Bible Name Meanings

Every one of the 221 figures in Sacred Lineage carries a name that meant something to the people who first used it. Grouped here by the language each name comes from — Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic and the rest — with the verse behind the naming where Scripture gives one. Tap any name for that person's full story and relationships.

Hebrew

Abel: "breath, vapor" (hevel)
Abigail: "my father is joy"
Abijah: "my father is the LORD"Called Abijam in 1 Kings.
Abner: "father is a lamp"
Abraham: "father of a multitude"Renamed from Abram, "exalted father" (Genesis 17:5).
Absalom: "father is peace"
Adam: "man, humanity" — linked to adamah, "ground"Formed "of dust from the ground" (Genesis 2:7).
Ahab: "father's brother"
Ahaz: "he has grasped"A short form of Jehoahaz, "the LORD has grasped."
Ahaziah (Israel): "the LORD has grasped"
Ahaziah (Judah): "the LORD has grasped"Called Jehoahaz in 2 Chronicles 21:17, the same name with its two parts reversed, and Azariah in 2 Chronicles 22:6.
Amaziah: "the LORD is mighty"
Amon: uncertain — traditionally "master workman"Some connect it with the Hebrew word for faithful.
Amos: "burden-bearer"
Ananias (Acts 5): "the LORD is gracious"Greek form of the Hebrew name Hananiah.
Anna: "grace, favor" (Hannah)
Asa: uncertain — traditionally "healer"
Asher: "happy, blessed""Happy am I" (Genesis 30:13).
Athaliah: uncertain — perhaps "the LORD is exalted"Older lexicons give "the LORD has constrained."
Baasha: uncertain — traditionally "boldness"Lexicons disagree, and one derives the name from a root meaning to be offensive.
Balaam: uncertain — possibly "devourer"
Bathsheba: "daughter of the oath"
Benjamin: "son of the right hand"His dying mother named him Ben-oni, "son of my sorrow" (Genesis 35:18).
Bilhah: uncertain — possibly "carefree"
Boaz: traditionally "in him is strength"Also the name of a pillar of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:21).
Cain: "acquired, gotten""I have gotten a man from the LORD" (Genesis 4:1).
Caleb: "dog" — traditionally read as wholehearted devotion
Dan: "he judged""God hath judged me" (Genesis 30:6).
Daniel: "God is my judge"
David: "beloved"
Deborah: "bee"
Delilah: uncertain — often "delicate"
Dinah: "judged, vindicated"
Ehud: uncertain — traditionally "united"Lexicons do not agree on the derivation.
Elah: "terebinth"The terebinth is a large tree, and some lexicons give oak instead.
Eleazar: "God has helped"
Eli: "lofty"From a root meaning to go up, and a different Hebrew word from the one meaning my God.
Elijah: "my God is the LORD"His name is the confession he forced at Carmel (1 Kings 18:39).
Elisha: "God is salvation"
Elizabeth: "my God is an oath" (Elisheva)
Enoch: "dedicated, initiated"
Ephraim: "fruitful""God hath caused me to be fruitful" (Genesis 41:52).
Esau: uncertain — traditionally linked to "hairy""All over like an hairy garment" (Genesis 25:25).
Eve: "life-giver, living one" (Chawwah)Named "because she was the mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20).
Ezekiel: "God strengthens"
Ezra: "help"
Gad: "fortune, a troop""A troop cometh" (Genesis 30:11).
Gamaliel: "reward of God"From the Hebrew Gamliel.
Gideon: "hewer; one who cuts down"
Habakkuk: uncertain — traditionally "embrace"Usually tied to a Hebrew verb meaning to embrace, though some lexicons compare an Akkadian plant name.
