multi resources

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

a big fat pile of resources that i found to be helpful when making games. perhaps others may find them useful as well.


Ridicules amounts of bible names and meanings.

Aaron: From the Hebrew name ('Aharon) which is most likely of unknown Egyptian origin. Other theories claim a Hebrew derivation, and suggest meanings such as "high mountain" or "exalted". In the Old Testament Aaron was the older brother of Moses and the first high priest of the Israelites.
Abaddon: Means "ruin, destruction" in Hebrew. In Revelation in the New Testament this is another name of the angel of the abyss.

Abednego: Means "servant of Nebo" in Babylonian, Nebo being the Babylonian god of wisdom. In the Old Testament Abednego was the Babylonian name given to Azariah, one of the three men cast into a blazing furnace but saved from harm by God.

Abel: From the Hebrew name (Hevel) or (Havel) which meant "breath". In the Old Testament he was the second son of Adam and Eve, murdered out of envy by his brother Cain.

Abidan: Means "my father is judge" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was a Benjamite prince.

Abiel: Means "God is my father" in Hebrew. This was the name of the grandfather of Saul in the Old Testament.

Abigail: From the Hebrew name ('Avigayil) meaning "my father is joy". In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of Nabal. After he was killed she became the third wife of King David.

Abihu: Means "he is my father" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of Aaron in the Old Testament. He and his brother Nadab were killed by God because they presented him with unauthorized fire.

Abiah/Abijah: Means "my father is Yahweh" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of several characters, both male and female, including the second king of Judah.

Abilene: From a place name mentioned briefly in the New Testament. It possibly meant "grass" in Hebrew.

Abimael: Means "my father is God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is listed as a descendent of Shem.

Abimelech: Means "my father is king" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament including a king of Gerar who took Abraham's wife Sarah, but was forced by God to give her back.

Abiram: Means "my father is exalted" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Abiram was swallowed by an earthquake after rebelling against the leadership of Moses.

Abishag: Means "my father strays" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she was a young woman who tended King David in his old age.

Abishai/Abisai: Means "my father is a gift" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was one of King David's heroes.

Abital/Avital: Means "my father is the night dew" in Hebrew. She was the fifth wife of David in the Old Testament.

Abner: Means "my father is a light" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Abner were a cousin of Saul and the commander of his army.

Abraham: This name may be viewed either as meaning "father of many" in Hebrew or else as a contraction of Abram and Hebrew (hamon) "many, multitude". The biblical Abraham was originally named Abram but God changed his name. He led his followers from Ur into Canaan, and is regarded by the Jews as being the founder of the Hebrews through his son Isaac and by the Muslims as being the founder of the Arabs through his son Ishmael.

Abram: Means "high father" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament God changed Abram's name to Abraham

Absalom: From the Hebrew name ('Avshalom) which meant "my father is peace". In the Old Testament he was a son of King David who led a revolt against his father. While fleeing on the back of a mule he got his head caught in a tree and was killed by Joab.

Achaicus: Latinized form of the Greek name (Achaikos), which referred to the region in Greece called (Achaia), situated on the northern coast of the Peloponnesus. In the New Testament this is the name of a Corinthian Christian who aided Saint Paul.

Achan: Possibly a variation of the Hebrew word ('akhar) meaning "trouble". In the Old Testament Achan was stoned to death because he stole forbidden items during the assault on Jericho.

Achim: Possibly means "he will establish" in Hebrew. In the New Testament this name is listed as an ancestor of Jesus.
Adah: Means "adornment" in Hebrew. This was the name of the wives of both Lamech and Esau in the Old Testament.

Adalia: Possibly means "Yahweh is just" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of Haman in the Old Testament.

Adam: This is the Hebrew word for "man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew ('adam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Assyrian adamu meaning "to make". According to Genesis in the Old Testament Adam was created from the earth by God (there is a word play on Hebrew ('adamah) "earth"). He and Eve were supposedly the first humans, living happily in the Garden of Eden until Adam ate a forbidden fruit given to him by Eve.

