Long Biblical Names for Girls

Looking for a long biblical name for a baby girl? Here are 100 monikers that fit the bill. Which one gets your vote?

• Abigail. A beautiful name borne by two biblical figures, both linked to King David: one is his sister, the other is his sensible and beautiful wife.
• Abihail. Thanks to its similarity to Abigail, Abihail sounds pretty feminine, even though the biblical Abihail was a male.
• Abijah. Borne by both men and women in the Bible.
• Abilene. A biblical place name and an alternative to Abigail.
• Abital. The name of one of King David's wives.
• Achaia. A rare girl's name with biblical place name cred: in the Bible, Achaia is a region located in the southern part of what is now Greece and is mentioned several times in the New Testament.
• Adaiah. There are several men called Adaiah in the Old Testament, but in 21st-century U.S., it's also a girl's name.
• Adinah. A variation of Adina, the name of an Old Testament soldier. Counts as a girl's name in the modern world.
• Aijalon. (aka Ajalon). A unisex option with biblical place name appeal.
• Ajalon. A spelling variation of Aijalon.
• Alexandria. At the peak of its popularity in the 1990s, Alexandria still has appeal for parents who like long, elaborate names. And yes, it counts as a biblical name, too: the Mediterranean city of Alexandria is mentioned indirectly in the Bible through references to "Alexandrians" and "Alexandrian ships".
• Amariah. A male biblical name but has transformed into a modern girls' name.
• Ananiah. Not to be confused with Ananias, Ananiah appears as a male name and a place name in the Bible, but on today's playgrounds, it's more likely to belong to a girl.
• Aquila. The early Christian missionary Aquila mentioned in the New Testament was a male, but in the contemporary U.S., Aquila has unisex appeal.
• Asenath. In the Book of Genesis, Asenath is described as the wife of Joseph and the mother of his sons Manasseh and Ephraim, who later became forefathers of two Israelite tribes.
• Atarah. The name of the second wife of Judah's descendant Jerahmeel doubles as a modern girl's name. An alternate spelling is Atara.
• Athaliah. On sound alone, Athaliah has potential; the hold-up is the association with Queen Athaliah, a biblical queen condemned for her wickedness. Try Attalia instead!
• Attalia. The name of ancient city with connections to Paul and Barnabas. Not to be confused with Athalia, the evil queen.
• Avital. A variation of Abital.
• Azaliah. Reminiscent of the floral baby name Azalea, this beautiful name actually appears as a male name in the Bible; in the contemporary U.S., however, it reads feminine.
• Azaniah. Swap out one letter inAzaliah, and you arrive at Azaniah, another biblical possibility with the sprightly nickname Aza.
• Azariah. Borne by several biblical men, Azariah is used as a unisex name in 21st-century America.
• Bathsheba. One of the wives of King David and the mother of King Solomon. As a baby name, Bathsheba has escaped the spotlight.
• Berenice. A variation of Bernice.
• Bernice. Dripping with retro charm, this biblical pick with the ready-made nickname Bernie is yours for the taking.
• Bethany. A biblical place—and a baby name.
• Bethlehem. Despite its built-in nickname (Beth), Bethlehem has never really caught on as a baby name.
• Bethsaida. The hometown of the apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip serves as an intriguing baby name possibility.
• Candace. The name of an Ethiopian queen mentioned briefly in the Bible: in Acts 8, Philip meets the chief treasurer for Queen Candace, and converts him to Christianity.
• Cherith. The name of a brook mentioned in the Old Testament.
• Cilicia. The name of the birth place of Paul the Apostle could make an interesting alternative to Cecilia.
• Clauda. The name of a small island Paul passed on his fourth missionary journey. As a baby name, Clauda sits on the fringes.
• Claudia. If you're looking for a cross-cultural classic that travels well, Claudia could be an option.
• Corinth. A well-known biblical city; an uncommon baby name.
• Cyrene. A biblical place name, famously associated with Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus' cross out of Jerusalem. The name Cyrene also has a mythological connection via one of Apollo's lovers, Cyrene the nymph.
• Damaris. The name of an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by the apostle Paul.
• Deborah. If you're looking for a retro name with biblical roots and a bunch of short forms, this Old Testament prophetess name might appeal.
• Delaiah. A biblical moniker belonging to several minor characters in the Old Testament. The aural connection with the word "delay" detracts from its appeal somewhat.
• Delilah. On sound alone, this name feels like winner! But the questionable actions of the biblical Delilah may give some parents pause...
• Elienai. Elienai, the name of one of Benjamin's male descendants listed in the Old Testament, is overwhelmingly female in modern-day America.
• Elisabeth. A variation of Elizabeth.
• Elisheba. (sometimes transliterated as Elisheva). Briefly mentioned in the Bible as the wife of the prophet Aaron.
• Elisheva. A variation of Elisheba.
• Elizabeth. The most popular of the beloved biblical El- names for girls, Elizabeth belongs on your shortlist if you're after a long biblical name without a time stamp. In the Bible, Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist and the wife of Zacharias.
• Ephratah. A biblically-referenced former name of Bethlehem. Spelling variations include Ephratha, Ephrath and Ephrathah.
• Hadassah. The Hebrew name of Esther mentioned in the Old Testament.
• Hananiah. The name of more than a dozen biblical characters, all male. As a modern baby name, Hananiah can be used for either gender.
• Havilah. An singular girls' name with biblical place name panache.
