Why are some Biblical names widely popular whilst others are rarely used?

I have a lot of church community friends and as a result know 4 Jossiahs, 3 elis, 3 Keziahs, 2 Zeks, one Zephaniah and several Miriams and Esthers. I think like all names they come and go in fashion, but certainly the names portrayed in a good light in the Bible win out.

I like Phinneas myself and Samuel 😁

My Nan’s sister was called Keziah- she was our Auntie Kitty 🩷

I do think they will become more popular with time, as people look beyond Noah, Reuben and Elijah. My kids go to a C of E school and there are lots of children with names like Josiah, Solomon, Keziah and Naamah.

I can see these becoming more popular:

Isaiah
Amos
Ezekiel / Zeke
Josiah
Solomon
Asher
Boaz
Caleb
Gideon
Micah
Raphael
Saul
Zachariah
Seth
Thaddeus
Silas

Is it just me who thinks Zebulon sounds like an alien invader name?

Plenty of Moses, Keziahs and Micahs in Black communities.

Generally speaking, the most popular Biblical names among white British communities are New Testament rather than Old Testament ones, for obvious reasons. Also, most people are aware of the disciples and saints and know that they’re safe bets to name a kid after. Not many people, however, are going to risk calling a child after some obscure Old Testament figure who might have shagged his daughter or been seduced by a demon or something. The Old Testament is utterly bonkers and full of horrific people.

An acquaintance named their son Noah around 20 years ago and I thought 'thats unusual, hope he doesn't get teased'. Names that once seem strange and out there can quite quickly become mainstream. There's an Abel (aged 5) in my son's school. I like it.

Jeffrey Archer

Shorter, easier to pronounce names are often more popular (across all many cultures), though some names are linked with trends too.
Wasn't there a Sidney Sheldon book about siblings called Kane (sic) and Abel? Certain names don't tend to be used due to the people, eg Jezebel, Jeremiah.

Miriam and Mary are variants of the same name.

The one that always amazes me is Noah. When I was young nobody had this name and when I first heard of someone using it I thought it was ridiculous, like calling your child Jehosaphat or Potiphar. Now it's a top 10 name.

Elizabeth is a good ever-popular Bible name.

I think Biblical names are no different to other names ~ they come in waves of popularity

DF's friends ~ David, Philip, Mark, Andrew, Simon, Nicholas, Peter

DH's friends ~ Jonathan, Matthew, Luke, Nathaniel, Paul x 3

DS's friends ~ Joshua, Noah x 2, Reuben

I think it is time John and Peter came back. Both good names.

It is nice, and probably more elegant, though ever so slightly reminiscent of Fabulon ironing aid!

I actually prefer Zebulon ! A lovely name which I would have considered for DS if I had known it 15 years ago!

John and Abel were pretty much ranked the same for 2024 babies in England and Wales!
(Abel 166th John 164th)
(I can't find 2025 data but John was on a downward trajectory so Abel may now be more popular.

Eve is also not much more popular than Miriam (242nd to Miriam's 259th).

I think they go in cycles. For years John was supremely popular. Joseph was very unusual when I was at school and Noah unheard of. Now it's almost the opposite with very few Michael, Daniel, John, Peter, Simon etc. Replaced by Gabriel, Ezra, Reuben, Noah etc.

Isn’t Mariam a Mary variant?

spelt maryam it’s moderately common with muslims

i have met a few Keziah’s they usually go by Kez

Micah is super common in the US. There were 3 of them in my primary class in the 80s, and there are 2 in my DC’s school.

My DC are Onan, Job, Ham and Lot. They've had nothing but compliments on their names.

We liked Abel but with it being so uncommon you either think of the story, which is negative, or one of the companies that use it.

Spelling familiarity , Some are more 'Western / British sounding' than others so feel more familiar, most people don't delve deep into the OT where many great names spring from.

Personally I like Hepzibah (had an aunt with that name - Epsy), Dc has a friend called Nehemiah - no one can spell it and he gets called Ne-marr even by people who know.

It may be a bit self-centered to say, but I hope these sorts of names aren't put on the general public's radar. We're naming our son Moses, and I don't want it to become the next Noah. I'd like it to remain a bit uncommon and confined to certain communities. No one ever thought that Noah would become trendy, but it did!

My son has one of the more unusual biblical names mentioned on this thread and I am pretty much atheist! Partner is an occasional church goer.

People do assume we are very religious (Christian) when I say his name, or occasionally maybe Jewish I think. But nope, I just liked the name!

I have a biblical name (I’m an atheist!). Some of the names mentioned here, I had no idea were biblical names.

Thats true.
My great aunt was a Keziah, known as Kiya.

i see some names as faith based association.

Historically names like David, Daniel, Jacob, Sarah, Joseph, Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah I associate with Judaism, Armish, Jehovahs Witness names

Mary, Theresa, Elizabeth, Bernadette, Simon, John, Paul, James, Thomas, William, George, Edward, Anne, Catherine more Anglican and Catholic.

Obviously there is crossover, plus as stated a name association with in the bible having positive and negative connotations. Then you throw in nationality, one of my DDs has a religious name only associated with one particular country that I know of.

Given more modern naming trends, people no longer use the same small pool of names and lack of people being religious i think people have moved away from biblical names.

I have an Elkanah a few centuries back.