Amos m English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical HebrewFrom Hebrew
עָמַס ('amas) meaning
"load, burden". 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.
Daniel 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 GreekFrom the Hebrew name
דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning
"God is my judge", from the roots
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". 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] Esther f English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekPossibly means
"star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess
Ishtar. 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] Ezekiel m Biblical, EnglishFrom the Hebrew name
יְחֶזְקֵאל (Yechezqel) meaning
"God will strengthen", from the roots
חָזַק (chazaq) meaning "to strengthen" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Ezekiel is a major prophet of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Ezekiel. He lived in Jerusalem until the Babylonian conquest and captivity of Israel, at which time he was taken to Babylon. The Book of Ezekiel describes his vivid symbolic visions that predict the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. As an English given name,
Ezekiel has been used since the Protestant Reformation.
Ezra m Biblical, English, HebrewMeans
"help" in Hebrew. Ezra is a prophet of the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezra. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. The American poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) was a famous bearer.
Genesis f English (Modern)Means
"birth, origin" in Greek. This is the name of the first book of the Old Testament in the Bible. It tells of the creation of the world, the expulsion of
Adam and
Eve,
Noah and the great flood, and the three patriarchs.
Habakkuk m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חֲבַקּוּק (Chavaqquq), perhaps meaning
"embrace" from the root
חָבַק (chavaq). In the Old Testament this is one of the twelve minor prophets, the author of the Book of Habakkuk.
Haggai m BiblicalMeans
"festive" in Hebrew, from the root
חָגַג (chagag). This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He was the author of the Book of Haggai, which urges the exiles returning from Babylonia to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
Hosea m BiblicalVariant English form of
Hoshea, though the name is spelled the same in the Hebrew text. Hosea is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Hosea. Written in the northern kingdom, it draws parallels between his relationship with his unfaithful wife and the relationship between God and his people.
Isaiah m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Yesha'yahu) meaning
"Yahweh is salvation", from the roots
יָשַׁע (yasha') meaning "to save" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Isaiah is one of the four major prophets of the Old Testament, supposedly the author of the Book of Isaiah. He was from Jerusalem and probably lived in the 8th century BC, at a time when Assyria threatened the Kingdom of Judah. As an English Christian name,
Isaiah was first used after the Protestant Reformation.
James m English, BiblicalEnglish form of the Late Latin name
Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form
Iacobus, from the Hebrew name
Ya'aqov (see
Jacob). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle
John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of
Jesus.
... [more] Jeremiah m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יִרְמְיָהוּ (Yirmiyahu) meaning
"Yahweh will exalt", from the roots
רוּם (rum) meaning "to exalt" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Jeremiah and the Book of Lamentations (supposedly). He lived to see the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC.
... [more] Job m Biblical, Biblical French, DutchFrom the Hebrew name
אִיּוֹב ('Iyyov), which means
"persecuted, hated". In the Book of Job in the Old Testament he is a righteous man who is tested by God, enduring many tragedies and hardships while struggling to remain faithful.
Joel m English, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹאֵל (Yo'el) meaning
"Yahweh is God", from the elements
יוֹ (yo) and
אֵל ('el), both referring to the Hebrew God. Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Joel, which describes a plague of locusts. In England, it was first used as a Christian name after the Protestant Reformation.
John m English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, BiblicalEnglish form of
Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ἰωάννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name
יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan). It means
"Yahweh is gracious", from the roots
יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and
חָנַן (chanan) meaning "to be gracious". The Hebrew form occurs in the Old Testament (spelled
Johanan or
Jehohanan in the English version), but this name owes its popularity to two New Testament characters, both highly revered saints. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who is considered the forerunner of
Jesus. He baptized Jesus and was later executed by
Herod Antipas. The second is the apostle John, who is traditionally regarded as the author of the fourth gospel and Revelation. With the apostles
Peter and
James (John's brother), he was part of the inner circle of Jesus.
... [more] Jonah m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹנָה (Yonah) meaning
"dove". This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah was commanded by God to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled by boat. After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw Jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. He emerged from the fish alive and repentant three days later.
... [more] Joshua m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshu'a) meaning
"Yahweh is salvation", from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
יָשַׁע (yasha') meaning "to save". As told in the Old Testament, Joshua was a companion of
Moses. He went up Mount Sinai with Moses when he received the Ten Commandments from God, and later he was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan. After Moses died Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Israelites and he led the conquest of Canaan. His original name was
Hoshea.
... [more] Jude 1 m English, BiblicalVariant of
Judas. It is used in many English versions of the New Testament to denote the second apostle named Judas, in order to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. He was supposedly the author of the Epistle of Jude. In the English-speaking world,
Jude has occasionally been used as a given name since the time of the Protestant Reformation.
