Girl Names from the New Testament, from A to Z

One of the first and most far-reaching decisions you'll make as new or soon-to-be parents of a baby girl is finding the perfect name for your little bundle. If you're a Christian family, where better to turn to for inspiration than the New Testament. From classic female names (Anna, Elizabeth) to more unusual options (Abilene, Damaris), here are 73 New Testament name ideas for baby girls.

• Addi. A non-biblical sounding name, mentioned briefly in the Gospel of Luke. While the biblical Addi was a male, this name could make a short and sweet given name for a modern girl.
• Alexandria. The name of a Mediterranean city that doesn't appear in the Bible per se, but that is indirectly mentioned through references to "Alexandrians" and "Alexandrian ships" in Acts. As a baby name, Alexandria crested in the 1990s, but it still might appeal to parents looking for a beautiful girl's name inspired by the New Testament.
• Anna. A nod to the New Testament prophetess.
• Abilene. An old, biblical place name—and a modern girls' name.
• Achaia. A rarely-encountered girl's name with biblical place name panache. In the New Testament, Achaia is a region located in the southern part of what is today known as Greece.
• Apphia. The name of an early Christian woman addressed jointly with Philemon and Archippus in The Epistle to Philemon.
• Aquila. The early Christian missionary Aquila sports a name that could work for a baby of either sex in the modern world.
• Attalia. One of the places Paul and Barnabas passed through on their first missionary journey. Not to be confused with Athalia, the evil queen.
• Berea. An ancient city mentioned in the New Testament book of Acts in connection to the apostle Paul's evangelistic journeys. As a baby name, Berea has yet to hit the mainstream.
• Berenice. A variation of Bernice.
• Bernice. Dripping with retro charm, this biblical pick with the built-in nickname Bernie is yours for the taking.
• Bethany. A New Testament place name that works beautifully as a given name.
• Bethlehem. If place names are your thing, here's one with impeccable biblical credentials.
• Bethsaida. In the Bible, Bethsaida is the hometown of the apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip.
• Cana. The name of the place where Jesus performed his first public miracle.
• Candace. This name occurs once in the Bible: in Acts 8, Philip meets the chief treasurer for Candace, the queen of Ethiopia, and converts him to Christianity.
• Chloe. The name of a Christian woman mentioned in the First Epistle to the Corinthians. This popular baby name also has a connection to Greek mythology, being one of the aliases of the Greek goddess Demeter.
• Cilicia. Described in the New Testament as the birth place of Paul the Apostle.
• Clauda. A small island mentioned in the New Testament in connection to Paul's evangelistic journeys. As a baby name, Clauda has failed to appeal to the masses.
• Claudia. Attractive and pronounceable in many different languages, this biblical name crosses cultures effortlessly.
• Corinth. The city of Corinth was a major focus for the apostle Paul's missionary activities. As a baby name, Corinth hasn't received much attention.
• 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. This one crops up in the New Testament as the name of an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by the apostle Paul.
• Dorcas. The biblical Dorcas, also called Tabitha, was an early Christian who made things, especially clothing, for the needy in Joppa.
• Elisabeth. A variation of Elizabeth.
• Elizabeth. A graceful classic built to last, this biblical El- name might be just the right kind of name for your family if you're in the market for a New Testament name with proven staying power. In the Bible, Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist and the wife of Zacharias.
• Esli. Though the biblical Esli was a male (he was an ancestor of Joseph), this name trends girlward in the contemporary U.S.
• Eunice. If you pick this one, your daughter will have many historical namesakes to look up to: the 19th century scientist Eunice Newton Foote, the American philanthropist Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and of course, the biblical Eunice who instilled a strong Christian faith in her son Timothy.
• Galatia. A biblical place that doubles as a rare baby name.
• Galilee. A place steeped in biblical history and, why not, a baby name.
• Heli. A Finnish girl name with a surprising biblical connection: in the Bible, the name Heli briefly appears in the Gospel of Luke as the father of Joseph, Mary's husband.
• Hosanna. Feels more baby-ready now than ever.
• Jannai. The biblical Jannai, mentioned briefly in Luke's genealogy of Christ, was a male, but in today's naming climate, this name might be more fitting for a girl.
• Jerusalem. A multi-layered place name possibility.
• Joanna. The name of a woman who was healed by Jesus and who later played an important role in the ministry of Jesus. As a baby name, Joanna reached its apex in the 1980s.