Adina: Means "slender, delicate" in Hebrew. This is the name of a soldier in the Old Testament. In modern times it is used as a feminine name.

Adino: Means "ornament" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of King David's mighty men.

Adlai: Contracted form of Adalia. This is the name of the father of one of King David's herdsmen in the Old Testament.

Adonijah: Means "my lord is Yahweh" in Hebrew. This is the name of one of King David's sons in the Old Testament.

Adoniram: Means "my lord is exalted" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of an overseer of tribute under the kings David, Solomon and Rehoboam. He was stoned to death when the Israelites revolted.

Agrippa: Roman family of unknown meaning, possibly of Etruscan origin but possibly from Latin agripeta "land grabber". In the New Testament this name was borne by Herod Agrippa (a grandson of Herod the Great), the king of Israel who put the apostle James to death. It was also borne by the 1st-century BC Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.

Ahab: Means "uncle", from Hebrew ('ach) "brother" and ('av) "father". This was the name of a king of Israel in the Old Testament, the husband of Jezebel. This name was later used by Herman Melville in his novel 'Moby Dick'.

Allon: Means "oak" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Alphaeus: From (Alphaios), the Greek form of a Hebrew name that meant "changing". In the New Testament this is the name of the fathers of the apostles James and Levi.

Alvah: Means "his highness" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in the Old Testament as belonging to a descendent of Esau.

Amal: Means "work" in Hebrew. This is the name of an Asherite in the Old Testament.

Amariah: Means "Yahweh has said" in Hebrew. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.

Ami: Means "trustworthy, reliable" in Hebrew. This was the name of a servant of King Solomon in the Old Testament.

Amittai: Means "my truth" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of the prophet Jonah.

Ammiel: Means "God is my kinsman" in Hebrew. This was the name of one of the spies sent out by Moses in the Old Testament.

Amos: Means "to carry" in Hebrew. Amos was one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Amos, the oldest of the prophetic books.

Amram: Means "exalted nation" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Amram was the father of Moses.

Anah: Means "answer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to one female character and two male characters.

Anaiah: Means "Yahweh answers" in Hebrew. This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.

Anan: Means "cloud" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned very briefly in the Old Testament.

Anani: Means "my cloud" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in the Old Testament as belonging to a descendent of King David.

Ananias: Greek form of Hanahiah. In Acts in the New Testament this is the name of three characters: a disciple in Damascus, the husband of Sapphira, and the high priest of the Jews who tried Paul.

Anath: Means "answer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Anath was the father of Shamgar. In modern times it is sometimes used as a feminine name.

Andrew: From the Greek name (Andreas), which derives from (aner) "man" (genitive (andros) "of a man"). In the New Testament the apostle Andrew was the brother of the apostle Simon Peter. According to legend he was crucified on an X-shaped cross, and he is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, Greece and Romania. This was also the name of kings of Hungary.

Anna/Avva/Ahha: Latinate form of Hannah. It appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized Jesus as the Messiah. It was also borne by an 18th-century empress of Russia and by the main character in Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina', a woman forced to choose between her son and her lover.

Annas: Contracted form of Ananias. In the New Testament this is the name of one of the high priests of the Jews.

Apphia: Greek form of a Hebrew name which possibly meant "increasing". This is a name mentioned in Paul's epistle to Philemon in the New Testament.

Aquila: From a Roman cognomen which meant "eagle" in Latin. In Acts in the New Testament Paul lived with Aquila and his wife Priscilla (or Prisca) for a time.

Ararat: From the name of a mountain in eastern Turkey (formerly part of Armenia), the place where Noah's Ark came to rest according to the Old Testament.

Archelaus: Latinized form of the Greek name (Archelaos), which meant "master of the people" from (archos) "master" and (laos) "people". This was the name of a son of Herod the Great. He ruled over Judea, Samaria and Idumea.

Areli: Means "lion of God" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of Gad in the Old Testament.

