60 Rare and Unique Biblical Girl Names With Meanings (2026)

The Bible contains hundreds of women's names. Most people know a handful. Many of the rest are genuinely beautiful, historically rich, and almost entirely unused today.

This guide collects 60 of the rarest and most distinctive biblical girl names, with their meanings, the books where they appear, and the stories attached to them. Whether you are choosing a name for a daughter, looking for a confirmation name, or simply curious about the women of Scripture, there is more here than most people realise.

Names from the Old Testament

Adah One of the earliest named women in Scripture. Adah appears in Genesis as the wife of Lamech and the mother of Jabal and Jubal. Her name means ornament or adornment. A second Adah appears in Genesis as a wife of Esau. The name is soft, simple, and entirely distinctive.

Ahinoam Meaning my brother is pleasant, Ahinoam appears twice in the Old Testament as the name of two different women: the wife of Saul and a wife of David from Jezreel. It has an ancient cadence and almost no modern use.

Anah A brief but genuine biblical presence. Anah appears in Genesis as the daughter of Zibeon and the mother of Oholibamah, who became a wife of Esau. The name is thought to mean answering or one who answers.

Asenath The Egyptian wife of Joseph and mother of Manasseh and Ephraim. Asenath is one of the few Egyptian-origin names in the Hebrew Bible. It may mean she belongs to Neith (an Egyptian goddess) or gift of the sun. Unusual, strong, and with a clear biblical story behind it.

Atarah A brief mention in 1 Chronicles as the wife of Jerahmeel and mother of Onam. Atarah means crown. It is the kind of name that sounds both ancient and fresh at the same time.

Azubah Meaning forsaken, Azubah appears in 1 Kings as the mother of King Jehoshaphat and in 1 Chronicles as the wife of Caleb. Its meaning sounds stark in isolation but carries the sense of a name reclaimed and redeemed.

Basemath The daughter of Solomon, mentioned in 1 Kings as the wife of Ahimaaz. Her name means fragrance or sweet smell. An older form of Basmath, it has a warmth to it that translates well into contemporary use.

Baara A name from 1 Chronicles with very few details attached. Baara was a wife of Shaharaim. The name means blazing or the burning one. Unusual and brief.

Bilhah The handmaid of Rachel and mother of Dan and Naphtali. Bilhah is a significant figure in the patriarchal narratives of Genesis. Her name means bashful or troubled. It has a quiet, low-profile quality that makes it genuinely rare today.

Deborah This one is less rare than the others but worth including here because it is so deeply rooted in Scripture and yet so underused in recent decades. Deborah was a prophet, judge, and military leader in the book of Judges. Her name means bee. One of the most complete female portraits in the Old Testament.

Dinah The daughter of Jacob and Leah, whose story in Genesis 34 is one of the most difficult and debated passages in the Old Testament. Dinah means judged or vindicated. As a name it has a strong, clear sound.

Elisheba The wife of Aaron and one of the most significant women in Exodus, though rarely discussed. Her name means my God is an oath or my God is abundance. It is the Hebrew original of Elizabeth.

Ephah Appearing in 1 Chronicles as a concubine of Caleb, Ephah is also a unit of measure in the Old Testament. As a name it means darkness or gloomy. Unconventional and very rarely used.

Gomer The wife of the prophet Hosea and a central figure in one of the Old Testament's most powerful narratives about faithfulness and redemption. Gomer means completion. The name carries the full weight of that story.

Haggith One of David's wives and the mother of Adonijah, mentioned in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings. Her name means festive or dancer. It has a joyful ring that its lack of use today does not reflect.

Hodesh A brief mention in 1 Chronicles as a wife of Shaharaim. Hodesh means new moon. As a name it is poetic and entirely unused in modern naming practice.

Hoglah One of the five daughters of Zelophehad who appear in Numbers to argue successfully for women's right to inheritance. Hoglah means partridge. Her story is one of the quiet radical moments of the Pentateuch.

