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Our top picks of rare Biblical names:
Rare and unique biblical boy names include Abner (meaning father of light, commander of Saul's army), Asaph (a Psalm writer and musician in David's court, meaning he gathered), Barak (the military commander who fought alongside Deborah in Judges, meaning lightning), Benaiah (one of David's thirty mighty warriors, meaning Yahweh has built), Bezalel (the Spirit-filled craftsman who built the Tabernacle, meaning in the shadow of God), Boaz (the kinsman-redeemer of Ruth, meaning strength), Ethan (renowned for wisdom in 1 Kings, possibly the author of Psalm 89, meaning enduring), Ittai (the loyal Philistine who followed David, meaning with the Lord), Jabez (the man of prayer in 1 Chronicles, meaning he causes pain), Lemuel (the king whose mother taught him wisdom in Proverbs 31, meaning devoted to God), Nahum (the prophet of comfort, meaning compassion), Obed (the grandfather of King David, meaning servant), Phinehas (the zealous priest, meaning oracle), Reuel (Moses' father-in-law also called Jethro, meaning friend of God), Zadok (the priest who remained loyal to David, meaning righteous), and Zephaniah (the prophet, meaning Yahweh has protected).
When you are not just choosing a baby boy’s name, you’re also choosing a man’s name. The Bible contains hundreds of men's names. Most people know a handful. The rest include some of the most distinctive, meaningful, and entirely unused names in the English language.
This guide collects 60 of the rarest and most compelling biblical boy names, with their meanings, the books where they appear, and the stories attached to them. Whether you are choosing a name for a son, looking for a confirmation name, or simply curious about the men of Scripture, there is far more here than most people have explored.
Not sure which Bible tells these stories best? Use our Bible Finder to find the right translation for your family.
Abner
Saul's cousin and the commander of his army, one of the most significant military figures in the books of Samuel. After Saul's death, Abner attempted to maintain the house of Saul against David before eventually transferring his allegiance. He was killed by Joab in an act of revenge. His name means father of light. It has a strong, plain sound that wears well.
Adlai
A brief mention in 1 Chronicles as the father of Shaphat, one of David's overseers. Adlai means my witness or God is just. Almost entirely unused in modern naming, but it has a quiet distinctiveness that rewards a second look.
Amram
The father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam — three of the most significant figures in the entire Old Testament. Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, a union that would have been forbidden under the later Mosaic law. His name means exalted people. He is a man whose significance lies entirely in what his children became.
Asaph
The chief musician of David's court and one of the primary authors of the Psalms. Asaph is named in the superscriptions of twelve Psalms, including Psalm 50 and Psalms 73 through 83. His descendants continued as temple musicians through the period of Ezra and Nehemiah. His name means he gathered or collector. For a musical family, it carries real significance.
Barak
The military commander who fought alongside Deborah in the book of Judges, leading Israel to victory against the Canaanite general Sisera. When Deborah told Barak he would not receive the glory for the victory — because a woman would strike the decisive blow — he went anyway. His name means lightning. He appears in Hebrews 11 among the heroes of faith.
Benaiah
One of David's thirty mighty warriors and eventually the commander of Solomon's army. Benaiah killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day, and single-handedly killed two of Moab's champions and an Egyptian giant. His name means Yahweh has built. It is among the most action-filled names in the Old Testament.
Bezalel
The craftsman chosen by God and filled with the Spirit to design and build the Tabernacle in the wilderness. Exodus describes him as filled with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts. His name means in the shadow of God. For a creative or artistic family, there is no more fitting biblical name.
Boaz
The kinsman-redeemer of Ruth, one of the most fully drawn male characters in the Hebrew Bible. His story in Ruth is a portrait of generosity, integrity, and faithfulness. He is also an ancestor of David and of Christ. His name means strength or swiftness. It has become slightly more familiar in recent years but remains genuinely uncommon in the UK.
Caleb
One of the two spies who brought a faithful report from Canaan when the others despaired. At 85, Caleb asked for the hill country where the giants lived, saying he was still as strong as the day Moses sent him. His name means wholehearted, and it fits him precisely. It is one of the more usable of the rarer biblical names.
Elnathan
A grandfather of King Jehoiachin, mentioned in 2 Kings, and also the name of several other men in Ezra and Nehemiah. Elnathan means God has given. It has the cadence of a longer, more formal name but a warmth in its meaning.