Haggai: "festive"From the Hebrew word for a feast or festival.
Ham: uncertain — traditionally "hot, warm"
Hannah: "grace, favor"The same name as Anna in the New Testament.
Hezekiah: "the LORD strengthens"
Hosea: "salvation"
Hoshea: "salvation"The same Hebrew name as the prophet Hosea.
Huldah: uncertain — traditionally "weasel"
Isaac: "he laughs""God hath made me to laugh" (Genesis 21:6).
Isaiah: "the LORD is salvation"
Ishmael: "God hears""Because the LORD hath heard thy affliction" (Genesis 16:11).
Issachar: "wages, reward""God hath given me my hire" (Genesis 30:18).
Jacob: "heel-grasper; supplanter"Born holding Esau's heel (Genesis 25:26); renamed Israel (Genesis 32:28).
Jael: "mountain goat, ibex"
James (Alphaeus): Greek form of Jacob — "heel-grasper; supplanter"
James (brother of Jesus): Greek form of Jacob — "heel-grasper; supplanter"
James (Zebedee): Greek form of Jacob — "heel-grasper; supplanter"
Japheth: "may he enlarge""God shall enlarge Japheth" (Genesis 9:27).
Jehoahaz (Israel): "the LORD has grasped"
Jehoahaz (Judah): "the LORD has grasped"Also called Shallum, "recompense" (Jeremiah 22:11).
Jehoash (Israel): uncertain — possibly "the LORD has given"Also written Joash, a shorter form of the same name.
Jehoiachin: "the LORD establishes"Also called Jeconiah (1 Chronicles 3:16) and Coniah (Jeremiah 22:24), forms of the same name.
Jehoiakim: "the LORD raises up"Born Eliakim, "God raises up" (2 Kings 23:34).
Jehoram (Judah): "the LORD is exalted"Also written Joram.
Jehoshaphat: "the LORD has judged"
Jehu: "the LORD is He"
Jephthah: "he opens"
Jeremiah: traditionally "the LORD lifts up"
Jeroboam: uncertain — traditionally "may the people multiply"
Jeroboam II: uncertain — traditionally "may the people multiply"Scripture calls him Jeroboam the son of Joash. The numeral is a later convention.
Jesse: uncertain
Jesus: "the LORD saves" (Yeshua)"Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
Jethro: "abundance, excellence"
Joab: "the LORD is father"
Joash (Judah): uncertain — possibly "the LORD has given"Also written Jehoash.
Job: uncertain — traditionally "persecuted one"
Jochebed: "the LORD is glory"
Joel: "the LORD is God"
John (apostle): "the LORD is gracious" (Yochanan)
John the Baptist: "the LORD is gracious" (Yochanan)
Jonah: "dove"
Jonathan: "the LORD has given"
Joram (Israel): "the LORD is exalted"Joram is a short form of Jehoram, and the passages use both.
Joseph: "may he add""The LORD shall add to me another son" (Genesis 30:24).
Joseph (step-father): "may he add"
Joseph of Arimathea: "may he add"
Joshua: "the LORD is salvation" (Yehoshua)The same name later borne, in Greek form, as Jesus.
Joshua (high priest): "the LORD is salvation"Ezra and Nehemiah write the shorter form Jeshua, and the Greek form of the name is Jesus.
Josiah: traditionally "the LORD supports"
Jotham: "the LORD is perfect"
Judah: "praised""Now will I praise the LORD" (Genesis 29:35).
Judas Iscariot: form of Judah, "praised"Iscariot is usually read as "man of Kerioth."
Jude (brother of Jesus): form of Judah, "praised"
Korah: "bald"
Laban: "white"
Lazarus: Greek form of Eleazar — "God has helped"
Leah: traditionally "weary"; possibly "wild cow"
Levi: "joined, attached""Now will my husband be joined unto me" (Genesis 29:34).