Aretas: Greek form of an Aramaic name, of unknown meaning. This was the name of four Nabataean kings of Petra in Jordan, including the first king (2nd century BC). King Aretas IV is mentioned briefly in the New Testament.

Aridai: Meaning unknown, possibly of Persian origin. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the ten sons of Haman killed by the Jews.

Arieh: Means "lion" in Hebrew. This is the name of an officer of king Pekahiah in the Old Testament.

Ariel: Means "lion of God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare used it as the name of a spirit in his play 'The Tempest'. It is also borne by one of the moons of Uranus.

Artaxerxes: Greek form of the Persian name Artakhshathra meaning "righteous ruler". This was the name of a 3rd-century king of Persia who defeated the Parthians and founded the Sassanian empire. He also established Zoroastrianism as the state religion.

Asa: Means "doctor" in Hebrew. This name was borne by a king of Judah in the Old Testament.

Asaph/Asaf: Means "collector" in Hebrew. This name belongs to several minor characters in the Old Testament.

Asenath: Means "she belongs to her father" in Egyptian. In the Old Testament this is the name of Joseph's Egyptian wife.

Asher: Means "happy" or "blessed" in Hebrew. Asher in the Old Testament was a son of Jacob and Leah's handmaid Zilpah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Ashtoreth: Meaning unknown. Ashtoreth was the Phoenician goddess of love, war and fertility. She was called Ishtar by the Babylonians.

Atarah: Means "crown" in Hebrew. She was a minor Old Testament character, the wife of Jerahmeel.

Azarel: Means "God has helped" in Hebrew. This was the name of several minor Old Testament characters.

Azaria/Azarias/Azariah: Means "Yahweh has helped" in Hebrew/Greek. This was the name of several Old Testament characters including of one of the three men the Babylonian king ordered cast into a fiery furnace. His Babylonian name was Abednego.

Azazel: Means "scapegoat" in Hebrew. This is the name of the recipient of a sacrificial goat in the Old Testament. The identity of Azazel is not clear; it may in fact be the name of the place where the goat is to be sacrificed, or it may be the name of some sort of evil desert demon.

Azaziah: Means "Yahweh is strong" in Hebrew. This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.

Azel: Means "reserved" in Hebrew. This is both the name of a minor character and a place name in the Old Testament.

Azriel: Means "help of God", derived from Hebrew ('azar) "help" and ('el) "God". This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.

Azubah: Means "forsaken" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of Caleb's wife.

Barak: Means "lightning" in Hebrew. This was the name of a military commander in the Old Testament.

Barnabas: Greek form of an Aramaic name which probably meant "son of the prophet" (though it is claimed in Acts 4:36 to mean "son of encouragement"). In Acts in the New Testament the surname Barnabas was given to a man named Joseph, a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys.
Bartholomew: From (Bartholomaios), which was the Greek form of an Aramaic name meaning "son of (Talmay)". Talmay is a Hebrew name meaning "furrowed". In the New Testament Bartholomew was an apostle also known as Nathaniel.

Baruch: Means "blessed" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a companion of the prophet Jeremiah. The apocryphal Book of Baruch was supposedly written by him. A famous bearer was Baruch Spinoza, a Dutch-Jewish rationalist philosopher.

Basemath/ Bashemath/ Basmath: Means "fragrance" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a wife of Esau.

Bathsheba: Means "daughter of the oath" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she was the woman who married King David after he had her husband killed in battle. She was the mother of Solomon.

Beelzebub: From Hebrew (Ba'al Zevuv) meaning "lord of flies", intended as a mocking alteration of (Ba'al Zevul) "Ba'al the exalted", one of the Canaanite names for their god Ba’al. In Milton's 'Paradise Lost' this is the name of Satan's chief lieutenant.

Belial: Means "worthless" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this term is used to refer to various wicked people. In later Christian tradition Belial became an evil angel associated with lawlessness and lust.

Benaiah: Means "Yahweh has built" in Hebrew. This is the name of numerous Old Testament characters.

Benjamin: From the Hebrew name (Binyamin) which means "son of the south" or "son of the right hand". Benjamin in the Old Testament was the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews.

