Unused biblical names

[Flutterflybutterby]

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

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!

Oh yes - Josiah and Thaddeus too.

Love hepzibah but DH was horrified!

Lazarus is due a revivals surely

But seriously- the names you’ve listed, I do know people with many of them. I went to school with a Moses, and I’ve known one as an adult. I did go to a Catholic school though, and particularly OT names were quite common.

I think there are some beautiful names in the bible

Isaac is pretty common place I'd say, I wouldn't bat ab eyelid at one of those.

Thaddeus and Balthazar were serious contenders, I'll always regret not having them a little bit..
We went with TV angels instead and had a Castiel

Zebedee is a great name, but I’ve never encountered it outside of the Magic Roundabout.

So pleased to see some positivity here, for a change, toward Hepzibah, Kezia and Kizzy - all names I would have liked to have used, along with Bathsheba and Rebekah, had I ever had daughters. Also popular, or used to be, amongst Romany people.

Micah, Malachai, Caleb, Isaac and Ishmael would be my choices for boys.

Although I am not remotely religious, I think biblical names are beautiful

My friend had a car called Jezebel. Because it was unreliable.

My sister is called Keren!

I know four Kezia’s now!
I always liked Talitha and Jakin.

It's been a long time since I met a Ruth but that's always been one of my favourite names. I used to watch an animated bible stories show as a child and have loved it since then.

There was an actor in Lord of the Flies called Balthazar Getty. Not heard it anywhere else. I know a Keziah (which auto correct changed to Keith!) and Ezekial.

@AdaColeman

You rarely meet a Boaz or a Beulah, but Hephzibah is my favourite biblical name.

I know a Beulah (Ferris maybe why it’s considered one of the worst OP?) and 2 Hephzibahs. Maybe it’s just the circles I roll in? I also know an Amos.

We had a reading from the Book of Ruth at our wedding and so used Ruth as a middle name for one DD, and we used Mary for another DD.

I know a woman with 3 grandsons (across 2 families) named Matthew, Mark, Luke. I was predicting the fourth grandchild would be named John. She is a girl named Grace (a virtue name rather than a biblical figure)

I think Jeremiah is a pretty cool name for a boy, due a revival! I won't be able to use it myself so please feel free to steal it!

And Saul is pretty common too

I know of a Boaz. DH came across him through work.

I wanted Ezekiel, but our surname starts with an E so it did not work.

Moses is Moshe in Hebrew and is pretty common among Jewish families. I like Moshe alot.

Thirza - my lovely godmother auntie.
Hephzibah definitely !

Beulah and Orpah are both on my list and I adore them both. I can understand why religious people wouldn’t want to use Orpah, but I just love it.

Magda, short for Magdalena is quite common in Poland and I guess probably in other European, mainly Catholic countries. I always thought the English/French equivalent was Madeleine.

I absolutely love Kezia, and have heard of it used for both sexes though Kizzy sounds like a feminine nickname to me. I wouldn't call a baby Cain...

@CovidPassQuestion avishag is actually really popular in Israel. Inc my cousins wife. My cousin is English originally his wife Israeli and he does like to tease thst he's "aving a shag".

The name noa is also quite popular with Jewish and Israeli friends

Seth is another name I’ve always loved.

One of my lines had a LOT of children mid 19th C. The ones I can remember off the top of my head are Jeremiah/Jesse/Nehemiah/Ham/Samson/Ezekiel and Jephthah (there were more) They had a rather stolid Northern surname which does sound rather amusing combined with those.

Interestingly, the girls were all things like "Alice" and "Eliza"

If this bump had been a boy he would have been Abraham. I also love Lemuel Kezia and most of all Zipporah but is it pronouced ZIPorah or ZipORah? A little Zippy would be so cute.

Cain is cool

Jared is an underused biblical name in the UK. Ten a penny in US.
Also love Elias for a boy.
As Asher and Ezra are lovely boys names but more popular now