Lot: uncertain — traditionally "covering, veil"
Malachi: "my messenger"The same Hebrew word is translated my messenger in Malachi 3:1.
Manasseh: "making forget""God hath made me forget all my toil" (Genesis 41:51).
Manasseh (king): "causing to forget"
Mary (mother): from Miriam — uncertain; possibly "beloved"
Mary Magdalene: from Miriam — uncertain; possibly "beloved"Magdalene: "of Magdala," a town whose name means "tower."
Matthew (Levi): "gift of the LORD" (Mattityahu)
Matthias: "gift of the LORD"A shortened Greek form of Mattathias, from the Hebrew Mattithiah.
Melchizedek: "king of righteousness"So interpreted in Hebrews 7:2; king of Salem, "king of peace."
Menahem: "comforter"
Methuselah: uncertain — traditionally "man of the dart"
Micah: "who is like the LORD?"
Michal: possibly "who is like God?"
Miriam: uncertain — possibly Egyptian mry, "beloved"
Nadab: "generous"
Nahum: "comfort"
Naomi: "pleasant"She asked to be called Mara, "bitter" (Ruth 1:20).
Naphtali: "my wrestling""With great wrestlings have I wrestled" (Genesis 30:8).
Nathan: "he gave"
Nehemiah: "the LORD comforts"
Noah: "rest, comfort""This same shall comfort us" (Genesis 5:29).
Obadiah: "servant of the LORD"
Obed: "servant, worshiper"
Othniel: uncertain — traditionally "force of God"The ending is the word for God, and the first part is not explained with certainty.
Pekah: "opening"From the verb to open, used of the eyes. The name Pekahiah adds the divine name.
Pekahiah: "the LORD has opened"Usually taken to mean that the LORD has opened the eyes.
Perez: "breach, breaking out""How hast thou broken forth?" (Genesis 38:29).
Rachel: "ewe"
Rahab: "broad, spacious"
Rebekah: uncertain — traditionally "captivating; a tie that binds"
Rehoboam: "the people are enlarged"
Reuben: "behold, a son""The LORD hath looked upon my affliction" (Genesis 29:32).
Ruth: uncertain — traditionally "friend, companion"
Samson: "of the sun" (from shemesh)
Samuel: traditionally "heard of God""Because I have asked him of the LORD" (1 Samuel 1:20).
Sarah: "princess, noblewoman"Renamed from Sarai (Genesis 17:15).
Saul (King): "asked (of God)"
Seth: "appointed, granted""God hath appointed me another seed" (Genesis 4:25).
Shallum: "recompense"
Shem: "name, renown"
Simeon: "heard""The LORD hath heard that I was hated" (Genesis 29:33).
Simeon (temple): "heard" (Shimon)
Simon the Zealot: "heard" (Shimon)
Solomon: from shalom, "peace""His name shall be Solomon... peace and quietness" (1 Chronicles 22:9).
Tamar: "date palm"
Uzziah: "the LORD is my strength"Also called Azariah, "the LORD has helped" (2 Kings 15:1).
Zacchaeus: "pure, innocent" (from zakkay)
Zadok: "righteous"
Zebedee: "the LORD has bestowed" (Zebadiah)
Zebulun: "honor; dwelling""Now will my husband dwell with me" (Genesis 30:20).
Zechariah (king): "the LORD remembers"Spelled Zachariah in the King James Version.
Zechariah (priest): "the LORD remembers"
Zechariah (prophet): "the LORD remembers"
Zedekiah: "the LORD is righteousness"Born Mattaniah, "gift of the LORD" (2 Kings 24:17).
Zephaniah: "the LORD has hidden"Some lexicons give the sense as treasured or protected.
Zilpah: uncertain
Zimri: uncertain — traditionally "my song"One lexicon links the name to a root for music, and others to a word for a mountain sheep.
Zipporah: "bird"