Bernice: Contracted form of Berenice.

Bethany: Means "house of figs" in Hebrew, from a biblical place name. In the New Testament Bethany was the town where Lazarus lived.

Bethel: From an Old Testament place name meaning "house of God" in Hebrew. This was a town north of Jerusalem, where Jacob saw his vision of the stairway. It is occasionally used as a given name.

Bethuel: Means "man of God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Rebecca.

Beulah: Means "married" in Hebrew. The name is used in the Old Testament to refer to the land of Israel.

Bilhah: Means "bashful" in Hebrew. She was the handmaid given to Jacob by his wife Rachel in the Old Testament. She was the mother of Dan and Naphtali.

Bithiah: Means "daughter of Yahweh" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of Pharaoh.

Boaz: Means "swiftness" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the husband of Ruth.

Buz: Means "contempt" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of Nahor in the Old Testament.

Caiaphas: Meaning unknown, probably of Aramaic origin. In the New Testament this is the name of the Jewish high priest who condemned Jesus.

Cain: Means "acquired" in Hebrew. In Genesis in the Old Testament Cain was the first son of Adam and Eve. He killed his brother Abel after God accepted Abel's offering instead of his.

Cainan: Variant of Kenan

Caleb: Means "dog" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve spies sent by Moses into Israel. Of the Israelites who left Egypt with Moses, Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who lived to see the promised land.

Canaan: Meaning unknown. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Ham. He was said to be the ancestor of the Canaanite people.

Candace: From the hereditary title of the queens of Ethiopia, as mentioned in Acts in the New Testament. It is apparently derived from a Nubian word meaning "queen mother". In some versions of the Bible it is spelled Kandake, reflecting the Greek spellin.

Carmel: From the title of the Virgin Mary Our Lady of Carmel. (Karmel) (meaning "garden" in Hebrew) is a mountain in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the site of several Christian monasteries.

Carmi: Means "vine" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of Reuben in the Old Testament.

Carpus: Latin form of the Greek name (Karpos), which meant "fruit, profits". The name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament in the second epistle of Timothy.

Cephas: Means "rock" in Aramaic. The apostle Simon was called Cephas by Jesus because he was to be the rock upon which the Christian church was to be built. In most versions of the New Testament Cephas is translated into Greek (Petros) (in English Peter).

Channah: Hebrew form of Hannah

Chava: Hebrew form of Eve

Chenaniah: Variant of Kenaniah

Chloe: Means "green shoot" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. The name is also mentioned by Paul in one of his epistles in the New Testament.

Cleopas: Shortened form of the Greek name (Kleopatros) which was derived from (kleos) "glory" and (patros) "of the father". In the New Testament Cleopas was a disciple who saw Jesus after his resurrection.

Cleophas/ Clopas: Meaning unknown, probably of Aramaic origin. In the New Testament Clopas is mentioned briefly as the husband of one of the women who witnessed the crucifixion, sometimes identified with Alphaeus.

Cornelius: Roman family name which possibly derives from the Latin element cornu "horn". In Acts in the New Testament Cornelius was a centurion who was directed by an angel to seek Peter. After speaking with Peter he became a Christian convert.

Curus: From (Kyros), the Greek form of the Persian name Kûrush, which may mean "far sighted" or may be related to the Persian word khur "sun". The name is sometimes associated with Greek (kyrios) "lord". This was the name of several kings of Persia, including Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylon. He is famous in the Old Testament for freeing the captive Jews and allowing them to return to Israel.

Damaris: Means "calf" in Greek. In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul.

Dan: Means "he judged" in Hebrew. Dan in the Old Testament was one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Daniel: From the Hebrew name (Daniyyel) meaning "God is my judge". Daniel was a Hebrew prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He lived during the Jewish captivity in Babylon, where he served in the court of the king, rising to prominence by interpreting the king's dreams. The book also presents Daniel's four visions of the end of the world.

Dathan: Possibly means "fountain" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the conspirators against Moses.


