7 Lesser Known Biblical Girls Names

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Biblical names are some of the most popular names in the world. Over the last century, Mary has been by far the most popular girl’s name in the United States. More than twice as many girls were named Mary during the 20th century as the next most popular name. Even with some classical names falling out of style, biblical girls’ names such as Hannah and Sarah continue to rank among the most common given names for infants.

With the popularity of biblical girls’ names, though, comes an obvious problem. Given how common biblical names are, a child named Anna is almost guaranteed to share her name with several other girls in her class. What is a parent to do if they want to give their daughter a biblical name but also want to avoid her having to be one of four “Rachel”s?

The answer is to use lesser known biblical girls’ names. There are scores of women in the Bible whose names are rarely mentioned in church and used for a child’s name even less often. These names can be used to honor a biblical woman who seems to have been forgotten and give an infant a meaningful, but still unique, name. There are numerous names to choose from, but here are seven lesser known biblical girls’ names that a child today could wear proudly.

Phebe/Phoebe

The name Phoebe is the Latinized version of the Greek name Phoibe, meaning “bright” or “pure.” The name is often associated with Greek mythology referring to both the Titan of the moon and to an epithet of the moon goddess, Artemis.

For all its roots in Greek mythology, Phoebe is considered to be a biblical girls’ name. In Romans 16, Paul speaks of a woman named Phoebe. The title of her official rank within the early church varies between Bible translations, though many settle on “deacon” as the translation for the original diakonos. This rank is meant to refer to the Christian man or woman designated to assist the elders of the church in a variety of manners. That Phoebe was named such speaks to her dedication to the church and faithful belief.

Her actions, however, speak even louder than Paul’s words. Beyond being an important diakonos and faithful servant of Christ, Phoebe is the one who delivered Paul’s Epistle to the Romans to the church in Rome. Such a journey would have taken weeks and required Phoebe to travel over 700 miles from her home in Cenchreae, Greece to the heart of the Roman Empire. Any girl today should be proud to share her name with such a dedicated and determined woman.

Ahlai

The name Ahlai means “oh would that!” and was the name of two different women in the Bible. The first Ahlai was the daughter of Sheshan and a descendent of Judah through Pharez. Pharez was the eldest son of Judah and Tamar. He appears in Matthew 1 as part of Jesus’ royal genealogy.

She is also mentioned in the listing of Judah’s descendants in 1 Chronicles 2:31. Her father, Sheshan, had no sons which left Ahlai’s son to become Sheshan’s direct descendant. As such, she was married to an Egyptian servant named Jarha and gave birth to a son named Attai.

There is even less information about the second Ahlai mentioned in the Bible. The second Ahlai is mentioned briefly in 1 Chronicles 11:41. Among the listing of David’s warriors is a man named Zabad. He is one of the few who is not identified by his home, tribe or by his father’s name and tribe. Instead, he is simply listed as the “son of Ahlai.” Apparently, his mother was recognizable enough or important enough that her name could stand alone as a way to differentiate her son from other warriors. What she did to earn that sort or recognition has been lost to time, but her name is preserved in the Scriptures alongside her son’s.

Chloe

Chloe has become quite a popular name in recent years. For the last decade, Chloe has ranked in the top 20 most popular names for girls. The name means “green shoot” in Greek, referring to small seedlings and the first shoots of new plant growth. Like Phoebe, Chloe was also an epithet of a Greek goddess, in this case, the goddess of the harvest, Demeter.

While its popularity has remained strong, most people are unaware that Chloe is actually a biblical name. Chloe was a member of the church in Corinth that Paul wrote to in both 1 and 2 Corinthians. It was Chloe and her people who informed Paul of the arguments happening within the congregation. According to Paul’s letter, the Christians he left behind quarreled over who baptized them. This would not be the first time the Corinthian church gave Paul trouble, but, despite the strife surrounding her, Chloe stayed faithful and true.

Persis

Persis is one of the few unisex names in the Bible, though it is more commonly identified with a woman from the Early Church. The name has two meanings: “Persian” and “one who takes by storm.” There is no evidence that the Christian woman Persis was Persian, but the latter meaning, “one who takes by storm,” may have been apt for this member of the Roman church.

