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

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

Baby names

biblical (Old Testament) boys' names

69 replies

tvmum1976 · 29/03/2013 21:56

which ones do you like? Am prepared to accept the more 'extreme' end (we have a DS with a kind of extreme biblical name) but like the more common ones too. Any suggestions? Thank you! (NB we are jewish so old testament is better!)

OP posts:

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Gobbledegook100 · 29/03/2013 23:08

Icabod was suggested to me by a relative for my ds3, thought they were being funny but no, turns out its there In the Old Testament and I quite got used to it, considered it as a middle name even but bottled out, if I remember correctly he was a less than pleasant character when I researched it.

steppemum · 29/03/2013 23:19

I like Zephaniah It is quite strongly Biblical, probably more so than Solomon/Isaac/Reuben or the others. So it might take some carrying off.
But Zeph/Zephy is really a very cool nn isn't it?

I am not sure I would use it. My ds is very against our faith, and so I look at him and wonder what he would think about having such a strongly Biblical name and he would HATE it. So I think my opinion has been moderated by that a bit. I would use names that are slightly more familiar in our culture, and not quite so identified with only the Bible (if that makes any sense)
It is pretty unusual in UK, as are other names of prophets (Isaiah, Zachariah, etc)

but still love Zeph/Zephy!

tvmum1976 · 29/03/2013 23:26

thanks steppenmum. I think i have similar feelings about it, but wonder if it might become popular one day because Zeph is so cool. our older DS is still too young to have a view on his name but I'm sure a strong view is on its way to us soon! Thanks v much anyway.

OP posts:

steppemum · 29/03/2013 23:51

I wouldn't use Jesse either, because here it is more commonly Jessie short for Jessica, so people assume it is a girl's name

My ds's name is Isaac and it is also a family name. We wanted a strong Biblical name, but he sees it as a normal name that 'happens' also to be in the Bible. So we seem to have got away with it with him!

Floweryhat · 30/03/2013 00:00

Salmon

KittenOfDoom · 30/03/2013 01:55

Jonathan
Jared

PandaG · 30/03/2013 07:52

I like Zephaniah too, I do know a little one, aged 4 or 5 now, who is known as Zeph. (am a Christian and do know a lot of kids from church families, many of whom have Biblical names)

MERLYPUSS · 30/03/2013 19:00

I have an Isaac and a Thomas

hippoherostandinghere · 31/03/2013 17:38

Jacob, Isaac, Caleb, Noah, Jonah, Zachary and Joshua are my favourites.

tvmum1976 · 01/04/2013 20:04

thanks everyone- some really great suggestions.

OP posts:

Slippysnow · 08/04/2013 16:52

When people look for biblical names I always think of 7 brides for 7 brothers, where the mother named the 7 brothers alphabetical (by age) biblical names:

Adam
Benjamin
Caleb
Daniel
Ephraim
Frank (Frankincense- there is no F name -he used to get angry when his brothers said his real name)
Gideon

And then Milly - Adam's wife continued the tradition by naming their daughter Hannah. I love that film :)

Mumcentreplus · 08/04/2013 17:09

Moses...but I love Reuben and I like Jessie but is takes a big personality to carry it off..Jessie is a cool name

KittenOfDoom · 08/04/2013 22:49

It's Jesse, not Jessie.

steppemum · 09/04/2013 00:10

kitten - yes it is but when you say it they sound the same

dd has a friend Jesse, and everyone assumes he is a girl until they see him and then do a double take. I think it may be because the name is much less common in the UK

It also used to be an insult - don't be a big Jessie (can't remember where it came from) means don't be a wimp

KittenOfDoom · 09/04/2013 00:12

Obviously I know that they sound the same. That is why it's even more important that people use the correct spellings.

fussychica · 10/04/2013 17:57

Adam every time.

scissy · 10/04/2013 18:12

Joel
Josiah
Obadiah (if you want really unusual!)

CrunchyFrog · 10/04/2013 18:28

I've got an Elijah. NN Lije. It suits him.

I like Obadiah and Jedidiah. And Malachi, that's a good one.

chocoholic05 · 10/04/2013 18:33

mine are Samuel and Isaac they are great names I think

xyla · 10/04/2013 18:45

Tobiah is gorgeous.

ttcnumero3 · 11/04/2013 23:12

Is Tobiah in the bible? Is it not Tobias?

3boysgirlontheway · 12/04/2013 02:55

Saul

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AKissIsNotAContract · 12/04/2013 03:02

I saw the thread title and clicked on it just to say that I love Zephaniah. I also love Hezekiah and Ezekiel.

SmellieWellies · 12/04/2013 13:50

love Ezekiel also.

WithASpider · 12/04/2013 13:55

We have a friend with a 6m old Elijah, I love it even though it got a few faces from family.

DS is Joel. If we ever have a DS2 DH wants to call him Gideon. (though that one is after the CSI character!)

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