Huldah A prophetess consulted by King Josiah in 2 Kings 22, at one of the most significant moments in the history of Judah. Huldah authenticated the discovered Book of the Law. Her name means weasel or mole, which undersells her considerably. A name with real biblical weight.

Iscah A single mention in Genesis 11 as the daughter of Haran and sister of Lot. Some traditions identify Iscah with Sarah. Her name means she will look out or watchful one. Brief in Scripture, quietly beautiful as a name.

Jael The woman who killed the Canaanite commander Sisera in the book of Judges, praised in the Song of Deborah as most blessed of women. Jael means mountain goat or ibex. It is one of the most striking names in the Old Testament.

Jedidah The mother of King Josiah, mentioned in 2 Kings 22. Her name means beloved of the Lord. It is the feminine form of the name given to Solomon in 2 Samuel 12.

Jerusha The mother of King Jotham of Judah, mentioned in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Her name means possession or inheritance or married. It has a serious, weighty quality.

Jochebed The mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. One of the most important women in Exodus and yet almost entirely absent from modern naming. Jochebed means the Lord is glory. The first person in Scripture whose name includes the divine name Yahweh.

Keturah Abraham's wife after Sarah's death, mother of six sons and the ancestress of several peoples in the ancient Near East. Keturah means incense. It has a rare, aromatic quality to it.

Leah Often overlooked in favour of Rachel, but Leah is the mother of six of the twelve tribes of Israel, including Judah (the line of David and of Christ). Her name means weary or wild cow. Her story in Genesis is one of the most humanly real in the Old Testament.

Maacah Multiple women bear this name in the Old Testament, including a wife of David and grandmother of King Asa. Maacah means oppression or to press down. An ancient name with a complex phonology that makes it memorable.

Mahlah The eldest of the five daughters of Zelophehad, the daughters who argued for women's inheritance rights in Numbers 27. Mahlah means weak or sick. The name's meaning contrasts interestingly with its bearer's courage.

Merab The elder daughter of King Saul, promised to David and then given to another. Merab appears in 1 Samuel and again in 2 Samuel 21. Her name means increase or he has increased. It is the kind of ancient name that could sit comfortably in a contemporary setting.

Milcah The granddaughter of Noah and wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother. Milcah is also the name of one of Zelophehad's daughters. Her name means queen or counsel. A name with quiet dignity.

Miriam The sister of Moses and Aaron and a prophet in her own right, who leads the women in song after the crossing of the Red Sea. Miriam means beloved or wished-for child. It is the original Hebrew form of Mary. Less common than Mary but more directly biblical.

Naamah Mentioned twice in the Old Testament: once in Genesis as the daughter of Lamech and sister of Tubal-Cain, and once in 1 Kings as an Ammonite wife of Solomon and mother of Rehoboam. Naamah means pleasant or beautiful.

Naomi The mother-in-law of Ruth, whose story of loyalty and return runs through the whole book of Ruth. Naomi means pleasant or my delight, though she renames herself Mara (bitter) after her losses. A name that contains a whole theology of grief and restoration.

Noah (as a female name) One of the five daughters of Zelophehad. In Hebrew, this Noah is a distinct name from the Noah of the flood narrative. Her name means rest or wandering. Unusual as a girl's name but genuinely biblical.

Orpah Ruth's sister-in-law, who returns to her own people after Naomi releases her. Orpah's choice is often contrasted unfavourably with Ruth's, but the book of Ruth treats her with compassion. Her name means back of the neck or she who turned away. Rarely used and entirely distinct.

Peninnah The other wife of Elkanah in 1 Samuel, whose rivalry with Hannah drives the early part of the narrative. Peninnah means coral or pearl. It has a layered sound that rewards closer attention.

Puah One of the two Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1 who defied Pharaoh's order to kill Hebrew male infants. Puah and Shiphrah are among the first named heroes of the Exodus story. Puah means girl or splendid. A name with a quiet, powerful story.