David: Possibly derived from Hebrew (dvd) meaning "beloved". David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel, ruling in the 10th century BC. Several stories about him are told in the Old Testament, including his defeat of Goliath, a giant Philistine. Jesus was supposedly descended from him.

Deborah: Means "bee" in Hebrew. Deborah was a heroine and prophetess who led the Israelites in defeating the Canaanites as told in the Old Testament Book of Judges. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of the nurse of Rebecca.

Delaiah: Means "Yahweh has drawn" in Hebrew. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.

Delilah: Means "delicate" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she was the lover of Samson. She betrayed him to the Philistines by cutting his hair, which was the source of his power.

Diklah: Possibly means "palm grove" in Hebrew or Aramaic. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Joktan. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name.

Dinah: Means "judged" in Hebrew. She was the daughter of Jacob and Leah in the Old Testament.

Dorcas: Derived from Greek (dorkas) meaning "gazelle". In the New Testament this is the Greek translation of the name Tabitha.

Drusilla: Feminine pet form of the Roman family name Drusus. Apparently the name Drusus was first assumed by a Roman warrior who killed a Gallic chieftain named Drausus in single combat. Drausus possibly derives from a Celtic element meaning "strong". In Acts in the New Testament Drusilla is the wife of Felix.

Ebenezer: Means "stone of help" in Hebrew. This was the name of a monument erected by Samuel in the Old Testament. Ebenezer Scrooge was a miserly character in Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'.

Eden: Means "place of pleasure" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people, Adam and Eve, lived before they were expelled.

Eder: Means "flock" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Beriah in the Old Testament.

Edna: Means "pleasure" in Hebrew. This name appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha in the Book of Tobit.

Edom: Means "red" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Esau was given the name Edom because he traded his birthright for a helping of red broth.

Ehud: Means "united" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Ehud killed Eglon, the king of Moab, and freed the city of Jericho from Moabite rule.

Elam: Possibly means "hidden" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament.

Eldad: Means "God has loved" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was one of the two elders who prophesized in the Israelite camp.

Eleazar: Means "my God has helped" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the sons of Aaron.

Eli: Means "ascension" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was the high priest of Israel and the teacher of Samuel.

Eliakim: Means "God rises" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the master of Hezekiah's household.

Eliezer: Means "my God is help" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a servant of Abraham and one of the sons of Moses.

Elihu: Means "my God is Yahweh" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament including one of the friends of Job.

Elijah: From the Hebrew name ('Eliyyahu) meaning "my God is Yahweh". Elijah was a Hebrew prophet of the 9th century BC, during the reign of King Ahab and his queen, Jezebel. The two Books of Kings in the Old Testament tell of his exploits, which culminate with him being carried to heaven in a chariot of fire.

Elioenai: Means "my eyes look to God" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.

Eliphelet/Eliphalet: Means "God is release" in Hebrew. This is the name of several people in the Old Testament including a son of David

Elisabeth: German and Dutch form of Elizabeth. It is also a variant English form, reflecting the spelling used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament.

Elisha: From the Hebrew name ('Elisha'), a contracted form of ('Elishu'a) meaning "my God is salvation". Elisha was a prophet in the Old Testament, the successor of Elijah.

Elisheba: Original Hebrew form of Elizabeth. This name occurs in the Old Testament belonging to the wife of Aaron.

Eliud: Greek form of a Hebrew name meaning "God is grandeur". The Gospel of Matthew lists him as an ancestor of Jesus.

Eliyahu: Variant of Elijah

Elizabeth: From (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name ('Elisheva') meaning "my God is an oath" or perhaps "my God is abundance". The Hebrew form appears in the Old Testament where Elisheba is the wife of Aaron, while the Greek form appears in the New Testament where Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist.
The name was borne in the 12th century by Saint Elizabeth, a daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary who became a Franciscan nun and lived in poverty. It was also the name of a ruling queen of England and an empress of Russia.

Elkanah: Means "God has purchased" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Samuel.

