7 Lesser Known Biblical Boy’s Names

Biblical names never seem to go out of style. The most popular boy’s name over the last century in the United States was James with John coming in a close second. Even as naming trends come and go, biblical names seem to continue to rank highly. In 2016, half of the top 50 most popular names for boys were found in the Bible, with even more being later variants of biblical names. Lucas, Noah, Ethan and Elijah all made the top ten most used names of 2016 with other classics such as Michael, Benjamin, James and Jacob appearing in the top twenty.

Given the popularity of biblical boys’ names, though, it seems likely that any son named Daniel will share his name with two or three other boys in his class. So what is a parent to do if they want to give their son a name from the Bible but want to avoid having to clarify which “Matthew” is theirs?

The answer is to use biblical boys’ names that are less well known. There are hundreds of men named in the Bible, many of whom are effectively forgotten. Such names still carry the strength and history of more traditional biblical boys’ names while avoiding the pitfalls of commonly used names. There are an overwhelming number to choose from, but here are seven lesser known biblical boys’ names that would, even today, serve a child well.

Cyrus

Cyrus comes from the Greek name Kyros which itself comes from the Persian name Kurush. Its meanings are debated with some claiming it means “far sighted” or “young” while others say it means “lord” or “an heir.”

The name Cyrus comes up frequently in the Old Testament, usually in regard to Cyrus the Great. Cyrus the Great is known in world history for conquering Babylon and founding the Achaemenian Empire. His biblical importance, however, focuses on his actions toward the Jews. After conquering Babylon, Cyrus allowed the captive Jews to return to their homeland of Israel. He appears in numerous books including the Book of Ezra, the Book of Daniel and 2 Chronicles. To the fascination of scholars and believers alike, Cyrus the Great is also mentioned by name in the writings of the prophet Isaiah, despite the fact that Isaiah lived nearly 200 years before Cyrus was ever born.

Azariah

pixabay.com

The name Azariah appears repeatedly in the Bible as the name of nearly 30 different men. Among the notable bearers of this name were the descendant of David’s high priest, the ruler of Solomon’s officers, the king of Judah, a righteous priest who stopped King Uzziah from burning incense on the alter and one of the priests who sealed the covenant in Nehemiah 10.

The clear popularity of the name in biblical times, especially among the priestly family of Eleazar, may in part be contributed to its meaning. Azariah means either “Jehovah is keeper” or “God has helped,” depending on the translation, a fitting name for its most famous bearer.

Azariah was the Hebrew name for Abednego, the Israelite who was taken captive by Babylon alongside Daniel. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar favored Azariah, Daniel and two other youths from Judah. He grew angry with them later and had Azariah, Hananiah and Mishael cast into the furnace. The three men, however, emerged unharmed. The name carries a rich legacy of protection and righteousness any boy named Azariah should carry proudly.

Jason

More than one person would be surprised to learn that Jason is technically a biblical name. Commonly associated with the leader of the Argonauts, finder of the Golden Fleece and husband of Medea, this name is steeped in Greek mythology.

Jason is based on the Greek name Iason. Derived from the Greek iasthai, meaning “to heal,” Jason has become a relatively popular name in recent years. Jason was listed among the top 50 most popular boy’s names in the early 2000’s, but few people know of its presence in the New Testament.

One of the men named Jason is mentioned briefly in Romans 16:21. He is a “fellow [Jew]” who sends his greetings with Paul to the Christian church in Rome. The other Jason is also a friend of Paul’s. In Acts 17, Jason offers shelter to Paul and Silas. When a riot begins, Jason’s house is searched, but Paul and Silas are no longer there. They have escaped while the brave Jason and a few other unnamed Christians face down the mob searching for the Apostle.

Lucius

The name Lucius has been made famous, or infamous, by J. K. Rowling’s best-selling series, “Harry Potter.” It is, however, a biblical name. Derived from the Latin word lux, meaning “light,” the biblical men who carried this name were far more moral than Rowling’s slippery character.