Reumah The concubine of Nahor, Abraham's brother, mentioned briefly in Genesis 22. Reumah means exalted or pearl. One of the most rarely used biblical names.

Rizpah A concubine of King Saul whose fierce grief and vigil over her sons' bodies in 2 Samuel 21 moved David to act. One of the most vivid and moving female portraits in the Old Testament. Her name means hot stone or live coal.

Serah The granddaughter of Jacob, daughter of Asher, mentioned in Genesis and Numbers. Serah is one of the few women listed in the genealogies of Israel. Later rabbinic tradition makes her a figure of extraordinary longevity and wisdom. Her name means abundance or excess.

Shelomith A name appearing in both Leviticus and 1 Chronicles, borne by both men and women. Shelomith means peaceful. It is the feminine form of the same root as Solomon and Shalom.

Shiphrah The companion of Puah, the other midwife who defied Pharaoh. Shiphrah means beautiful or prolific. These two women are among the most important minor characters in Exodus.

Tamar Two significant women bear this name in the Old Testament: Tamar the daughter of Judah in Genesis 38, whose story is one of the most complex in the Torah, and Tamar the daughter of David in 2 Samuel. Both stories are difficult. Both women are treated by Scripture with remarkable seriousness. The name means date palm.

Tirzah The fifth daughter of Zelophehad. Tirzah means she is my delight or pleasantness. It is also the name of a city in the northern kingdom of Israel. In Song of Songs, Jerusalem and Tirzah are placed in parallel as images of beauty.

Zeruah The mother of Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, mentioned in 1 Kings 11. Her name means full-breasted or leprous. One of the most rarely noted women in the books of Kings.

Zeresh The wife of Haman in the book of Esther. Zeresh advises her husband in the escalating conflict with Mordecai. Her name may mean gold or misery. She is one of the few antagonist-adjacent women named in the Hebrew Bible.

Zilpah Leah's handmaid and mother of Gad and Asher, two of the twelve tribes of Israel. Zilpah means drooping or fragile. She is a more significant figure in the Genesis narrative than her brief appearances suggest.

Names from the New Testament

Apphia Greeted by Paul in his letter to Philemon as "our sister", suggesting she was a prominent member of the early church at Colossae. Apphia may come from a Phrygian word. One of the few named women in Paul's shortest letter.

Bernice The daughter of Herod Agrippa I, who appears in Acts 25 and 26 when Paul makes his defence before her brother Agrippa II. Bernice means she who brings victory, from the same Greek root as Veronica and Berenice. She was a real historical figure.

Chloe Mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:11 as someone whose household reported divisions in the Corinthian church. Chloe means blooming or green shoot. It is one of the warmest-sounding names in the New Testament.

Claudia Named in 2 Timothy 4:21 among those sending greetings. Claudia is a Roman name meaning lame, from the Claudian family. One of the few Roman names in the New Testament.

Damaris An Athenian woman converted by Paul's sermon on the Areopagus in Acts 17. The fact that she is named, when most converts are not, suggests she was a person of some standing. Her name means gentle or calf.

Dorcas Also called Tabitha, a woman in Joppa in Acts 9 known for her charitable work, raised from the dead by Peter. Dorcas means gazelle in Greek; Tabitha means the same in Aramaic. A name that carries one of the most vivid miracle stories in Acts.

Joanna A follower of Jesus named in Luke's Gospel, who supported Jesus's ministry from her own resources and was among the women who found the empty tomb. Her husband Chuza was a steward of Herod's household. Joanna means the Lord is gracious. It is the original New Testament form of the name that became Joan and Jane.

Julia Greeted by Paul in Romans 16:15 alongside Philologus. Julia is a Roman name, likely a freedwoman. She is one of the women in Romans 16 whose brief mention suggests a significant role in the early Roman church.