Judith f English, Jewish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish, French, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוּדִית (Yehudit) meaning
"Jewish woman", feminine of
יְהוּדִי (yehudi), ultimately referring to a person from the tribe of
Judah. In the Old Testament Judith is one of the Hittite wives of
Esau. This is also the name of the main character of the apocryphal Book of Judith. She killed Holofernes, an invading Assyrian commander, by beheading him in his sleep.
... [more] Luke m English, BiblicalEnglish form of Latin
Lucas, from the Greek name
Λουκᾶς (Loukas) meaning
"from Lucania", Lucania being a region in southern Italy (of uncertain meaning). Luke was a doctor who travelled in the company of the apostle
Paul. According to tradition, he was the author of the third gospel and Acts in the New Testament. He was probably of Greek ethnicity. He is considered a saint by many Christian denominations.
... [more] Malachi m Hebrew, English, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
מַלְאָכִי (Mal'akhi) meaning
"my messenger" or
"my angel". This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Malachi, which some claim foretells the coming of Christ. In England the name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.
Mark m English, Russian, Belarusian, Dutch, Danish, Armenian, BiblicalForm of Latin
Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages,
Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form
Marcus.
... [more] Matthew m English, BiblicalEnglish form of
Ματθαῖος (Matthaios), which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name
מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Mattityahu) meaning
"gift of Yahweh", from the roots
מַתָּן (mattan) meaning "gift" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Matthew, also called
Levi, was one of the twelve apostles. He was a tax collector, and supposedly the author of the first gospel in the New Testament. He is considered a saint in many Christian traditions. The variant
Matthias also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a separate apostle. The name appears in the Old Testament as
Mattithiah.
... [more] Micah m Biblical, EnglishContracted form of
Micaiah. Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Micah, which alternates between prophesies of doom and prophesies of restoration. This is also the name of a separate person in the Book of Judges, the keeper of an idol. It was occasionally used as an English given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation, but it did not become common until the end of the 20th century.
Nahum m BiblicalMeans
"comforter" in Hebrew, from the root
נָחַם (nacham). Nahum is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Nahum in which the downfall of Nineveh is foretold.
Nehemiah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh comforts" in Hebrew, derived from
נָחַם (nacham) meaning "to comfort" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. According to the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament he was a leader of the Jews who was responsible for the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the return from the Babylonian captivity.
Obadiah m BiblicalMeans
"servant of Yahweh" in Hebrew, derived from
עָבַד ('avad) meaning "to serve, to worship" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets, the author of the Book of Obadiah, which predicts the downfall of the nation of Edom. This is also the name of several other biblical characters.
Peter m English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Slovene, Slovak, BiblicalDerived from Greek
Πέτρος (Petros) meaning
"stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name
Cephas, meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle
Simon by
Jesus (compare
Matthew 16:18 and
John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.
... [more] Samuel m English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Jewish, Amharic, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el) meaning
"name of God", from the roots
שֵׁם (shem) meaning "name" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Other interpretations have the first root being
שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear" leading to a meaning of
"God has heard". As told in the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges. He led the Israelites during a period of domination by the Philistines, who were ultimately defeated in battle at Mizpah. Later he anointed
Saul to be the first king of Israel, and even later anointed his successor
David.
... [more] Timothy m English, BiblicalEnglish form of the Greek name
Τιμόθεος (Timotheos) meaning
"honouring God", derived from
τιμάω (timao) meaning "to honour" and
θεός (theos) meaning "god". Saint Timothy was a companion of
Paul on his missionary journeys and was the recipient of two of Paul's epistles that appear in the New Testament. He was of both Jewish and Greek ancestry. According to tradition, he was martyred at Ephesus after protesting the worship of
Artemis. As an English name,
Timothy was not used until after the Protestant Reformation.
Tobit m Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom Greek
Τωβίθ (Tobith), from the Hebrew name
טוֹבִיה (Tovih) meaning "my good". The apocryphal Book of Tobit, which is canonical in many Christian traditions but not in Judaism, tells the story of Tobit's son
Tobias. He is sent by his father to collect money in Media, aided by the angel
Raphael in the guise of a man. At the end of the story Tobit's blindness is cured.
Zechariah m Biblical, EnglishFrom the Hebrew name
זְכַרְיָה (Zekharyah) meaning
"Yahweh remembers", from
זָכַר (zakhar) meaning "to remember" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of many characters in the Old Testament, including the prophet Zechariah, the author of the Book of Zechariah. The name also appears in the New Testament belonging to the father of
John the Baptist, who was temporarily made dumb because of his disbelief. He is regarded as a saint by Christians. In some versions of the New Testament his name is spelled in the Greek form
Zacharias or the English form
Zachary. As an English given name,
Zechariah has been in occasional use since the Protestant Reformation.
Zephaniah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
צְפַנְיָה (Tzefanyah) meaning
"Yahweh has hidden", derived from
צָפַן (tzafan) meaning "to hide" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Zephaniah.