Ancient Near Eastern Names

These names were used in the ancient Near East. That is, by the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Canaanites, Phoenicians and others. Listed separately are Ancient Egyptian names and Ancient Persian names.
gender
usage
Abdastartos 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕 m Phoenician (Hellenized)
Greek form of Abdastartus.
Abdastartus 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕 m Phoenician (Latinized)
From the Greek form Ἀβδάσταρτος (Abdastartos) of the Phoenician name 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕 (ʿAbdʿashtart) meaning "servant of Ashtoreth", derived from 𐤏𐤁𐤃 (ʿabd) meaning "servant, slave" combined with the name of the goddess Ashtoreth. This was the name of a 10th-century BC king of Tyre, as recorded by the historian Josephus.
Adad-Nirari m Ancient Assyrian
Means "Adad is my helper", from the god's name Adad combined with Akkadian nērāru meaning "helper". This name was borne by three kings of the Assyrian Empire.
Ashurbanipal m Ancient Assyrian (Anglicized)
From Akkadian Ashur-bani-apli meaning "Ashur is creator of a son". This was the name of one of the final kings of the Assyrian Empire, reigning late in the 7th century BC. He appears in the Old Testament under the name Asnappar.
Belshazzar בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר m Babylonian (Anglicized), Biblical
From בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר (Belshatzzar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name Bel-sharra-usur meaning "Bel protect the king". This was the name of the son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Babylonian Empire before the Persians conquered it in the 6th century BC. In the Old Testament Book of Daniel Belshazzar is the last king of Babylon who sees the mystical handwriting on the wall, which is interpreted by Daniel to portend the end of the empire.
Bomilcar 𐤁𐤃𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 m Phoenician (Latinized)
From the Punic name 𐤁𐤃𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 (Bodmilqart), from Phoenician 𐤁𐤃 (bod) meaning "on behalf of" or perhaps from 𐤏𐤁𐤃 (ʿabd) meaning "servant, slave" combined with the name of the god Melqart. This name was borne by a few figures from Carthaginian history.
Enheduanna f Akkadian
From Sumerian En-hedu-anna, derived from 𒂗 (en) meaning "lady, high priestess" combined with 𒃶𒌌 (hedu) meaning "ornament" and the god's name An 2. This was the Sumerian title of a 23rd-century BC priestess and poet, identified as a daughter of Sargon of Akkad. Presumably she had an Akkadian birth name, but it is unrecorded. She is regarded as one of the earliest known poets.
Hamilcar 𐤇𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 m Phoenician (Latinized), History
Possibly means "brother of Melqart", derived from Phoenician 𐤀𐤇 (ʾaḥ) meaning "brother" combined with the name of the god Melqart. This was a common Punic name. Among the notable bearers was Hamilcar Barca, a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian general who was the father of Hannibal and Hasdrubal.
Hammurabi m Babylonian (Anglicized), History
From Akkadian Hammu-rapi, probably derived from Amorite, another Semitic language. Various meanings, such as "uncle is a healer", have been suggested.... [more]
Hammu-Rapi m Babylonian
Akkadian form of Hammurabi.
Hannibal 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 m Phoenician (Latinized), History
From the Punic name 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 meaning "grace of Ba'al", derived from Phoenician 𐤇𐤍 (ḥan) meaning "grace, favour" combined with the name of the god Ba'al. This name occurs often in Carthaginian history. It was most notably borne by the famed general and tactician Hannibal Barca, who threatened Rome during the Second Punic War in the 3rd century BC. It is also associated with the fictional villain Hannibal Lecter from the books by Thomas Harris (debuting 1981) and subsequent movie adaptations.
Hanno 𐤇𐤍𐤀 m Phoenician (Latinized)
Derived from Phoenician 𐤇𐤍 (ḥan) meaning "grace, favour". This was a fairly common Punic name.
Hasdrubal 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋 m Phoenician (Latinized), History
Means "Ba'al helps", derived from Phoenician 𐤏𐤆𐤓 (ʿazru) meaning "to help" combined with the name of the god Ba'al. This name was borne by several figures from Carthaginian history, including the 3rd-century BC general Hasdrubal Barca (brother of Hannibal) who fought in the Second Punic War.
Hirom 𐤇𐤓𐤌 m Phoenician
Phoenician form of Hiram.
Mago 𐤌𐤂𐤍 m Phoenician (Latinized)
From the Punic name 𐤌𐤂𐤍 (Magon) possibly meaning "shield". This name was borne by three kings of Carthage, and also by a brother of Hannibal Barca.
Nabopolassar m Babylonian (Anglicized)
From the Akkadian name Nabu-apla-usur meaning "Nabu protect my son", derived from the god's name Nabu combined with aplu meaning "son, heir" and an imperative form of naṣāru meaning "to protect". This was the name of a 7th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire, the first of the Chaldean dynasty.
Naram-Sin m Akkadian
Means "beloved of Sin", from Akkadian narāmu and the god's name Sin. This was the name of a 23rd-century BC ruler of the Akkadian Empire, the grandson of Sargon.
Nebuchadnezzar נְבוּכַדְנֶאצֲּר m Babylonian (Anglicized), Biblical
From נְבוּכַדְנֶאצֲּר (Nevukhadnetzzar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name Nabu-kudurri-usur meaning "Nabu protect my eldest son", derived from the god's name Nabu combined with kudurru meaning "eldest son" and an imperative form of naṣāru meaning "to protect". This name was borne by a 12th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire. It was also borne by a 6th-century BC king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He captured Jerusalem, and ultimately destroyed the city's temple and deported many of its citizens, as told in the Old Testament.
