Choosing a biblical baby name for a boy is much more common than one would think. Believe it or not, many of the names that are on the most popular baby name lists are from scripture, including names like Jacob and Rachel.
Here are twelve of the most popular biblical names to choose from and what each name means to help parents select a name for their own baby boy.
David (means "beloved")
The name David was probably derived from the Hebrew "Dwd" which means "beloved." David from the Old Testament scriptures was considered the greatest king of Israel. David was called by God "a man after God's own heart." as written in Samuel. Jesus was said to have descended from the line of David. Today, the name David is a popular baby boy name for both Christian and Jewish families.
Joseph (means "he will add")
Another Hebrew name, "Yoself" or Joseph is another popular biblical name today. There were two popular Josephs in scripture. Joseph from the Old Testament was the 11th son of Jacob who was sold in Egyptian slavery because of his brothers' jealousy. Joseph eventually became an advisor to the pharaoh. Joseph of Arimathea from the New Testament was the father of Jesus and a carpenter.
Jacob (means "holder of the heel")
Jacob is another biblical name that comes from the Hebrew "Ya'aqov". Jacob from scripture was one of the twin sons of Isaac and was holding on to his brother's heel when he was born, thus the meaning of the name. Later in the Old Testament, the name Jacob was called Israel. The name Jacob was more popular in the Middle Ages for Jewish families; however now it is a popular biblical name for Christian families as well.
Peter (means "stone")
The name Peter comes from the Greek "Petros". Simon was given the name Peter by Jesus. Simon Peter from the New Testament was considered to be the most prominent apostle of Jesus. As a result, the baby name Peter has been a very popular name among Christian families since about the 15th century.
Matthew (means "gift of Yahweh")
Another popular biblical name for boys is Matthew. Matthew comes from the Hebrew "Mattiyahu". The Matthew from the New Testament was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and was a tax collector. Matthew was also the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament. The baby name Matthew is also one that parents can find frequently at the top of popular baby name lists.
Benjamin (means "son of the right hand")
Benjamin is another boy name that is popular biblical name among Christian and Jewish families. The Benjamin from the Old Testament was the second son of Jacob and Rachel and was used by his older brother Joseph to fool the other brothers. It is common today to see the name Benjamin near the top of popular baby name lists for boys.
The bible is one of the richest resources for both popular baby boy names as well as more unique biblical names for boys. Parents today are often interested in not only how the name sounds, but in the meaning of the name when choosing a name for a baby boy or a girl.
References:
New International Version Study Bible. Zondervan Publishing, 1995.
Brenda Lane - Brenda Lane is a published author, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, DONA certified birth doula and approved birth doula trainer.
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