Biblical Boy Baby Names

With more than 3,000 names – many that are still perennially on the “most popular” list – the Bible could be considered one of the first baby name books!

Naming a baby can be scary. We can help! Check out our baby name database here.

Here’s a look at the meaning and biblical background behind each name on this list.

• Aaron – Hebrew, “high mountain” or “exalted one”; brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel.
• Abraham – Hebrew, “father of many nations”; the patriarch and father of Isaac.
• Adam – Hebrew, “man” or “ground”; the first man created in Genesis.
• Andrew – Greek, “manly, strong”; one of the twelve apostles and brother of Peter.
• Benjamin – Hebrew, “son of the right hand”; the youngest son of Jacob.
• Caleb – Hebrew, “faithful, whole-hearted”; one of the scouts sent to explore Canaan.
• Daniel – Hebrew, “God is my judge”; the prophet famous for surviving the lion’s den.
• Elijah – Hebrew, “my God is Yahweh”; a miracle-working prophet of Israel.
• Ezekiel – Hebrew, “God will strengthen”; a major visionary prophet.
• Ezra – Hebrew, “helper”; a priest who led the Israelites back from exile.
• Gabriel – Hebrew, “God is my strength”; the archangel who delivers God’s messages.
• Gideon – Hebrew, “mighty warrior”; a judge who led Israel to victory.
• Hezekiah – Hebrew, “God strengthens”; a reforming king of Judah.
• Isaac – Hebrew, “he laughs”; the son of Abraham and Sarah.
• Isaiah – Hebrew, “God is salvation”; one of the major prophets.
• Jacob – Hebrew, “supplanter”; the patriarch and father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
• James – From “Jacob”; the name of two of Jesus’s apostles.
• Jeremiah – Hebrew, “God will exalt”; known as the “weeping prophet.”
• Jesse – Hebrew, “gift”; the father of King David.
• Joel – Hebrew, “Yahweh is God”; a minor prophet of the Old Testament.
• John – Hebrew, “God is gracious”; the name of John the Baptist and the Apostle John.
• Jonah – Hebrew, “dove”; the prophet swallowed by a great fish.
• Joseph – Hebrew, “God will add”; sold into slavery by his brothers before rising to power in Egypt.
• Joshua – Hebrew, “God is salvation”; the leader who brought Israel into the Promised Land.
• Josiah – Hebrew, “God supports”; a young king known for religious reforms.
• Judah – Hebrew, “praised”; a son of Jacob and namesake of one of the twelve tribes.
• Levi – Hebrew, “joined, attached”; father of the priestly tribe of Levites.
• Luke – Greek, “light-giving”; the author of the Gospel of Luke.
• Malachi – Hebrew, “my messenger”; the final prophet of the Old Testament.
• Matthew – Hebrew, “gift of God”; an apostle and former tax collector.
• Michael – Hebrew, “who is like God?”; the archangel known as a protector.
• Moses – Hebrew/Egyptian, “drawn out (of water)”; the leader who led the Israelites out of Egypt.
• Nathaniel – Hebrew, “gift of God”; one of Jesus’s twelve apostles.
• Nehemiah – Hebrew, “God comforts”; the leader who rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls.
• Noah – Hebrew, “rest, comfort”; the man who built the ark before the flood.
• Paul – Latin, “small, humble”; the apostle who wrote much of the New Testament.
• Peter – Greek, “rock”; a leading apostle and founder of the early church.
• Philip – Greek, “lover of horses”; one of the twelve apostles.
• Raphael – Hebrew, “God heals”; the archangel associated with healing.
• Reuben – Hebrew, “behold, a son”; the eldest son of Jacob.
• Samson – Hebrew, “sun”; a judge famed for his extraordinary strength.
• Samuel – Hebrew, “God has heard”; a prophet and the last judge of Israel.
• Seth – Hebrew, “appointed”; the third son of Adam and Eve.
• Silas – Likely from “Saul,” meaning “asked for”; a missionary companion of Paul.
• Simon – Hebrew, “he has heard”; the original name of the Apostle Peter, and also Simon the Zealot.
• Solomon – Hebrew, “peace”; the wise king and son of David.
• Thomas – Aramaic, “twin”; the apostle remembered as “doubting Thomas.”
• Timothy – Greek, “honoring God”; a close companion of the apostle Paul.
• Uriah – Hebrew, “God is my light”; a soldier in King David’s army.
• Uriel – Hebrew, “God is my light”; one of the archangels.
• Zachariah – Hebrew, “God has remembered”; the father of John the Baptist.