Ninos m Ancient Assyrian (Hellenized)
Probably from the name of the ancient city of Nineveh in Assyria. According to Greek historians this was the name of the husband of Semiramis and the founder of Nineveh. In actuality he does not correspond to any known Assyrian king, and is likely a composite character named after the city.
Puabi f Akkadian
Means "word of my father", from Akkadian meaning "mouth" and abu meaning "father". Puabi was a 26th-century BC Akkadian noblewoman who was buried in the Sumerian city of Ur.
Pumayyaton 𐤐𐤌𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤍 m Phoenician
Phoenician form of Pygmalion.
Pygmalion m Phoenician (Hellenized), Greek Mythology
Probably a Greek form of the Phoenician name 𐤐𐤌𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤍 (Pumayyaton) meaning "Pumay has given", from the name of the god Pumay combined with 𐤉𐤕𐤍 (yaton) meaning "to give". This was the name of a 9th-century BC Phoenician king of Tyre. The name is also known from a Greek legend related by Ovid in his poem Metamorphoses, where Pygmalion is a Cypriot sculptor who falls in love with his sculpture of a woman. The sculpture is eventually brought to life by the goddess Aphrodite.
Sargon סַרְגּוֹן m Akkadian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
From the Hebrew form סַרְגּוֹן (Sargon) of the Akkadian name Sharru-ukin, from šarru meaning "king" and kīnu meaning "legitimate, true". This was the name of the first king of the Akkadian Empire, beginning in the 24th century BC. It was also borne by the 8th-century BC Assyrian king Sargon II, who appears briefly in the Old Testament. The usual English spelling of the name is based on this biblical mention, applied retroactively to the earlier king.
Semiramis f Ancient Assyrian (Hellenized)
Probably from a Greek form of the name Shammuramat. According to ancient Greek and Armenian sources, Semiramis (Շամիրամ (Shamiram) in Armenian) was an Assyrian queen who conquered much of Asia. Though the tales are legendary, she might be loosely based on the real Assyrian queen.
Sennacherib m Ancient Assyrian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical Latin
From Akkadian Sin-ahhi-eriba meaning "Sin has replaced my (lost) brothers", from the god's name Sin combined with a plural form of aḫu meaning "brother" and riābu meaning "to replace". This was the name of a 7th-century BC Assyrian king who destroyed Babylon. He appears in the Old Testament.
Shalmaneser שַׁלְמַנְאֶסֶר m Ancient Assyrian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
From שַׁלְמַנְאֶסֶר (Shalman'eser), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name Shulmanu-ashared meaning "Shulmanu is preeminent". This was the name of five Assyrian kings, including the 9th-century BC Shalmaneser III who expanded the empire. He is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
Shammuramat f Ancient Assyrian
Meaning unknown, possibly derived from a Western Semitic language and meaning "high heaven". Shammuramat was a 9th-century BC queen of Assyria. After her young son inherited the throne, she acted as his regent for five years. The legendary figure Semiramis may be based on her.
Sharru-Ukin m Akkadian, Ancient Assyrian
Original Akkadian form of Sargon.
Shulmanu-Ashared m Ancient Assyrian
Original Akkadian form of Shalmaneser.
Sin-Ahhi-Eriba m Ancient Assyrian
Original Akkadian form of Sennacherib.
Sophonisba 𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 f Phoenician (Latinized), History
From the Punic name 𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 (Ṣapanbaʿl) probably meaning "Ba'al conceals", derived from Phoenician 𐤑𐤐𐤍 (ṣapan) possibly meaning "to hide, to conceal" combined with the name of the god Ba'al. Sophonisba was a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian princess who killed herself rather than surrender to the Romans. Her name was recorded in this form by Roman historians such as Livy. She later became a popular subject of plays from the 16th century onwards.
Tashlultum f Akkadian
Meaning unknown, presumably of Akkadian origin. It appears to end with the Akkadian feminine suffix -tum. This was the name of a wife of Sargon of Akkad.
Te'oma תָּאוֹמָא m Ancient Aramaic
Old Aramaic form of Thomas.
Tiglath-Pileser תִּגְלַת פִּלְאֶסֶר m Ancient Assyrian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
From תִּגְלַת פִּלְאֶסֶר (Tiglat Pil'eser), the Hebrew form of Akkadian Tukulti-apil-esharra meaning "my trust is in the son of Esharra", Esharra being the main temple dedicated to the god Ashur in the city of Ashur. This was the name of three kings of Assyria, including the conqueror Tiglath-Pileser III (8th century BC), who is mentioned in the Old Testament.
Tukulti-Apil-Esharra 𒆪𒋾𒀀𒂍𒊹𒊏 m Ancient Assyrian
Original Akkadian form of Tiglath-Pileser.
Tukulti-Ninurta m Ancient Assyrian
Means "my trust is in Ninurta", from Akkadian tukultu meaning "trust, faith" and the god's name Ninurta. This was the name of a 13th-century BC king of the Assyrian Empire.
Yeshua יֵשׁוּעַ m Biblical Hebrew, Ancient Aramaic
Contracted form of Yehoshu'a (see Joshua) used in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible. The form was also used in Aramaic, and was most likely the name represented by Greek Iesous (see Jesus) in the New Testament. This means it was probably the real name of Jesus.