Aaron Ἀαρών m English, French, German, Finnish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] From the Hebrew name
אַהֲרֹן (ʾAharon), which is most likely of unknown Egyptian origin
[2] [3] [4] . Other theories claim a Hebrew derivation, and suggest meanings such as
"high mountain" or
"exalted". In the Old Testament this name is borne by the older brother of
Moses. He acted as a spokesman for his brother when they appealed to the pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. Aaron's rod produced miracles and plagues to intimidate the pharaoh. After the departure from Egypt and arrival at Mount Sinai, God installed Aaron as the first high priest of the Israelites and promised that his descendants would become the priesthood.
... [more] Abdiel Ἀβδιήλ m Biblical, Biblical Greek Means
"servant of God" in Hebrew, from
עֶבֶד (ʿeveḏ) meaning "servant, slave" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God"
[1] [2] . In the Old Testament, this is the name of a member of the tribe of Gad. In John Milton's
Paradise Lost (1667), this is the name of a seraph who withstands Satan when he urges the angels to revolt.
Abdiou Ἀβδιού m Biblical Greek Form of
Obadiah used in the Greek Old Testament, also spelled
Abel Ἄβελ m English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Georgian, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
From the Hebrew name הֶבֶל (Hevel) meaning "breath". In the Old Testament he is the second son of Adam and Eve, murdered out of envy by his brother Cain. In England, this name came into use during the Middle Ages, and it was common during the Puritan era. Adam Ἀδάμ m English, French, German, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Romanian, Catalan, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Georgian, Malay, Indonesian, Dhivehi, Biblical, Biblical Latin [1] , Biblical Greek [2] , Biblical Hebrew [3] , Quranic This is the Hebrew word for
"man" [3] [4] . It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew
אדם (ʾaḏam) meaning
"to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian
adamu meaning
"to make" [5] .
... [more] Amos Ἀμώς m English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Latin [1] , Biblical Greek [2] , Biblical Hebrew [3] From Hebrew
עָמַס (ʿamas) meaning
"load, burden" [4] . Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Amos, which speaks against greed, corruption and oppression of the poor. Written about the 8th century BC, it is among the oldest of the prophetic books. As an English name,
Amos has been used since the Protestant Reformation, and was popular among the Puritans.
Andreas Ἀνδρέας m German, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Welsh, Ancient Greek [1] , Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [2] Ancient Greek and Latin form of
Andrew. It is also the form used in Modern Greek, German and Welsh.
Anna Ἄννα f English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Armenian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Biblical, Biblical Greek [1] , Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic Form of
Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament
[1] [2] [3] . Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the
Hannah spelling instead of
Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized
Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin
Mary.
... [more] Archippos Ἄρχιππος m Ancient Greek [1] , Biblical Greek [2] Means
"master of horses" from the Greek elements
archos) meaning "master" and
hippos) meaning "horse"
[3] [4] . In the New Testament it is borne by a man mentioned in the epistles (spelled as
Archippus, the Latinized form, in the English version).
Ariel Ἀριήλ m & f Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Biblical, Biblical Greek Means
"lion of God" in Hebrew, from
אֲרִי (ʾari) meaning "lion" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play
The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem
The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film
The Little Mermaid (1989).
Dalida Δαλιδά f Biblical Greek Form of
Delilah used in the Greek Old Testament. A famous bearer was the Italian-Egyptian singer and actress Dalida (1933-1987), who was born as Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti.
Daniel Δανιήλ m English, Hebrew, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Finnish, Estonian, Armenian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Greek [1] From the Hebrew name
דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning
"God is my judge" [2] , from the roots
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God"
[3] [4] . Daniel was a Hebrew prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He lived during the Jewish captivity in Babylon, where he served in the court of the king, rising to prominence by interpreting the king's dreams. The book also presents Daniel's four visions of the end of the world.
... [more] Dina 1 Δίνα f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Latvian, Russian, Ukrainian, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew [1] , Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin Form of
Dinah in several languages, as well as the form in the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Old Testament.
Eber Ἔβερ m Biblical, Biblical Greek [1] Means
"region beyond" in Hebrew, derived from the root
עָבַר (ʿavar) meaning "to pass over, to cross"
[2] . In the Old Testament he is a descendant of
Shem said to be the ancestor of the Hebrews.
Eli 1 Ἠλί m English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Greek [1] , Biblical Hebrew [2] Means
"ascension" in Hebrew, a derivative of
עָלָה (ʿala) meaning "to ascend". In the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament he is a high priest of the Israelites. He took the young
Samuel into his service and gave him guidance when God spoke to him. Because of the misdeeds of his sons, Eli and his descendants were cursed to die before reaching old age.