• Judea. Judah is doing great on the boys' side, but the -a ending gives cousin Judea a feminine sensibility.
• Julia. A tried-and-true girls' name that has been a favorite for decades. As for its biblical connection, Julia appears in the New Testament as the name of a Roman Christian to whom Paul sent greetings.
• Junia. In the Bible, the name Junia makes a fleeting appearance in the apostle Paul's epistle to the Romans.
• Lois. The Bible identifies Lois as the grandmother of Timothy and describes her as a woman of sincere faith.
• Lycia. Lycia, which is briefly mentioned in the New Testament in connection to the apostle Paul's travels, was a geopolitical region in Anatolia. As a baby name, Lycia sits on the fringes.
• Lydia. An early Christian convert mentioned in the New Testament. As a baby name, Lydia is best perhaps described as a "quiet classic", a name that has always been around but never been chart-toppingly popular.
• Magdala. Living in the shadow of other Magda- names, this name is mentioned in the Bible as the home town of Mary Magdalene.
• Magdalena. Magdalene with an international twist.
• Magdalene. A forgotten biblical girls' name waiting for some young parents to bring it back to the playgrounds.
• Maria. Mary in a number of languages.
• Marie. Mary with a French twist.
• Martha. An international biblical possibility that sounds at home in many different languages.
• Mary. The most popular Christian girl name of the last century, Mary no longer reigns supreme but it still has its fans.
• Melea. Melea makes a brief appearance in the Gospel of Luke as a distant ancestor of Joseph, Jesus' earthly father. While the biblical Melea was a male, the name is firmly in female territory in modern-day America.
• Melita. The name Melita is used in some versions of the Bible to refer to the island of Malta.
• Menna. (sometimes transliterated as Menan). Another male name that pops up in Luke's account of the genealogy of Jesus but that might be better suited for a girl in the contemporary world.
• Myra. An ancient city in Asia Minor, briefly mentioned in the New Testament book of Acts in connection to the apostle Paul's travels.
• Nazareth. The home town of Jesus lends itself to a modern baby name.
• Neri. The name of a male ancestor of Joseph in the Bible, Neri could easily be repurposed as a modern girls' name.
• Persis. The name of an early Christian woman from Rome.
• Philadelphia. For many people, the first association is the city in Pennsylvania. But guess what, there's also a biblical city called Philadelphia, located in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).
• Phoebe. Borne in the Bible by the only woman with the title "deacon".
• Prisca. An ancient name from which the biblical name Priscilla probably evolved.
• Priscilla. Past peak, but still perfectly baby-appropriate.
• Rhesa. While the Gospel of Luke describes the biblical Rhesa as a male ancestor of Joseph, most if not all Rhesas born in the U.S. have been girls.
• Rhoda. This biblical girl's name gained some traction in the first half the 20th century but has fallen into baby name oblivion since then.
• Salem. A unisex baby name with biblical place name credentials. Also various towns and cities in North America and Europe have been named after the biblical Salem.
• Salome. Yes, there's the Salome who asks for John the Baptist's head on a platter in the Bible. But the Bible also features a more inspiring namesake, namely, the mother of the disciples James and John.
• Samaria. A biblical place name that has also seen some use as a modern biblical girls' name.
• Sinai. The name of the famous mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments.
• Smyrna. Some biblical place names should stay place names...
• Susanna. The beautiful and God-fearing heroine of the story of Susanna and the Elders, which is included in some versions of the Bible, has inspired numerous artists—and baby namers throughout history.
• Susannah. A variation of Susanna.
• Tabitha. The name of a female disciple who made things, especially clothing, for the poor and needy.
• Talitha. This biblical girls' name takes its cue from the Aramaic phrase "Talitha cumi", meaning "Little girl, arise", which Jesus famously used in connection to the resurrection of Jairus' daughter. Astronomers may prize the link to Talitha Borealis and Talitha Australis, two stars in the Ursa Major constellation.
• Troas. An ancient port city mentioned in the New Testament in connection to Paul's travels. As a baby name, Troas has escaped notice.
• Tryphena. The name of an early Christian woman known from the apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans.
• Zuzanna. New Testament names starting with the letter Z are in short supply, but if you look beyond the English transliterations, there's for example Zuzanna, the Polish and Czech version of Susanna.