Eleazar
The third son of Aaron and his successor as high priest, a central figure in the later books of the Pentateuch and in Joshua. Eleazar administered the distribution of the Promised Land among the tribes. His name means God has helped. It is the Hebrew origin of the name Lazarus.
Elhanan
A warrior of Israel who killed a Philistine giant — described in 2 Samuel as the brother of Goliath, though the passage has long been debated by scholars. His name means God is gracious. Brief in Scripture, distinctive as a name.
Ethan
Renowned for wisdom in 1 Kings 4:31, where Solomon is said to be wiser even than Ethan the Ezrahite. He is likely the author of Psalm 89, a great meditation on God's covenant with David. His name means enduring or strong. It is one of the more usable names in this list, with a modern feel that does not erase its deep biblical roots.
Gad
The seventh son of Jacob, born to Zilpah, and the founder of the tribe of Gad. The tribe settled east of the Jordan River and was known as skilled warriors. His name means fortune or a troop. Brief in the patriarchal narrative but significant in the later history of Israel.
Haggai
The first of the post-exile prophets, whose short book of two chapters urged the returning Israelites to rebuild the Temple they had left in ruins for sixteen years. His preaching restarted the construction that had stalled for years. His name means festive or born on a feast day. An unusual choice with a strong prophetic heritage.
Hezekiah
One of the most faithful kings of Judah, who tore down the high places, destroyed the bronze serpent Moses had made, and trusted God during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem. When told he would die, he prayed and was given fifteen more years. His name means Yahweh is my strength. It is a substantial name with a remarkable story.
Hosea
The prophet whose marriage to an unfaithful wife became a living parable of God's faithfulness to Israel. The book of Hosea is one of the most emotionally charged in the Old Testament. His name means salvation or deliverance. It is the Hebrew original of the name Joshua, and of Jesus.
Ira
One of David's mighty warriors, and also David's personal priest in 2 Samuel. Brief, strong, and almost entirely unused in contemporary naming. His name means watchful or full-grown. It wears well as a short, serious biblical name.
Ittai
A Philistine from Gath who had only recently joined David's service but refused to leave when David fled from Absalom, saying "wherever you go, I will go." His declaration echoes Ruth's words to Naomi almost exactly. His name means with the Lord. He is one of the most moving minor characters in the books of Samuel.
Jabez
The subject of a single remarkable passage in 1 Chronicles 4: a man whose name meant he causes pain, and who prayed for God's blessing and received it. The prayer of Jabez is one of the shortest and most direct prayers in the Bible. He is an example of a name redeemed entirely by the character of its bearer.
Jair
A judge of Israel who governed for twenty-two years and had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys — a sign of prosperity and peace in the ancient Near East. His name means he shines or Yahweh enlightens. A brief but genuine presence in the book of Judges.
Japheth
The son of Noah who, along with Shem, covered his father's nakedness with a garment. His descendants are said to have populated the coastlands and the peoples of the wider ancient world. His name means may God enlarge. It is among the oldest names in all of Scripture.
Joab
David's nephew and the commander of his army, a figure of fierce loyalty and troubling violence throughout the books of Samuel and Kings. He killed Abner in revenge, killed Absalom against David's wishes, and was eventually executed by Solomon. His name means Yahweh is father. A complex name for a complex figure.
Kenan
The great-grandson of Adam, a figure of the early genealogies who lived 910 years. He appears in both Genesis and 1 Chronicles and in Luke's genealogy of Jesus. His name means possession or to mourn. One of the oldest names in Scripture and virtually unknown in modern use.
Lemuel
The king whose mother taught him the wisdom in Proverbs 31, the famous passage on a wife of noble character. Lemuel himself is almost unknown — his mother's teaching entirely overshadows him — but his name means devoted to God. It has a warmth and gravity that make it worth considering.
Mahlon
Ruth's first husband, the son of Elimelech and Naomi, who died in Moab before the story of Ruth truly begins. His name means sickness or forgiveness, and the contrast between his name and the extraordinary redemption story that follows his death is striking. He is absence made meaningful.
Malachi
The last prophet of the Old Testament and the last book of the Hebrew canon. His book closes with the promise of Elijah's return before the great day of the Lord — a promise the New Testament reads as fulfilled in John the Baptist. His name means my messenger or my angel. It is a name that carries the weight of an ending and a beginning.
Manoah
The father of Samson, who encountered the angel of the Lord and offered him a meal without knowing who he was. When Manoah asked the angel's name, he was told it was beyond understanding. His name means rest or a quiet place. He is a gentle, grounded figure in one of the Old Testament's most turbulent stories.
