View Message

[Opinions] Some Biblically-Based Female Names
Hello! Haven't checked in for awhile and thought I would get some input on some names I am digging lately. They are intentionally very Biblical, so I don't necessarily need, "too Biblical for me" types of comments. More on the name themselves.Adah
Dinah
Eve
Junia
Keturah
Keziah
Lydia
Ophira
Penninah
Sapphira
Susannah
Zelpha
ZipporahWhat combinations would you make with classic names? What do you think of these combos? Do you think any could work as a sibling set, or is it too awkward due to the common -a/-ah endings?
Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

Biblical names are my thing, there are so many amazing options!Adah - Such a lovely name, but I assume it would get pronounced like Ada (AY-dah) here in Australia, not AH-dah as it’s supposed to. Either way, a very pretty name.
Dinah - It’s ok, but it always reminds me of diner, as in somewhere where people in the US go to eat! There are plenty of other female biblical names that are nicer.
Eve - One of my faves! Such a simple, beautiful and understated name. I love the simplicity of this name and it’s definitely a name I’d consider using.
Junia - I like it, though I’m not 100% sure how it’s supposed to be pronounced! I’ve heard different opinions on that and not sure which is right. I do like it though.
Keturah - it’s ok, though not a fave and not as pretty as others.
Keziah - Love it, another fave of mine! Also on my list and just a sweet name. I’ve only ever met one and that made me very happy! She has younger brothers named Judah, Eliezer and Nehemiah, I mean, what a gorgeous set!
Lydia - I like it, but the meaning does nothing for me. It’s a shame the meaning isn’t something more interesting and nice.
Ophira - Not for me, I can easily pass on this one. The sound is unappealing to me.
Penninah - Great meaning, great character, great for a mn.
Sapphira - I like the sound of it, but the biblical character was less than impressive or admirable. It’s a no from me.
Susannah - I don’t love it, I don’t hate it, but I wouldn’t use it.
Zelpha - It’s alright, better for a mn.
Zipporah - I like it, but it’s a complicated looking name and would confuse a lot of people! Better for a mn.

This message was edited 10/25/2021, 5:10 AM

vote up1
Adah - I prefer it over Ada
Dinah - Pretty. I like it in theory, but in reality I'd never use it because it sounds like 'diner'.
Eve - Too short
Junia - I prefer it over June as long as it's pronounced Joo-nee-ah, and not Junior
Keturah- I love it
Keziah - I love Kezz-ee-ah, hate Kezz-ya, & Kezz-eye-ah is acceptable
Lydia - Too staid and aristocratic
Ophira - It's interesting, but I can't decide whether I like it or not
Penninah - definitely don't like it, too much like a male anatomy part
Sapphira - better than Sapphire
Susannah - best of all the Susan variations
Zelpha - sounds like a dog in pain
Zipporah - I'd love to see it used more often. Fresh and modern, yet would age well

This message was edited 10/24/2021, 1:45 PM

vote up1
Adah: sounds like a good name for a Puritan woman.
Dinah: it’s ok. It’s not a name I’d use but it’s not bad.
Eve: pretty name but I’d use Eva.
Junia: June is better. I might use Junia if I were to write a novel set in Ancient Rome.
Keturah: hate the look and the sound.
Kezziah: I think of a Puritan girl or the character in Roots.
Lydia: it’s ok.
Ophira: interesting name. I might even use it for a book character.
Penninah: don’t like it. But Penny would be a great nicknames.
Sapphira: think the Biblical Sapphira. She was not a great role model. And I hate the sound.
Susannah: it’s ok. I prefer just Susan or Suzanne.
Zelpha: don’t like it.
Zipporah: it’s ok. I prefer the Sephora spelling as long as it’s pronounced SEF uh ruh and not Sef ORE uh.
vote up1
Adah: Looks weird with that h at the end, and I'm not sure how to pronounce it. Like Ada? Ay-da, I mean? Don't like it, sounds frumpy and old. Ah-dah? La-dee-da.
Dinah: Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah ... Dinah won't you blow? It's ugly.
Eve: It's okay, but Eva rolls off the tongue more smoothly.
Junia: This has a weird sound, like Junior in a Brooklyn accent. I do like June.
Keturah: It's just too odd-sounding for me to like.
Keziah: Pretty sound but a bit cold and aloof.
Lydia: Hate it. Sounds simpering and sniggering and servile, like a maid who's secretly poisoning the scones in a cozy mystery.
Ophira: No idea about this so can't get behind it. It doesn't look very nice and the pronunciations I can think of don't appeal at all.
Penninah: Penis and panini jokes are too easy.
Sapphira: Sapphire is overblown itself, this is worse.
Susannah: It's okay but I like Suzanne better.
Zelpha: Zo zelfish it's zimply dizguzting.
Zipporah: Zippers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
vote up1
I like:
Eve - my favourite, but it's so hard to find a MN.
Lydia - it has a nice ring to it, the only drawback - my personal impression.
Ophira - it's a rare bird; one of few O- names that I like.
Sapphira - it has the same vibe as Saffron: vintage and a little bit hipster.Eve, Lydia and Sapphira would be a lovely, yet somewhat mismatched set, imo.
Eve Katherine
Lydia Grace
Sapphira RoseCombos made out of these four names:
Eve Sapphira
Lydia Ophira
vote up1
Adah: the h feels unnecessary, Ada looks sleeker and cleaner.
Dinah: considering the fact that the story associated with her is called "the rape of Dinah", I'd hedge my bets. Otherwise, it sounds warm: a pumpkin orange colour: I can imagine Dinah as a woman in her sixties running a small bakery. Another caveat is that in my accent, it's similar to the word "diner".
Eve: I love Eve and its associations and I don't think she's a negative character, the sound is beautifully inky as well.
Junia: I imagine a young woman from ancient Rome - not my style, but I can see it being quietly used by the Roman revival crowd.
Keturah: unattractive sound.
Keziah: worse than Jemima, better than Keren-Happuch. Tragic story, unappealing sound, and there's always the threat of dreadful Kizzy.
Lydia: one of the most beautiful names I know, it's so melodious.
Ophira: heavy and unattractive, makes me think of offal.
Penninah: it's a strange name, I don't know how to pronounce it: PEN-in-a or pen-EYE-na?
Sapphira: not an overwhelmingly positive character, but what a majestic sound!
Susannah: I can never decide between Susannah and Susanna, but I like both. The latter is lighter, though.
Zelpha: ugly. Zelda is a far more pleasant alternative.
Zipporah: I like ZIP-or-a, but not zip-AWR-a. I can't decide whether I prefer it spelt Zipporah or Tzipora. Either way, fun and zippy if pronounced the first way.
vote up1
I love Lydia!
I like Junia, Dinah & Sapphira.
Eve is kinda okay.
I don’t really care for the others.
vote up1
Susannah is a family name, so I would consider it, though I prefer other forms of Susan. Apart from that, I'd use Eve (Eva is a family name) and Dinah (a 19th-century aunt). I like Pnina much better than Penninah, but I prefer Penelope (and a friend used Pnina as her liturgical name, instead of Penelope). I'd also use Ruth, Anne (which I have used) but not Hannah, Deborah and Rebecca. Not keen on the others, especially Zelpha.
vote up1
I like Ada keturah keziah Lydia Susannah and Zipporah
vote up1