It's a big deal when choosing a name for baby. Many parents search the web for inspiration, and biblical names are a classic category of names that recur in many countries and cultures. The names have a long history behind them, which means you can find a really nice biblical name for your baby that comes from a character in the ancient book.

Here we have collected a number of the most popular biblical names - both boys' names and girls' names *

Biblical names for boys

  • Adam

    Means human. He was the first man that God created.

  • Alexander

    Means human defender. Several people in the Bible appear by this name, including a false prophet.

  • Benjamin

    The son of happiness. He was the son of Jacob and Rachel.

  • Cornelius

    The name of a person said to be among the most important in ancient Rome.

  • David

    The name is the second most used boy's name in the United States. He is described in the Bible as "The Ideal King". Known from the story of David and Goliath, where David defeats the great Goliath with cunning and courage, using a slingshot as his weapon.

  • Elias

    A biblical boy's name with high popularity today. Described in the Bible as a great prophet.

  • Gabriel

    An angel.

  • Immanuel / Emmanuel

    The name is a promise that "God is with us".

  • Isak

    Isaac is born to his mother Sarah, who is given him by God at the age of 95. The name means "God laughs".

  • Jacob

    Beautiful biblical name that can be said in any language. Jacob was one of God's chosen ones and a prominent figure in the Bible.

  • John

    Associated especially with John the Baptist, a good man who can be seen as Jesus' predecessor.

  • Jonathan

    Means "given by God".

  • Luke

    The name means luminous or white, and is described as a doctor.

  • Markus

    A very common name in Christian communities. Means the contentious or the polite.

  • Mattias

    Boy's name that is popular today. It is originally a Hebrew name meaning a gift from God.

  • Matthew

    He was among the 12 apostles, and also has the meaning of a gift from God or the gift of the Lord.

  • Mikael / Michael

    Several people in the Bible bear the name. Among them is the Archangel Michael. It is a popular and common name in many parts of the world.

  • Noah

    The man who built an ark to save all animal species when God flooded the earth because of man's sins. A very popular boy's name in Denmark.

  • Silas

    Another biblical name that is popular today. Meaning forest or 'from the forest'.

  • Thomas

    A classic name, originally meaning 'twin'.

Biblical names for girls

  • Ada

    Wife of a great hunter. Means beauty.

  • Elisabeth

    A Hebrew maiden name meaning, among other things, God's promise.

  • Ester

    Means star (comes from the Persian word 'stara'. The Jewish queen Esther in The Old Testament is used to avert an ethnic cleansing of the Jewish people.

  • Eva

    As you know, the first woman God creates from Adam's ribs. The name means 'to live'.

  • Johanna

    Woman who supported Jesus.

  • Lea

    Means mistress. In the Bible she was a good mother and wife, and sister to Rachel.

  • Maria

    The mother of Jesus who gives birth to Jesus in a virgin birth. A very important person in the Bible, and a name has its form in all languages.

  • Squeegee

    Rachel was one of Jacob's wives. Jacob was tricked into marrying Rachel, and that day he married Leah instead. It was not until seven years later that Rachel married Jacob. After many years without success in having children, Rachel had two sons and sadly died at the birth of the youngest boy.

  • Rebekka

    Married to Isak. The name means "she who connects".

  • Sara

    When Sarah was 95, God gave her a son, Isaac.

Biblical names - a name with a story

When parents end up choosing a biblical name, it is sometimes for religious reasons, but for many it is also because a biblical name has a story behind it. In this way, you can choose a name that refers to a particularly interesting person or story that you might identify yourself or your child with. Moreover, the names are very old, and therefore appear classic and traditional. You often see biblical names being in fashion for a long time, as is the case with the modern name Lucas, which has been very popular in recent years. On this page we have chosen to link a little story to most of the names, so that you can see which biblical person the name refers to.

Many variations

There are many variations and spellings of each name. A biblical name can therefore easily be made personal, or more/less modern and popular. For example, there are these versions of the boy's name Alexander: Al, Alec, Alex, Alexis, Allister, Sandy, Sasha, Alexandra, Alexia, Sandra, Sondra. *


*Sources: Femina, Kristendom.dk, navnebetydning.dk