80 biblical baby names for boys and girls — and their place in history
Can't decide on a biblical name for your baby-to-be? That's understandable because there are so many.
"It seems straightforward, but the nature of biblical baby names has changed over time," Laura Wattenberg, author of "The Baby Name Wizard," told TODAY Parents.
Names from both the Old and New Testaments have fluctuated in popularity.
Related: Unique boy names for parents searching for baby names with meaning
“A handful of New Testament names like John, James, Mary and Elizabeth dominated for centuries,” Wattenberg, founder of the website Namerology, explained. “In the mid-late 20th century, Old Testament names like Deborah, Jonathan and Rebecca took off.”
According to Wattenberg, some parents prefer a biblical-sounding name — (think Elijah, Delilah, Levi, Naomi or Ezekiel) — but original names with a biblical vibe also are picking up steam.
"You can see the power of biblical style in newly invented names with endings like -iel and -ah (for example, Ameliah and Dariel) and even in the rise of biblical villain names," Wattenberg said. "Many parents like the idea of baby names rooted in tradition and faith, even if the names themselves can’t be considered traditional."
Related: These are the top 200 old-fashioned baby girl names
Check out this list of popular biblical names from the Old and New Testaments. According to Wattenberg, some are Hebrew classics; others (like Joseph and Michael) occur in both the Hebrew and Greek scriptures.
Classic names in English
John
James
Mary
Joseph
Elizabeth
Thomas
Paul
Anna
Samuel
Simon
Martha
David
Peter
Sarah
Philip
Esther
Rhoda
Priscilla
Hannah
Susanna
Names that were popular in the 20th century
Michael
Matthew
Daniel
Rebecca
Mark
Timothy
Rachel
Jonathan
Joanna
Benjamin
Maria
Adam
Leah
Joel
Deborah
Stephen
Tamara
Claudia
Bethany
Judith
21st century favorites
Noah
Hannah
Jacob
Delilah
Elijah
Naomi
Ethan
Abigail
Gabriel
Phoebe
Luke
Lydia
Isaac
Eve
Eli
Sarai
Joshua
Rebekah
Caleb
Eden
Trendy names
Ezekiel
Asher
Ezra
Silas
Levi
Lucas
Micah
Gideon
Jude
Jericho
Micah
Noemi
Keziah
Shiloh
Miriam
Hadassah
Shoshona
Lois
Mara
Selah
Related video:
This article was originally published on TODAY.com