if that's because people assume Elisha will be taken for a girl's name because of the ending.

I like Joel, Gideon and Josiah. Nicodemus has a certain ring to it as well.

Glad to have been reminded of Lemuel by this thread. First name of Gulliver in Gulliver's Travels. I think it's a great name.

Mumsnut · 05/12/2021 15:54

You do t get many Herods …

OrangeAndYellowAndBlue · 05/12/2021 15:26

I know a Shem and a Talitha.

Kezia is really cool tbh.

Sockwomble · 05/12/2021 12:02

Asher is a nice name.
There are a few Abners in my family tree.
I did the bulk of my tree about 15 years ago and there were lots of names that back then I considered unusual like Caleb and Elijah.

TenPenceMix · 05/12/2021 05:39

Mahershalalhashbaz is my favourite unusable Bible name...so much potential for nicknames.

Really like Micaiah too.