... [more] Elias Ἠλίας m Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, English, Dutch, Greek, Amharic, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] Form of
Elijah used in several languages. This is also the form used in the Greek New Testament, as well as some English translations.
Epaphroditos Ἐπαφρόδιτος m Ancient Greek [1] , Biblical Greek [2] Means
"lovely, charming", derived from Greek
epi) meaning "on" combined with the name of the Greek love goddess
Aphrodite [3] . It appears in the epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament (as
Epaphroditus, the Latinized form, in the English version).
Ephraim Ἐφραίμ m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek From the Hebrew name
אֶפְרָיִם (ʾEfrayim) meaning
"fruitful". In the Old Testament Ephraim is a son of
Joseph and
Asenath and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. This name was also borne by two early saints: Ephraim or Ephrem the Syrian, a 4th-century theologian, and Ephraim of Antioch, a 6th-century patriarch of Antioch.
Esau Ἠσαῦ m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] From the Hebrew name
עֵשָׂו (ʿEsaw), possibly derived from
עָשָׂה (ʿasa) meaning "to do, to make"
[2] [3] . It is traditionally said to mean
"hairy, rough" from his description at
Genesis 25:25. In the Old Testament Esau is the elder of the twin sons of
Isaac and
Rebecca. Once when he was very hungry he sold his birthright to his twin
Jacob for a bowl of stew. Later Jacob disguised himself as Esau and received the elder son's blessing from the blind Isaac. Esau, also called
Edom, was the ancestor of the Edomites.
Esther Ἐσθήρ f English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek From the Hebrew name
אֶסְתֵר (ʾEsṯer), which possibly means
"star" in Persian
[1] [2] . Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess
Ishtar [3] . The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor
Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin
Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was
Hadassah .
... [more] Eua Εὔα f Biblical Greek [1] Form of
Ḥawwa (see
Eve) used in the Greek Bible. However, the first instance of the name
Ḥawwa in the Greek Old Testament (at
Genesis 3:20) is translated as
Zoe .
Gabriel Γαβριήλ m French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] From the Hebrew name
גַבְרִיאֵל (Ḡavriʾel) meaning
"God is my strong man" [1] [2] , derived from
גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning "strong man, hero" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God"
[3] [4] . Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet
Daniel, while in the New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of
John to
Zechariah and
Jesus to
Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Quran to
Muhammad.
... [more] Gamaliel Γαμαλιήλ m Biblical, Biblical Greek [1] Means
"my reward is God" in Hebrew, from the roots
גָּמַל (gamal) meaning "to reward" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to a son of Pedahzur. It was also borne by a 1st-century Jewish priest and scholar, mentioned in Acts in the New Testament as a teacher of Saint
Paul.
Herodias Ἡρῳδιάς f Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] Feminine form of
Herod. This was the name of a member of the Herodian ruling family of Judea, a sister of Herod Agrippa and the wife of Herod Antipas. She appears in the New Testament, where she contrives to have her husband Antipas imprison and execute John the Baptist.
Herodion Ἡρῳδίων m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] Derivative of the Greek name
Herodes (see
Herod). This name is mentioned briefly in
Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament. According to tradition he was a bishop of Patras, Greece, and was later martyred in Rome with Saint Peter.
Iakob Ἰακώβ m Biblical Greek [1] , Georgian Form of
Jacob used in the Greek Old Testament, as well as in the Greek New Testament when referring to the patriarch. This is also the Georgian form of the name (referring to the two apostles named James as well as the patriarch).
Leia Λεία f Biblical Greek, Portuguese, Popular Culture Form of
Leah used in the Greek Old Testament, as well as a Portuguese form. This is the name of a princess in the
Star Wars movies (1977) by George Lucas, who probably based it on
Leah.
Lydia Λυδία f English, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] Means
"from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king
Lydos. In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint
Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the Protestant Reformation.
Magdalene Μαγδαληνή f German, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] From a title meaning
"of Magdala" [1] [2] .
Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala — a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Aramaic
[3] [4] . She was cleaned of evil spirits by
Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered
Madeline , while
Magdalene or
Magdalen is the learned form.
Malachias Μαλαχίας m Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin Biblical Greek and Latin form of
Malachi, used in the title of the Book of Malachi. In the biblical verses themselves, the name is rendered
Malachi in Latin
[1] , while in Greek it does not appear at all.