Elanthan: Means "God has given" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a grandfather of king Jehoiachin and a son of Akbor.

Elon: Means "oak" in Hebrew. This was the name of one of the judges of the Israelites in the Old Testament.

Emmanuel: Means "God is with us" in Hebrew. This was the foretold name of the Messiah in the Old Testament.

Enoch: From the Hebrew name (Chanokh) which meant "dedicated". In Genesis in the Old Testament this is the name of both the son of Cain and the father of Methuselah, and the supposed author of the apocryphal Books of Enoch.

Enosh/Enos: Means "human being" in Hebrew. He was a son of Seth and a grandson of Adam in the genealogies in Genesis in the Old Testament.

Epaphras: Possibly a contracted form of Epaphroditos. In the New Testament this is the name of one of Paul's co-workers.

Efraim/Ephraim: From the Hebrew name ('Efrayim) which meant "fruitful". In the Old Testament he was a son of Joseph and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Ephrath: Means "fruitful place" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is borne by one of the wives of Caleb. Also in the Bible, it is the name of the place where Rachel was buried.

Eran: Means "watchful, vigilant" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was a grandson of Ephraim.

Erastus: Derived from Greek (erastos) meaning "beloved". This was the name of an assistant of Paul mentioned in Acts and two epistles in the New Testament.

Esaias: Greek form of Isaiah used in some versions of the Bible.

Esau: From the Hebrew name ('Esav) which possibly meant "hairy". In the Old Testament Esau was the elder of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca. He sold his birthright to his twin brother Jacob for a bowl of stew. Esau was the ancestor of the Edomites.

Esdras: ezra

Esther: Possibly means "star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a Hebrew form of Ishtar, the name of a Persian goddess. The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia, who saves many Jews from persecution.

Ethan: Means "solid, enduring" in Hebrew. This is the name of a wise man in the Old Testament.

Eunice: Latinized form of the Greek name (Eunike) which meant "good victory". The New Testament mentions her as the mother of Timothy.

Eve: From the Hebrew name (Chavvah), which was derived from the Hebrew word (chavah) "to breathe" or the related word (chayah) "to live". According to the Old Testament Book of Genesis Eve and Adam were the first humans. She gave the forbidden fruit to Adam, causing their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

Ezar/Ezer: Means "help" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Seir, as well as several other minor characters.

Ezekiel: From the Hebrew name (Yechezqel) meaning "God strengthens". Ezekiel was a major prophet of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Ezekiel. He lived in Jerusalem until the Babylonian conquest and captivity of Israel, at which time he was taken to Babylon. The Book of Ezekiel describes his vivid symbolic visions which predict the restoration of the kingdom of Israel.

Ezra: Means "help" in Hebrew. Ezra was a prophet of the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezra. The American poet Ezra Pound was a famous bearer of this name.

Felix: From a Roman cognomen meaning "lucky, successful" in Latin. This was the name of many early saints and four popes. Another notable bearer was the 19th-century German composer Felix Mendelsohnn.

Festus: Roman cognomen which possibly meant "festival, holiday" in Latin. This is the name of a Roman official in the New Testament.

Gabriel: From the Hebrew name (Gavri'el) which meant "strong man of God". Gabriel is one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition. He appears in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, where he serves as the announcer of the births of John to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Qur'an to Muhammad.

Gad: Means "fortune" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Gad was the first son of Jacob by Leah's slave-girl Zilpah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. Another Gad in the Old Testament was a prophet of King David.

Gamaliel: Means "benefit of God" in Hebrew. In Acts in the New Testament this is the name of a teacher of Saint Paul.

Gedaliah: Means "Yahweh is great" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including the governor of Judea appointed by Nebuchadnezzar.

Gemariah: Means "Yahweh has accomplished" in Hebrew. This was the name of a friend of Jeremiah in the Old Testament.

Gera: Possibly means "a grain" in Hebrew. This was the name of several members of the tribe of Benjamin in the Old Testament.