Aramaic

Barnabas: "son of encouragement"So interpreted in Acts 4:36; his given name was Joseph.
Bartholomew: "son of Talmai"
Caiaphas: uncertain
Martha: "lady, mistress of the house"
Silas: likely "asked (of God)" — Aramaic form of Saul
Thaddaeus: uncertain — possibly "heart"
Thomas: "twin"Called Didymus, Greek for "twin" (John 11:16).

Greek

Andrew: "manly, courageous"
Apollos: short for Apollonius, "of Apollo"
Dorcas (Tabitha): "gazelle"The Greek for her Aramaic name, Tabitha (Acts 9:36).
Eunice: "good victory"
Herod Antipas: Antipas: "like the father," short for Antipater
Herod the Great: traditionally "heroic"
Lois: uncertain — possibly "more desirable"
Lydia: "woman of Lydia"A seller of purple from Thyatira, in the region of Lydia (Acts 16:14).
Nicodemus: "victory of the people"
Onesimus: "useful, profitable"Paul plays on the name in Philemon 11, calling him once unprofitable and now profitable.
Peter: "rock" (Petros)Translating the Aramaic Cephas, given by Jesus (John 1:42).
Philemon: "affectionate"From the Greek verb phileo, to love or to kiss.
Philip (apostle): "lover of horses"
Philip (evangelist): "lover of horses"
Phoebe: "bright, radiant"
Stephen: "crown, wreath"
Timothy: "honoring God"

Latin

Agrippa: a Roman family name of uncertain meaning
Aquila: "eagle"
Cornelius: a Roman family name — possibly from cornu, "horn"
Felix: "happy, fortunate"
Festus: "festal, joyful"
Junia: a Roman family name, of the Junian housePrinted as Junias, a man's name, in other translations (Romans 16:7).
Luke: uncertain — often glossed "light-giving" (Lucius) or "of Lucania" (Lucanus)The Greek Loukas is usually taken as a short form of the Latin Lucanus or Lucius.
Mark: uncertain — perhaps "of Mars" (Marcus)Mark is a Roman name, and his other name, John, is Hebrew and means the LORD is gracious.
Paul: "small, humble" (Paulus)His Hebrew name Saul means "asked (of God)."
Pilate: possibly "armed with a javelin" (pilum)
Priscilla: "ancient, venerable" (diminutive of Prisca)
Titus: uncertain — sometimes glossed "honorable"A common Roman first name whose sense the lexicons leave open.

Egyptian

Moses: from mes, "born of; child"Pharaoh's daughter linked it to Hebrew mashah: "Because I drew him out of the water" (Exodus 2:10).
Phinehas: "the Nubian"

Persian

Cyrus: uncertain — traditionally linked to "sun"
Esther: "star"Her Hebrew name was Hadassah, "myrtle" (Esther 2:7).
Haman: uncertain — possibly from the Elamite god Humban
Vashti: uncertain — often "beautiful, excellent"
Xerxes (Ahasuerus): "ruling over heroes"

Babylonian

Abednego: "servant of Nebo"His Hebrew name was Azariah, "the LORD helps" (Daniel 1:7).
Belshazzar: "Bel, protect the king"
Meshach: uncertainHis Hebrew name was Mishael, "who is what God is?" (Daniel 1:7).
Mordecai: "devotee of Marduk"
Nebuchadnezzar: "O Nabu, protect my heir"
Shadrach: uncertain — possibly "command of Aku"His Hebrew name was Hananiah, "the LORD is gracious" (Daniel 1:7).
Zerubbabel: "seed of Babylon"Sometimes explained instead as born in Babylon. The KJV New Testament spells the name Zorobabel.

Phoenician

Jezebel: likely "Where is the prince?" — a Baal-cult cry

Uncertain origin

Aaron: uncertain — possibly Egyptian; traditionally "exalted"
Goliath: uncertain — a Philistine name, possibly Anatolian
Hagar: uncertain — often linked to "flight, stranger"
Omri: uncertain — traditionally "sheaf of grain"One lexicon links the name to a Hebrew root for binding sheaves, and some scholars think it is not Hebrew at all.
Sapphira: uncertain — "beautiful" or "sapphire"Either from an Aramaic word for beautiful or from the Greek word for sapphire.