Maria Μαρία f & m Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Occitan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Faroese, Dutch, Frisian, Greek, Polish, Romanian, English, Finnish, Estonian, Corsican, Sardinian, Basque, Armenian, Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Biblical Greek [1] , Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic Latin form of Greek
מִרְיָם (see
Mary).
Maria is the usual form of the name in many European languages, as well as a secondary form in other languages such as English (where the common spelling is
Mary). In some countries, for example Germany, Poland and Italy,
Maria is occasionally used as a masculine middle name
[2] .
... [more] Martha Μάρθα f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical Greek [1] , Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic From Aramaic
מַרְתָּא (marta) meaning
"the lady, the mistress" [1] [2] , feminine form of
מָרֵא (mare) meaning "master"
[3] . In the New Testament this is the name of the sister of
Lazarus and
Mary of Bethany (who is sometimes identified with Mary Magdalene). She was a witness to
Jesus restoring her dead brother to life.
... [more] Mattathias Ματταθίας m Biblical Greek [1] , Biblical Form of
Mattithiah used in the Greek Bible. It is used in some English translations of the New Testament. This spelling also appears in most English translations of the Books of Maccabees.
Michael Μιχαήλ m English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Latin [1] , Biblical Greek [2] From the Hebrew name
מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel) meaning
"who is like God?" [3] [4] , derived from the interrogative pronoun
מִי (mi) combined with
ךְּ (ke) meaning "like" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God"
[5] [6] . This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Michael is one of the archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament he is named as a protector of Israel (see
Daniel 12:1). In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies in the war against Satan, and is thus considered the patron saint of soldiers in Christianity.
... [more] Nadab Ναδάβ m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek Means
"generous" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of
Aaron according to the Old Testament. He was consumed by flames and killed when he offered unauthorized fire to God. It was also the name of the second king of Israel.
Nympha Νύμφα f Ancient Greek [1] , Biblical Greek [2] , Biblical Variant of
Nymphe (as well as the usual Latinized form). This name is mentioned briefly by
Paul in his epistle to the Colossians in the New Testament, though it is uncertain whether it refers to a woman
Nympha or a man
Nymphas . The name was later borne by an obscure 4th-century saint possibly from Palermo, Sicily.
Salome Σαλώμη f English (Rare), German (Rare), Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] From an Aramaic name that was related to the Hebrew word
שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning
"peace". According to the historian Josephus this was the name of the daughter of
Herodias (the consort of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee). In the New Testament, though a specific name is not given, it was a daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod and was rewarded with the head of
John the Baptist, and thus Salome and the dancer have traditionally been equated.
... [more] Simon 1 Σίμων m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovene, Romanian, Macedonian, Armenian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] From
שִׁמְעוֹן (Shimʿon) meaning
"hearing, listening" [1] [2] [3] [4] , derived from
שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) meaning "to hear, to listen"
[5] . This name is spelled
Simeon , based on Greek
Jacob. The New Testament spelling may show influence from the otherwise unrelated Greek name Simon 2.... [more] Tabitha Ταβιθά f English, Biblical, Biblical Greek [1] Means
"gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the New Testament was a woman restored to life by Saint
Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as
Dorcas (see
Acts 9:36). As an English name,
Tabitha became common after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show
Bewitched, in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character
[2] .
Thomas Θωμᾶς m English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1] Greek form of the Aramaic name
תְּאוֹמָא (Teʾoma) meaning
"twin" [1] [2] . In the New Testament this is the name of an apostle. When he heard that
Jesus had risen from the dead he initially doubted the story, until Jesus appeared before him and he examined his wounds himself. According to tradition he was martyred in India. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world.
... [more] Timon Τίμων m Ancient Greek [1] , Biblical, Biblical Greek [2] , Biblical Latin, Dutch Derived from Greek
timao) meaning
"to honour, to esteem" [3] . According to ancient writers, this was the name of a wealthy man of Athens who grew to hate humanity after he lost his riches and his friends deserted him. His story is related in Shakespeare's tragedy
Timon of Athens (1607). This name is also mentioned in the New Testament as belonging to one of the original seven deacons of the church, considered a saint.
Tobias Τωβίας m Biblical, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek Greek form of
Tobiah. This is the name of the hero of the apocryphal Book of Tobit, which appears in many English versions of the Old Testament. It relates how
Tobit's son Tobias, with the help of the angel
Raphael, is able to drive away a demon who has plagued Sarah, who subsequently becomes his wife. This story was popular in the Middle Ages, and the name came into occasional use in parts of Europe at that time. In England it became common after the Protestant Reformation.