Nahum
The prophet who foretold the fall of Nineveh, one of the most vivid pieces of prophetic poetry in the Old Testament. His book has been called "a masterpiece of Hebrew poetry" for its imagery of God's power over the enemies of Israel. His name means comfort or compassion. Despite the fierce content of his book, the name itself is warm.
Obadiah
The shortest book in the Old Testament, twenty-one verses, from a prophet whose name means servant of the Lord. Obadiah foretold the fall of Edom. There are also twelve other men named Obadiah in the Old Testament, including a palace official under Ahab who hid 100 prophets from Jezebel. The name has a serious dignity.
Obed
The son of Ruth and Boaz, the father of Jesse, the grandfather of David. Three short generations separate the Moabite foreigner Ruth from the greatest king of Israel. Obed's name means servant or worshiper. He is a man whose significance is entirely genealogical — and entirely extraordinary.
Phinehas
The grandson of Aaron who killed an Israelite man and his Midianite companion in an act of zeal that stopped a plague among the people. God commended his action and granted him a covenant of perpetual priesthood. His name possibly means oracle or serpent's mouth, though the derivation is debated. He is among the more striking minor figures in the Pentateuch.
Reuel
The father-in-law of Moses, also called Jethro, a priest of Midian in whose house Moses spent forty years before the Exodus. Reuel means friend of God. He advised Moses on how to delegate leadership — perhaps the first recorded management consultancy in history.
Salmon
An ancestor of Boaz and thus of David and of Christ, mentioned in the genealogies of both Matthew and Ruth. His name means garment or robe. He is one of the silent figures of the messianic line, present only in a list but part of a story of enormous significance.
Seraiah
The high priest at the time of the fall of Jerusalem, executed by Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah. He was the great-great-grandfather of Ezra. His name means Yahweh is ruler. A name that carries the tragedy and the continuity of the exile period.
Shamgar
A judge of Israel who killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad in a single sentence of Scripture. He appears in Judges 3 and is mentioned in Deborah's song. The ox goad is the most unlikely weapon in biblical history. His name may derive from a foreign language. He is brevity and improbable courage in equal measure.
Uzziah
The king of Judah who did what was right before God and expanded the kingdom, but who entered the Temple to burn incense — an act reserved for priests — and was struck with leprosy for the rest of his life. The year of his death was when Isaiah saw his vision in the Temple. His name means Yahweh is my strength.
Zadok
The priest who remained loyal to David during Absalom's rebellion and during the succession dispute at the end of David's life, anointing Solomon as king. He became the founding priest of the Jerusalem Temple priesthood. His name means righteous or just. It is one of the most plainly meaningful names in the Old Testament.
Zebadiah
A name borne by several men in 1 Chronicles, Ezra, and 2 Chronicles, including a son of Asahel and a prince of Judah who taught the law across the cities. Zebadiah means Yahweh has given. It shares the same root as Zebedee, the father of James and John in the Gospels.
Zephaniah
A prophet of Judah in the time of King Josiah, whose book announces the day of the Lord with urgency before closing with one of the most tender passages in the prophets: "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you." His name means Yahweh has hidden or Yahweh has protected.
Agabus
A prophet of the early church who appears twice in Acts. He bound his own hands and feet with Paul's belt to prophesy that Paul would be bound and handed over to the Gentiles. It is one of the most vivid prophetic signs in the New Testament. His name may derive from a Hebrew word meaning locust.
Alphaeus
The father of two disciples — James son of Alphaeus is one of the twelve, and Levi (Matthew) is also called son of Alphaeus in Mark 2. Whether these were brothers is debated. His name's meaning is uncertain. He is a background figure who contributed two of the apostles to the story of the church.
Aquila
The husband of Priscilla and one of the most significant figures in Paul's missionary network. Together they taught Apollos the way of God more accurately, hosted a church in their home, and are mentioned in three of Paul's letters. Aquila means eagle in Latin. Naming the husband without naming the wife would be unusual — these two always appear together.
Epaphras
Paul's fellow servant who founded the church at Colossae and who Paul describes as always wrestling in prayer for the Colossians. In the letter to Philemon he is called Paul's fellow prisoner. His name means charming or devoted. He is one of the most fully described minor figures in Paul's letters.
Epaphroditus
The messenger sent by the church at Philippi to bring Paul a gift in prison. He became seriously ill, almost to death, and was deeply distressed that the Philippians had heard of his illness. Paul describes him as my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. His name means charming or devoted to the goddess of love, though in Christian usage it carries none of that association.
