Help with Biblical boys' names...

[PattyCakes]

I am looking for an unusual name for my baby boy and I really love Old Testament/Biblical boys' names. I've narrowed it down to two: Ira and Tobias. Personally, I absolutely love (and prefer) Ira, but I appreciate that it's very unusual and am wondering whether Tobias might be a safer choice, especially since it has a more mainstream nickname (Toby, or even Bias).

Which should I choose?

I think irate when i hear Ira and would go for Tobias personally.

I, too, prefer Ira. It's far more unusual and interesting than Tobias. Also sounds much nicer to me. Though the flipside of unusual is that you may have to spell it out more often and also tell people how to pronounce it. Americans will be familiar with it.

I prefer Tobias but how about

Caleb
Bartholomew
Aaron
Cain
Amos

Prefer Tobias. Ira sounds like Iris to me and so a girls name - sorry

I'm afraid Ira just makes me think of the I.R.A.

Tobias is stunning but seems to be getting more popular.

What about:

Amos
Abel
Abram (Abraham's name before God changed it to Abraham)
Abraham
Boaz
Ezekiel (Zeke is a very cool nn)
Eliam (ee-lye-am - he was the father of Bathsheba)
Eliab (ee-lye-ab - the name of several smaller characters, including the grandson of Reuben)
Eliel (ee-lye-el) - the name of several smaller characters)
Ephraim
Joah (like Noah, just with a J - the name of several smaller characters, including the secretary of King Hezekiah)
Jaroah (jah-roe-ah - father of Abigail)
Jeriah (jeh-rye-ah - son of Hebron)
Moses
Noam
Simeon
Thaddeus
Zechariah

ira agaun makes me think ira
how about
josiah
jeremiah nn jem

I prefer Tobias.

Other nice names;
Isaac
Jonah
Zaccheus
Elishah
Aaron
Solomon
Saul

my friend has an Isaac which is a great name but NOBODY can spell it, teachers, nobody. Very irritating. everyone writes Issac.

Both are great. Would love to have had some boys just so I could use some OT names

I am also a big fan of OT names!
I prefer Tobias but agree is getting more popular and Toby is quite mainsteam...
How about Isaiah, Ezra, Jonah, Jonas, Caleb...?
Happy name hunting

I really like Ira. IRA didn't even occur to me!

We already have a Zachary and DS2 is due in a few days and will be Ezra :)

If you prefer Ira, then I would go with that. We have had a few for Ezra but the majority of the people we have told have liked it. I think rarer names just take people a bit of getting used to. Go with what you love!

IRA didn't occur to me either and I'm Irish. Do think it sounds a bit girly though.
Love Tobias. My fave OT name is Jonah, really surprised it's not more popular