Persis is mentioned in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, chapter 16 verse 12. Like many biblical women, little personal information is given about Persis, but it is clear that she was considered to be a model Christian in her time. Persis is described as working “hard in the Lord,” the only one in Paul’s listing of those to greet who earns such a reference. Working hard for Christ is high praise from the Apostle who traveled so far and did so much for the fledgling Church.

Paul also calls Persis “the beloved” in Romans, an adaptation of “my beloved.” As a man who was not Persis’ husband, it would have been inappropriate for Paul to call her “my beloved.” The admiration and affection behind the more traditional phrase apparently still applied in a platonic sense, but the subtle alteration avoids potentially disastrous misinterpretation.

Elisheba

Elisheba is an ancient twist on a relatively popular name. Elisheba, also spelled Elisheva, means “God’s oath” or “God is her oath,” depending on the translation. Despite its appearance in one of the best known stories in the Old Testament, this strong and beautiful name unfortunately fell out of style in favor of its Greek counterpart, Elizabeth. Both the Hebrew name Elisheba and the Greek name Elizabeth are used in the Bible with Elizabeth appearing in the New Testament as the mother of John the Baptist.

The Hebrew name, Elisheba, is mentioned in the story of the Exodus. Before Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Elisheba married Moses’ brother, Aaron. They had four sons together: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Aaron would later become the high priest of Israel with his sons set to follow in his footsteps. As such, Elisheba became the mother of the entire Levitical priesthood.

Tamar

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Tamar is one of a handful of Biblical girls’ names that are associated with trees, flowers and plants native to the Mediterranean and Middle East. Meaning “palm tree,” Tamar is a name that would have been associated with wealth and beauty. In biblical times, the palm tree was one of the most valuable plants that grew locally and the most prized tree in the area. The rich significance of the name was desirable enough to create the name Abiathar, meaning “palm-island” or “like a palm.”

The name Tamar is mentioned numerous times in the Bible. It appears several times as a place name, such as Baal-tamar in the Book of Judges and “Tamar in the wilderness” in 1 Kings. Tamar also appears as the name of a biblical woman three times. Two of these women are descendants of David. One is David’s granddaughter, the other is his daughter. The third occurrence of Tamar appears in Genesis.

The Tamar in Genesis is a righteous Israelite woman who uses her wits to improve otherwise unfortunate circumstances. Widowed twice, Tamar knew that according to Jewish law she should be wed to Judah’s young son Shelah. When Judah refused to wed the two, Tamar took matters into her own hands. Through her cunning, she forced Judah to admit he had done her wrong by refusing to marry her to Shelah. Tamar then became Judah’s own wife, rather than the wife of his youngest son. It is uncommon to find a girl named Tamar today, but there are far worse legacies than a potent combination of righteousness and cleverness.

Sapphira

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Despite its biblical roots, the name Sapphira is best known for its use in Christopher Paolini’s fantasy series, the “Inheritance Cycle.” Meaning “sapphire” or “lapis lazuli,” the name Sapphira has several possible linguistic beginnings. It may have been derived from the Hebrew word sappir, the Greek word sappheiros or even from the similar Greek name Sappheire.

Sapphires and lapis lazuli stones are referenced numerous times throughout the Bible. In Exodus, Sapphires are included as one of the stones on the breastpiece of judgement. The stones are also noted in Ezekiel as the material used to make God’s throne, and they are part of the foundations of the New Jerusalem described in Revelation. Lapis lazuli makes several appearances as well in books such as Song of Songs, Isaiah and Lamentations.

The woman Sapphira is mentioned in Acts 4. She and her husband, Ananias, were some of the early converts from Judaism to Christianity and associated themselves with the multitude that believed after the Pentecost. Unfortunately, the two of them are remembered in the Bible for their failure to give all of the proceeds from the sale of their land to the Apostles. Still, the association of sapphires or lapis lazuli with both prosperity and purity make this biblical girls’ name worth reviving.