Gershom: Probably means "exile" in Hebrew, though the Bible explains that it derives from (ger sham) meaning "a stranger there". This was the name of a son of Moses in the Old Testament.

Gershon: Variant of Gershom. This was the name of a son of Levi in the Old Testament.

Gethsemane: From (Gethsemani), the Greek form of an Aramaic place name meaning "oil vat". In the New Testament this is the name of the garden where Jesus was arrested, located on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem.

Gideon: Means "feller" or "hewer" in Hebrew. Gideon was a hero of the Old Testament who led the Israelites against the Midianites.

Gilead: From an Old Testament place name meaning "monument of testimony" in Hebrew. This was a mountainous region east of the Jordan River.

Galiath: Possibly means "uncovered" in Hebrew. This was the name of the giant Philistine who was slain by David in the Old Testament.

Gomer: Means "complete" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a grandson of Noah and the unfaithful wife of the prophet Hosea.

Habacuc/ Habakkuk: Means "embrace" in Hebrew. This was the name of one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament.

Hadassah: Means "myrtle tree" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the Hebrew name of Queen Esther.

Hagar: Possibly means "flight" in Hebrew, though it could also be of unknown Egyptian origin. In the Old Testament she was the concubine of Abraham and the mother of Ishmael, the founder of the Arab people. After Abraham's wife Sarah finally gave birth to a child, she had Hagar and Ishmael expelled into the desert. However, God heard their crying and saved them.

Haggai: Means "festive" in Hebrew. This name belonged to one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament.

Ham: Means "hot, warm" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Ham was one of Noah's three sons, along with Shem and Japheth. He was the ancestor of the Egyptians and Canaanites.

Hanan: Means "gracious" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.

Hananiah: Means "Yahweh is gracious" in Hebrew. This is the name of many Old Testament characters.

Hannah: From the Hebrew name (Channah) which meant "favour" or "grace". Hannah was the mother of the prophet Samuel in the Old Testament. The Latin version of this name is Anna.

Havilah: Means "stretch of sand" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is both a place name and a masculine personal name.

Hazael: Means "God sees" in Hebrew. The name of a king of Aram in the Old Testament.

Heber: Means "enclave" in Hebrew. This name was borne by a great-grandson of Jacob in the Old Testament.

Helah: Means "rust" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is mentioned as one of the wives of Asher.

Heli: Greek form of Eli. In the New Testament he is listed as the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Hepzibah/Hephzibah: Means "my delight is in her" in Hebrew. She was a queen and the mother of Manasseh in the Old Testament.

Herod: From the Greek name (Herodes), which probably means "song of the hero" from (heros) "hero, warrior" combined with (oides) "song, ode". This was the name of several rulers of Judea during the period when it was part of the Roman Empire. This includes Herod the Great, the king who ordered the slaughter of the children in the New Testament.

Herodion: Pet form of the Greek name (Herodes) (see Herod). This name is mentioned briefly in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament.

Hezekiah: From the Hebrew name (Chizqiyahu), which means " Yahweh strengthens". In the Old Testament this name belongs to a king of Judah and an ancestor of the prophet Zephaniah.

Hillel: Derived from Hebrew (halal) meaning "praise". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament as the father of the judge Abdon.

Hirah: Means "splendour" in Hebrew. This is the name of the father-in-law of Judah in the Old Testament.

Hiram: Probably of unknown Phoenician origin, but it possibly means "exalted brother" in Hebrew. Hiram was a king of Tyre in the Old Testament.

Hizkiah: Alternate form of the Hebrew name Chizqiyahu (see Hezekiah).

Hosanna: From a religious expression meaning "deliver us" in Hebrew. In the New Testament this is exclaimed by Jesus when he first enters Jerusalem.

Hosea: Variant transcription of Hoshe'a (see Hoshea). Hosea was a minor prophet of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Hosea. Written in the northern kingdom, it draws parallels between his relationship with his unfaithful wife and the relationship between God and his people.