• Hephzibah. Aside from being biblical—it's borne by the wife of King Hezekiah and the mother of King Manasseh in the Old Testament— this name also has a literary edge, having appeared in works by George Eliot and J. K. Rowling.
• Hosanna. Feels more wearable today than ever.
• Jaazaniah. Jaazaniah was a male name in biblical times, but most Americans would probably place it in the girls' column.
• Jedidah. Introduced in the Bible as the name of King Josiah's mother.
• Jemima. Saddled with the "Aunt Jemima" associations in the U.S. but perfectly wearable elsewhere. In the Bible, Jemima (or Jemimah) is the name of one of Job's beautiful daughters.
• Jerusalem. A bold place name possibility for a baby girl (or boy).
• Jerusha. The name Jerusha (or Jerushah) appears in the Old Testament as the mother of King Jotham.
• Joanna. The name of a faithful follower of Jesus who was also among the woman who witnessed his resurrection. As a baby name, Joanna crested in the 1980s.
• Jochebed. A frilly faith-filled name borne in the Bible by the daughter of Levi and mother of Moses, Miriam and Aaron.
• Kelaiah. Kelaiah, also known as Kelita, is a minor biblical personage mentioned a few times in the Old Testament. While the biblical figure was a male, the name Kelaiah feels feminine to a modern English speaker.
• Kelita. Kelita is a minor biblical figure mentioned a few times in the Old Testament. While the biblical figure rocked a pair of XY chromosomes, the -ta ending gives it a feminine lilt in the contemporary U.S.
• Keturah. The name of Abraham's first wife, Sarah, has always been a popular choice for American baby girls, but Keturah, the name of his second wife, has failed to appeal to the masses.
• Keziah. The name of one of Job's three daughters, born to him after his sufferings.
• Magdala. In the baby name charts, the home town of Mary Magdalene has been overshadowed by other Magda- names.
• Magdalena. Magdalene with a European feel.
• Magdalene. As in Mary Magdelene, the follower of Jesus who, according to the New Testament, witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection.
• Mareshah. A male name and a place name in the Bible, but to the modern ear, it sounds like a girls' name.
• Melita. The name Melita is used in some versions of the Bible to refer to the island of Malta.
• Merari. On sound alone, the name of one of Levi's sons definitely has baby name potential, especially for girls, but the meaning ("bitter") is less appealing.
• Meribah. This biblical place name has yet to take hold as a baby name.
• Micaiah. The Old Testament prophet sports a name that has unisex appeal in the modern world.
• Miriam. A somewhat quiet but steady biblical given name, borne by an Old Testament prophetess.
• Nazareth. The famous home town of Jesus has been adopted as a baby name by some millennial parents. Also for boys.
• Neariah. This name appears as a male name in the Old Testament, but in modern-day America, it has a feminine ring to it.
• Neriah. A male name in biblical times, Neriah has since been rebooted as a girls' name.
• Neziah. In the Bible, Neziah refers to an ancestor of temple workers who returned from the Babylonian exile. As a baby name, this unisex possibility has yet to capture widespread notice.
• Nineveh. A biblical place name that looks a lot like the 21st-century name creation Neveah.
• Peniel. (aka Penuel). This biblical place name does double duty: it is used for both boys and girls.
• Philadelphia. For most people, the first association is probably the city in Pennsylvania. But there's also a city called Philadelphia in the Bible!
• Priscilla. Pretty, even if it isn't exactly the name du jour.
• Ramiah. The name Ramiah appears briefly in the Old Testament. Outside the Bible, it's perhaps best recognized as an Indian surname.
• Rebecca. A variation of Rebekah.
• Rebekah. In the Bible, Rebekah is the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau.
• Samaria. A biblical place occasionally used a baby name.
• Seraiah. Male biblical characters called Seraiah are legion, but in modern-day America, the name Seraiah has a distinctly feminine feel.
• Shalisha. This one is mentioned in passing in the Bible as a place name.
• Shemaiah. The name of multiple biblical characters, all male. As a modern baby name, Shemaiah registers on the girls' side of the ledger.
• Shemariah. A masculine-coded name in the Bible, Shemariah would be better suited for a girl in contemporary America.
• Shiloah. This name appears in the Bible only once, in reference to the "the gentle waters of Shiloah". Not to be confused with Shiloh.
• Susanna. The beautiful and devout heroine of the story of Susanna and the Elders, which appears in some versions of the Bible, has inspired numerous artists—and baby namers throughout history.
• Susannah. A variation of Susanna.
• Tabitha. The biblical Tabitha was an early follower of Jesus who made things, especially clothing, for the poor and needy.
• Talitha. This name takes its inspiration from the phrase "Talitha cumi", which means "Little girl, arise" in Aramaic.
• Tamara. Tamar with a Russian twist.
• Tryphena. In the New Testament, Tryphena is an early Christian convert mentioned by name in the apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans.
• Zemira. A variation of Zemirah.
• Zemirah. The name of one of Benjamin's descendants lends itself to a modern girl's name.
• Zeruiah. Here's an under-the-radar option that could be quite the find if you're seeking originality. As for Zeruiah' biblical claim to fame, the name is borne in the Bible by one of King David's sisters and the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
• Zipporah. This Old Testament girl name belonging to Moses' wife feels more wearable now than ever.
• Zuriel. The name Zuriel makes a brief appearance in the Bible as a leader of the Merarite clan. As a modern baby name, it can be used for both girls and boys, and it comes with the sweet short form Zuri.