Biblical Girl Names: 74 Names with Meanings and Stories

Here are 74 biblical girl names with their meanings, where each appears in Scripture, and the woman who carried it -- because the Bible's women are some of its bravest characters, and most baby name lists reduce them to a pretty sound. Deborah led a nation. Esther risked her life for her people. Ruth's loyalty got her into the family tree of Jesus. A girl named after one of them has a story to grow into, and wherever we have that story told for kids, the name links straight to it.

The list runs classic to rare: the timeless names, names of the Bible's remarkable women, soft and lyrical picks, New Testament names, and deep cuts almost nobody is using.

Naming a boy too? See our biblical boy names -- or browse all biblical names in one place.

Classic Biblical Girl Names

• Abigail — "my father's joy" (1 Samuel 25:3). Quick-thinking and brave, she talked an army out of a terrible mistake.
• Hannah — "grace, favor" (1 Samuel 1:2). Her prayer for a child -- and her promise -- gave Israel the prophet Samuel.
• Elizabeth — "God is my oath" (Luke 1:5). John the Baptist's mother, the first person to bless Mary out loud.
• Sarah — "princess" (Genesis 17:15). Abraham's wife, who laughed at God's promise and then held it in her arms.
• Anna — the Greek form of Hannah (Luke 2:36). The old prophetess who recognized the baby Messiah on sight.
• Rachel — "ewe, lamb" (Genesis 29:17). The shepherdess Jacob worked fourteen years to marry.
• Leah — often rendered "delicate" (Genesis 29:16). The overlooked sister whose line produced both priests and kings.
• Rebekah — "captivating" (Genesis 24:15). She watered ten camels for a stranger and changed history doing it.
• Mary — from the Hebrew Miriam; scholars differ on the meaning, with "wished-for child" and "beloved" the most common renderings (Luke 1:27). The mother of Jesus, who said yes to the angel's news.
• Ruth — "companion, friend" (Ruth 1:4). The loyal daughter-in-law whose "where you go, I will go" is still read at weddings.
• Naomi — "pleasantness" (Ruth 1:2). Ruth's mother-in-law, honest about her grief and restored in the end.
• Esther — "star" (Esther 2:7). The orphan who became queen and saved her people -- "for such a time as this."
• Deborah — "bee" (Judges 4:4). Prophet, judge, and general -- the only person in Judges doing all three jobs at once.
• Eve — "life" (Genesis 3:20). The first woman, "mother of all living."
• Miriam — the Hebrew original of Mary (Exodus 15:20). Moses' quick-witted big sister, who watched over the basket in the river and led Israel in its first worship song.
• Joanna — "God is gracious" (Luke 8:3). She helped fund Jesus' ministry and was there at the empty tomb.
• Judith — "praised" (Genesis 26:34). An old name that shortens to the friendlier Judy.
• Dinah — "vindicated" (Genesis 30:21). Jacob and Leah's daughter.

Names of the Bible's Remarkable Women

If you want the name to come with a role model attached.

• Hadassah — "myrtle tree" (Esther 2:7). Esther's Hebrew name -- the one she carried before the palace.
• Priscilla — "venerable, ancient" (Acts 18:2). Tentmaker and teacher who, with her husband, corrected the most eloquent preacher of the day -- kindly, and in private.
• Lydia — "woman of Lydia" (Acts 16:14). The businesswoman in purple cloth, first convert in all of Europe.
• Phoebe — "radiant, bright" (Romans 16:1). Trusted to carry the letter to the Romans itself.
• Tabitha — "gazelle" (Acts 9:36). So loved for her generosity that the widows showed Peter the coats she'd made, and Peter raised her.
• Martha — "lady of the house" (Luke 10:38). The busy hostess who also delivered one of the great confessions of faith in John 11.
• Rahab — from Jericho's wall (Joshua 2:1). She hid the spies, bet everything on Israel's God, and landed in the genealogy of Jesus.
• Michal — "who is like God?" (1 Samuel 18:20). Saul's daughter, David's first wife.
• Jael — "mountain goat" (Judges 4:17). The tent-dweller who ended a war. Not a gentle story -- but an unforgettable one.
• Huldah — a prophetess kings consulted (2 Kings 22:14). When Josiah found the lost Book of the Law, she's who he sent to.
• Zipporah — "bird" (Exodus 2:21). Moses' wife, a shepherd's daughter from Midian.
• Shiphrah — "beautiful" (Exodus 1:15). One of the two midwives who defied Pharaoh and saved a generation of boys.
• Puah — the other midwife (Exodus 1:15). Two names the Bible records on purpose, while that Pharaoh goes unnamed.