Lydia A dealer in purple cloth from Thyatira, the first convert in Europe after Paul's vision of the Macedonian man in Acts 16. Lydia opened her home to Paul and Silas as the first meeting place of the Philippian church. Her name means from Lydia, a region of Asia Minor.

Mary Magdalene The most prominent of the women named Mary in the Gospels, the first witness to the resurrection in John 20. Her name distinguishes her as being from Magdala, a town on the Sea of Galilee.

Nympha Mentioned in Colossians 4:15 as someone in whose house a church met. Nympha means bride or nymph. One of the few named female house-church leaders in Paul's letters.

Persis Greeted by Paul in Romans 16:12 as "the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord." Her name means Persian woman. One of the named women in Romans 16 who are described in active terms of ministry.

Phoebe A deacon of the church at Cenchreae, described by Paul in Romans 16:1 as a patron of many, including himself. Paul commends her to the Roman church. Her name means bright or radiant. She is one of the most clearly described female leaders in the New Testament.

Priscilla The most prominent female church leader named in Paul's letters, mentioned in Romans 16, 1 Corinthians 16, and 2 Timothy 4. Priscilla and her husband Aquila taught Apollos and hosted a church in their home. Her name means ancient or venerable.

Sapphira The wife of Ananias in Acts 5. Their story is one of the most sobering in Acts. Sapphira means beautiful or sapphire. Despite its difficult narrative context, it is genuinely one of the most beautiful names in the New Testament.

Syntyche Mentioned by Paul in Philippians 4:2 alongside Euodia as a woman with whom he had worked and whom he urges to be reconciled. Her name means pleasant acquaintance or fortunate. She was evidently a leader in the Philippian church.

Tryphena Greeted by Paul in Romans 16:12 alongside her probable sister Tryphosa, described as having worked hard in the Lord. Her name means delicate or dainty. One of several women named in Romans 16 who have received less attention than they deserve.

Tryphosa The companion of Tryphena in Romans 16:12. Her name means delicate or lush. Both names come from the same Greek root.

A brief note on names and faith

Choosing a biblical name is a quiet act of faith in itself. Many of the names above belong to women whose stories are brief in Scripture but whose presence matters: the midwives who defied Pharaoh, the daughters who argued for their inheritance, the women who were first at the tomb. They women are worth knowing.

If you are looking for a Bible that tells their stories well, our Bible Finder can help you choose the right translation and edition for your family.

FAQ

What are the rarest biblical girl names? Among the rarest are Apphia, Basemath, Hodesh, Iscah, Puah, Reumah, Serah, Shiphrah, Tryphena, and Tryphosa. All are genuinely biblical but almost entirely unused in modern naming.

What is the most unique girl name in the Bible? Several names stand out for their distinctiveness. Rizpah, Iscah, Ephah, Hodesh, and Syntyche all appear only once or twice in Scripture and have almost no modern usage. Jael and Huldah are among the more striking names attached to significant biblical women.

What are some unusual Old Testament girl names? Unusual Old Testament names include Asenath (the Egyptian wife of Joseph), Haggith (a wife of David), Jochebed (the mother of Moses), Keturah (Abraham's second wife), Maacah, Naamah, Rizpah, Shelomith, Tirzah, and Zeruah.

What are some rare New Testament girl names? Rare New Testament girl names include Apphia, Chloe, Damaris, Dorcas, Nympha, Persis, Syntyche, Tryphena, and Tryphosa. Romans 16 alone contains several named women whose stories are almost entirely unexplored.

Are all these names still used today? Very few are in common use. Deborah, Leah, Lydia, Naomi, Priscilla, and Tamar are the most likely to be encountered today. The rest are genuinely rare and in many cases essentially unused in contemporary English-speaking countries.

What does it mean to give a child a biblical name? A biblical name connects a child to a long tradition of faith and to the specific story of the person who bore it in Scripture. Many parents choose biblical names for this reason, or because a name carries a meaning they want to speak over their child's life.

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