The first Lucius in the Bible appears in Acts 13. He was a member of the Christian church in Antioch despite being identified as from Cyrene, a city more than 6 weeks travel away. Lucius of Cyrene is one of five teachers and prophets described as being part of the church in Antioch. The others were Barnabas, Simeon, who was also called Niger, Manaen and, of course, Paul himself.

The other biblical reference to Lucius is in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Paul ends his letter with a listing of those who send greetings to the Christians in Rome as well as a list of those already in Rome who deserve greetings or recognition for their deeds. Among those sending greetings is a Jewish man named Lucius. Little else is known about him save that he is one of three of Paul’s “fellow Jews” who sends greetings to the young Christian church in Rome and is, presumably, of upright character in Paul’s eyes since his greetings were conveyed instead of ignored.

Esli

The name Esli means “God at my side” or “Jehovah hath reserved” and also takes the form Eslei or Hesli. His name appears briefly in the genealogy of Jesus as told by Luke. Esli does not appear in the genealogy listed in Matthew 1, but it is possible that he was called by a different name in Matthew. Esli and a man Matthew called Zerubbabel are both listed as living 11 generations before Jesus, making it possible that they were the same person.

Some agree that Esli, ancestor of Christ, is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible under a different name. These people tend to identify him with a man named Azaliah. Azaliah is mentioned twice in the Bible. The first is in 2 Kings 22:3, the second in 2 Chronicles 34:8. Both say his is the father of King Josiah’s scribe, Shaphan. As such, it is unlikely that Azaliah is the same man as the Esli in Luke’s genealogy. Azaliah would have lived only a generation or two before the Jews were exiled to Babylon. Esli is too far down the genealogical tree to have lived at that time. At the earliest, Esli would have been part of the second generation of Israelites born during the exile.

Ethan

Ethan is another popular name that is not typically thought of as a biblical name. In 2016 Ethan was the 10th most popular name in the United States, the second most popular in Canada, the seventh most popular in Australia and the 18th most popular in England in Wales. Accordingly, there are a large number of people who may be unaware of the roots of their son’s name.

Meaning “ancient”, “enduring” or “firm,” Ethan is based on the Hebrew name Eitan and appears repeatedly in the Old Testament. Ethan is the name of several men mentioned in the various genealogies recorded in 1 Chronicles. The name is first mentioned as the grandson of Judah in 1 Chronicles 2:6; the name appears twice more in 1 Chronicles 6 as two of Levi’s descendants.

The most famous Ethan in biblical times is mentioned in 1 Kings 4. In describing Solomon’s wisdom, Solomon is said to be wiser than anyone, even Ethan the Ezrahite. Judging by the use of Ethan the Ezrahite as a comparison for Solomon’s wisdom, it can be safely assumed that Ethan was considered to be one of the wisest men known. Although Ethan’s wisdom was outstripped by Solomon’s, Ethan the Ezrahite is believed to have left his own mark on history by authoring Psalm 89. This, however, is still debated.

Ophir

shutterstock.com

Meaning “rich,” Ophir is a name that serves as both a person’s name and a biblical place name. As a place, Ophir appears to have lived up to the meaning of its name. According to 1 Kings 28, Solomon’s men brought back 420 talents of gold which would convert to about 16 tons today. Similarly, Psalm 45 takes care to describe the royal bride as being both covered in gold of Ophir. The location of this wealthy land is something of a mystery today. Some believe that Ophir would have been located in modern day Saudi Arabia while others believe it was as far east as modern India. Still others believe that Ophir was not where the gold was from at all but was the name of the port where the Israelites took possession of the gold.

The man Ophir is almost as much of a mystery as the location of the country or city of the same name. Ophir is listed among the songs of Joktan in both Genesis and 1 Chronicles. Joktan, and thus Ophir, was descended from Shem, the eldest son of Noah.