Erastus
The city treasurer of Corinth who sends greetings in Romans 16. An inscription found in Corinth mentions an aedile named Erastus who paid for the paving of a public square, and many scholars believe this is the same man. If so, he is one of the few New Testament figures whose existence is confirmed by archaeology. His name means beloved in Greek.
Gaius
Several men share this name in the New Testament, including Paul's host in Corinth whose whole church met in his home, and the recipient of John's third letter, praised for his faithfulness and hospitality. Gaius is a Latin name meaning earth or land. It was one of the most common Roman names of the period, which makes it unusual in a biblical name context today.
Lucius
A prophet and teacher at Antioch listed in Acts 13 alongside Barnabas, Simeon Niger, Manaen, and Saul before Paul's first missionary journey. He also appears in Romans 16 among those who send greetings, described as Paul's kinsman. Lucius means light in Latin. It is the Latin form of the Greek Lucas, from which Luke is derived, though Lucius and Luke are distinct names.
Mnason
An early disciple from Cyprus who provided lodging for Paul and his companions on the journey to Jerusalem in Acts 21. He is described as one of the early disciples — suggesting he had been a believer from very near the beginning of the church. His name possibly means one who remembers. He is a man of hospitality at a moment of great significance.
Onesimus
The runaway slave whose story is the entire subject of Paul's letter to Philemon. He had left his master, encountered Paul in prison, become a Christian, and Paul now sends him back with the letter asking Philemon to receive him no longer as a slave but as a dear brother. His name means useful or profitable — and Paul makes a gentle pun on this in the letter itself.
Onesiphorus
A man who, Paul tells Timothy, often refreshed him and was not ashamed of Paul's chains. He searched hard for Paul when in Rome and found him. His name means one who brings profit. He is mentioned with particular warmth in a letter full of warnings and farewells.
Quartus
Greeted at the very end of Romans 16, described simply as our brother. His name means fourth in Latin, suggesting he was the fourth-born child in his family. He is one of the most minimal presences in the New Testament — a single mention, a single title, no other detail. And yet Paul thought him worth greeting to the church at Rome.
Rufus
The son of Simon of Cyrene, the man compelled to carry Jesus's cross, mentioned by name in Mark's Gospel. His mother is also greeted in Romans 16, where Paul says she has been a mother to him too, suggesting Paul knew this family well. His name means red or red-haired in Latin. He is a person touched by the crucifixion who then became part of the earliest church.
Sosipater
A kinsman of Paul who sends greetings in Romans 16. His name means who saves his father in Greek. He is possibly the same man as Sopater of Berea who accompanied Paul in Acts 20.
Sosthenes
The ruler of the synagogue in Corinth who was beaten before the proconsul Gallio when the Jews failed to secure a verdict against Paul. He is also named as co-author of 1 Corinthians, which suggests he later became a Christian. His name means safe in strength. He is a man whose story crosses from opposition to fellowship.
Tertius
Paul's secretary who wrote the letter to the Romans at Paul's dictation — and who paused in Romans 16 to include his own greeting: "I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord." It is the only moment in all of Paul's letters where the secretary speaks. His name means third in Latin. He is the hand behind the most theologically significant letter in Christian history.
Titus
Paul's companion and co-worker, a Greek Gentile who was not required to be circumcised at the Jerusalem council, and to whom Paul addressed one of his pastoral letters. He was sent to Corinth during the difficult correspondence with that church, and later to Crete. His name means protected or nurse in Latin. He is one of the most trusted figures in Paul's ministry network.
Trophimus
An Ephesian companion of Paul on his final journey to Jerusalem. It was the false accusation that Paul had brought Trophimus into the Temple that sparked the riot leading to Paul's arrest. His name means nourishing or nurturing in Greek. He is the cause, unknowingly, of Paul's imprisonment and ultimately of his journey to Rome.
Zacchaeus
The chief tax collector of Jericho who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus pass and came down to find Jesus inviting himself to dinner. By the end of the meal he had given half his possessions to the poor and repaid fourfold all he had defrauded. His name means pure or innocent in Hebrew — a meaning his life only reached through his encounter with Jesus.
Each of the names above belongs to a real person in Scripture whose story, however brief, was considered worth recording. From Bezalel who built the Tabernacle in the wilderness to Tertius who wrote down the letter to the Romans, these men were part of something far larger than themselves.
A name drawn from this tradition connects a child to that same story.
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