Names play a variety of roles in the
Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
. They sometimes relate to the nominee's role in a
biblical narrative, as in the case of
Nabal, a foolish man whose name means "fool". Names in the Bible can represent human hopes,
divine revelation
Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and theology.
Types Individual revelation
Thomas A ...
s, or are used to illustrate
prophecies
In religion, mythology, and fiction, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divi ...
.
The titles given to characters, locations, and entities in the Bible can differ across various English translations. In a study conducted by the BibleAsk team in 2024, a comprehensive catalog of names found in the King James Version was compiled and organized into categories such as individuals, geographical locations, national groups, and miscellaneous designations.
The team discovered that within the King James Version Bible, a total of 3,418 distinct names were identified. Among these, 1,940 names pertain to individuals, 1,072 names refer to places, 317 names denote collective entities or nations, and 66 names are allocated to miscellaneous items such as months, rivers, or pagan deities. There are instances of overlap, where the same name may be used across multiple categories (e.g., as both a personal name and a geographical location).
BibleAsk, ''Names in the Bible - KJV Edition'' (2024)
Most popular names
During the period 330 BC – 200 AD, the most common male names in Judea
Judea or Judaea (; ; , ; ) is a mountainous region of the Levant. Traditionally dominated by the city of Jerusalem, it is now part of Palestine and Israel. The name's usage is historic, having been used in antiquity and still into the pres ...
or post Kingdom of Israel were:[
* 1. Mary/Miriam (80)
* 2. Salome (63)
* 3. Shelamzion (25)
* 4. Martha (20)
* 5. Joanna (12)
* 6. Sapphira (12)
* 7. Berenice (10)
* 8. Sarah (9)
* 9. Imma (7)
* 10. Mara (7)
* 11. Cyprus (6)
* 12. Alexandra (6)
* 13. Pelagia (1-5?)
* 14. Vendetta (1-5?)
* 15. Delilah (1-5?)
]
Lists
*List of biblical names starting with A
This article includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''A'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consul ...
*List of biblical names starting with B
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''B'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult ...
* List of biblical names starting with C
* List of biblical names starting with D
*List of biblical names starting with E
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''E'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with F
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''F'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult ...
* List of biblical names starting with G
*List of biblical names starting with H
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''H'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
* List of biblical names starting with I
* List of biblical names starting with J
* List of biblical names starting with K
*List of biblical names starting with L
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''L'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with M
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''M'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with N
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''N'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with O
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''O'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with P
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''P'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with Q
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''Q'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with R
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''R'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with S
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''S'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with T
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''T'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with U
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''U'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with V
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''V'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with Y
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''Y'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult t ...
*List of biblical names starting with Z
This page includes a list of biblical proper names that start with ''Z'' in English transcription. Some of the names are given with a proposed etymological meaning. For further information on the names included on the list, the reader may consult ...
See also
* Gemstones in the Bible
*Genealogies in the Bible
There are various genealogies described in the Bible.
Genesis
The book of Genesis records the descendants of Adam and Eve. The enumerated genealogy in chapters 4, 5, and 11, reports the lineal male descent to Abraham, including the age at ...
*List of major biblical figures
The Bible is a collection of Biblical canon, canonical sacred texts of Judaism and Christianity. Different religious groups include different books within their canons, in different orders, and sometimes divide or combine books, or incorporate Book ...
*List of minor Old Testament figures, A–K
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*List of minor Old Testament figures, L–Z
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*List of minor New Testament figures
This list contains list of biblical names, persons named in the Bible in the New Testament of minor notability, about whom either nothing or very little is known, aside from any family connections.
A Abihud
Abihud or Abiud was the son of Z ...
*List of biblical places
The locations, lands, and nations mentioned in the Bible are not all listed here. Some locations might appear twice, each time under a different name. Only places having their own Wikipedia articles are included. See also the list of minor bibli ...
* List of animals in the Bible
* List of plants in the Bible
* List of women in the Bible
*List of names for the biblical nameless
Some people who appear to be unnamed in the Bible have been given names in history and traditions.
Hebrew Bible Serpent of Genesis
Revelation 12 is thought to identify the Serpents in the Bible#Eden, serpent with Satan, unlike the pseudepigraph ...
* List of modern names for biblical place names
*'' Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible'' – for which later editions contain ''A complete list of Scripture Proper Names as in the Authorised and Revised Versions, showing their modern pronunciation and the exact form of the original Hebrew'' by Wm. B. Stevenson.
* Theophory
* Bible names in their native languages
References
Further reading
*Comay, Joan, ''Who's Who in the Old Testament'', Oxford University Press, 1971,
*Elwell, Walter A., ''Evangelical Dictionary of Theology'', Baker Publishing Group, 1984, ISB 9781441200303
*Lockyer, Herbert, ''All the men of the Bible'', Zondervan Publishing House (Grand Rapids, Michigan), 1958
*Lockyer, Herbert, ''All the women of the Bible'', Zondervan Publishing 1988,
*Lockyer, Herbert, ''All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible'', Zondervan Publishing 1988,
*Tischler, Nancy M., ''All things in the Bible: an encyclopedia of the biblical world '', Greenwood Publishing, Westport, Conn. : 2006
External links
Nave's Topical Bible
(Dictionary edition)
{{list of lists , religion , listcat=Lists of biblical names