Soft and Lyrical Biblical Girl Names

• Selah — the mysterious little word that pauses the Psalms (Psalm 46:7), now beloved as a name: a built-in reminder to stop and breathe.
• Shiloh — "peace" -- the town where the tabernacle rested (Joshua 18:1).
• Bethany — "house of figs" -- the village Jesus kept coming back to (John 11:1), home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
• Eden — "delight" (Genesis 2:8). The garden where the whole story starts.
• Havilah — a land of gold in Genesis 2:11; rare and melodic.
• Carmel — "garden, orchard" -- the mountain where Elijah faced down the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:19).
• Tirzah — "she is my delight" (Song of Solomon 6:4). A city so lovely it became a compliment.
• Jemimah — "dove" (Job 42:14). One of Job's daughters, born after the storm, famously beautiful.
• Keziah — "cassia, sweet spice" (Job 42:14). Jemimah's sister -- the second of Job's three daughters.
• Keren — short for Keren-happuch, the third (Job 42:14). The Bible notes Job gave his daughters an inheritance alongside their brothers -- unheard of in that world.
• Abilene — a region in Luke 3:1 with a soft, modern sound.
• Sharon — the fertile plain of the "rose of Sharon" (Song of Solomon 2:1).
• Zion — the hill God loved (Psalm 87:2); used today for girls and boys both.
• Mara — "bitter" (Ruth 1:20) -- the name Naomi briefly took in her grief. Parents use it now for its sound; its story is about honesty with God.

New Testament Girl Names

• Chloe — "green shoot" (1 Corinthians 1:11). Her household kept Paul honestly informed -- a small, vital job.
• Julia — a Roman name from Paul's greetings (Romans 16:15).
• Claudia — another (2 Timothy 4:21), sent with greetings in Paul's last letter.
• Rhoda — "rose" (Acts 12:13). The servant girl so overjoyed Peter was free that she left him knocking at the gate.
• Susanna — "lily" (Luke 8:3). One of the women who supported Jesus' ministry out of her own means.
• Eunice — "good victory" (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy's mother, who taught him the Scriptures from childhood.
• Lois — Timothy's grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5) -- faith passed down three generations by name.
• Damaris — a woman of Athens who believed Paul on Mars Hill (Acts 17:34).
• Dorcas — the Greek rendering of Tabitha (Acts 9:36); vintage enough to be due a comeback.
• Candace — the royal title of the Ethiopian queen (Acts 8:27), whose treasurer went home with the gospel.
• Magdalene — "of Magdala" (Luke 8:2). Mary Magdalene was first to see the risen Jesus -- the first witness of the resurrection.
• Salome — "peace" (Mark 15:40). Among the women at the cross and the empty tomb.
• Apphia — greeted by name in Philemon 1:2; two letters from "Sophia" and almost never used.
• Persis — "beloved" is how Paul describes her (Romans 16:12), a hard worker in the church at Rome.

Rare Biblical Girl Names (Deep Cuts)

More like these -- for boys and girls -- in our unique biblical names list.

• Adah — "ornament" (Genesis 4:19). One of the first women named in the Bible.
• Zillah — "shade" (Genesis 4:19). Her sister in the same verse.
• Milcah — "queen" (Genesis 11:29). Abraham's sister-in-law.
• Iscah — Milcah's sister (Genesis 11:29) -- possibly the ancient root of the name Jessica.
• Bilhah — mother of two of Israel's tribes (Genesis 30:3).
• Serah — a granddaughter of Jacob listed among the seventy who went to Egypt (Genesis 46:17).
• Tamar — "palm tree" (Genesis 38:6). Two bearers: a wronged woman who outwitted injustice, and David's daughter.
• Atarah — "crown" (1 Chronicles 2:26). Buried in the genealogies, ready for rediscovery.
• Jerusha — "inheritance" (2 Kings 15:33). A queen mother of Judah.
• Noa — one of Zelophehad's five daughters (Numbers 27:1), who petitioned Moses for their inheritance -- and won. Also the top girl's name in Israel for years.
• Hoglah — another of those five sisters (Numbers 27:1); their case changed Israel's law.
• Abital — "my father is dew" (2 Samuel 3:4). A wife of David.
• Ahinoam — "my brother is delight" (1 Samuel 25:43). Another.
• Vashti — the queen whose refusal opens the book of Esther (Esther 1:11). A controversial pick with a backbone.
• Orpah — Ruth's sister-in-law (Ruth 1:4) -- famously the inspiration, via a misspelling, for the name Oprah.

How to Pick Well

1. Read her story before you commit. Jael is a gorgeous sound attached to a tent peg; Mara means "bitter" on purpose. None of that disqualifies a name -- but you'll be the one explaining it at bedtime, so choose a story you're glad to tell.
2. Check the shortenings. Elizabeth alone yields Liza, Beth, Elsie, Ellie, and Betty -- five daughters in one. Hadassah becomes Haddie. The nickname is the name, most days.
3. Say it with the middle name. Biblical first names love short middles (Ruth Anne, Esther May) and fight long ones.

And when she's old enough to ask "who was I named after?" -- every linked story above is a two-minute video in the Faithful Kids app, with a quiz at the end, so the answer sticks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most popular biblical girl name? Abigail, Elizabeth, Hannah, Leah, and Naomi all sit high on current U.S. charts, with Eden and Selah climbing fast. Mary -- the most common female name in all of Scripture -- has, remarkably, become the rare choice.

What are beautiful biblical names for girls? Parents gravitate to the lyrical ones: Selah, Keziah, Jemimah, Tirzah, Shiloh, and Hadassah. All six are in the lists above with their stories.

Who are the most important women in the Bible to name a daughter after? Esther (courage), Ruth (loyalty), Deborah (leadership), Hannah (prayer), Mary (faith), and Priscilla (teaching) each embody one virtue so clearly that the name practically comes with a life verse.

Are there biblical girl names that don't sound old-fashioned? Plenty: Eden, Chloe, Phoebe, Noa, Shiloh, and Selah all read as fully modern -- most people don't realize they're biblical at all.