Hoshea: From the Hebrew name (Hoshe'a) meaning "salvation". In the Old Testament, Moses gave the spy Hoshea the new name Yehoshu'a (see Joshua), which has a related origin. This name was also borne by an 8th-century BC king of Israel, who was the last ruler of that state before it was conquered by Assyria.

Hulda/Huldah: Means "weasel, mole" in Hebrew. This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to a prophetess.

Huri: Means "linen weaver" in Hebrew. This is the name of the father of Abihail in the Old Testament.

Ichabod: Means "no glory" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was the grandson of Eli and the son of Phinehas. This name was also used by Washington Irving for the main character in his short story 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', Ichabod Crane.

Immanuel: Form of Emmanuel used in some translations of the Old Testament. Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who held that duty was of highest importance.

Ira: Means "watchful" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of King David's priest.

Isaac: From the Hebrew name (Yitzchaq) which meant "he laughs". Isaac in the Old Testament was the son of Abraham and the father of Esau and Jacob.

Isaiah: From the Hebrew name (Yesha'yahu) meaning " Yahweh is salvation". Isaiah was a major prophet of the Old Testament, supposedly the author of the Book of Isaiah. He was from Jerusalem and probably lived in the 8th century BC.

Isaias: Late Latin form of Isaiah used in some versions of the Bible.

Iscah: From the Hebrew name (Yiskah) which meant "to behold". In the Old Testament this is the name of Abraham's niece, mentioned only briefly.

Ishmael: From the Hebrew name (Yishma'el) meaning "God will hear". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Abraham. He is the traditional ancestor of the Arabs.

Ishmerai: Means "Yahweh guards" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Israel: From the Hebrew name (Yisra'el) meaning "God contended". In the Old Testament Israel (who was formerly named Jacob; see Genesis 32:28) wrestled with an angel. The ancient and modern states of Israel took their names from him.

Issachar: Means "hireling" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Ithai: Possibly means "with me" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of King David's mighty men.

Ithamar: Means "palm island" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Aaron in the Old Testament.

Ithiel: Means "God is with me" in Hebrew. This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.

Ivah: From the name of a district of Babylon, mentioned in the Old Testament.
Iyov: Hebrew form of Job

Jaala: Means "wild goat" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a servant of Solomon.

Jaasau: Means "they will do" in Hebrew. This is the name of a descendent of Bani in the Old Testament.

Jabez: Means "sorrow" in Hebrew. This is the name of a character in the Old Testament who was blessed by God.

Jabin: Means "perceptive" in Hebrew. This name is borne by two kings of Hazor in the Old Testament.

Jachin: Means "he establishes" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Simeon in the Old Testament.

Jacob: From the Latin Jacobus, which was from the Greek (Iakobos), which was from the Hebrew name (Ya'aqov). In the Old Testament, Jacob (later called Israel) is the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was born holding his twin brother Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning "holder of the heel" or "supplanter". Other theories claim that it is in fact derived from a hypothetical name like (Ya'aqov'el) meaning "may God protect".

Jada: Means "he knows" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Jada was a son of Onam.

Jadon: Possibly means either "thankful" or "he will judge" in Hebrew. This name is borne by a minor character in the Old Testament.

Jahel/Jael: From the Hebrew name (Ya'el) meaning "mountain goat". In the Old Testament this is the name of a woman who killed the captain of the Canaanite army.

Jahleel: Means "God waits" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Jahzeel: Means "God apportions" in Hebrew. This was the son of Naphtali in the Old Testament.

Jair: Means "he shines" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a son of Manasseh and one of the judges of the Israelites.

Jairus: From (Iairos), the Greek form of Jair. In the New Testament he was the father of a young girl brought back to life by Jesus.

James: English form of the Late Latin Jacomus which was derived from (Iakobos), the New Testament Greek form of (Ya'aqov) (see Jacob). This is the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded by Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus

Jamin: Means "right hand" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Simeon.

Japheth: From the Hebrew name (Yefet) meaning "enlarged". In the Old Testament he was one of the three sons of Noah and the ancestor of the peoples of Europe and North Asia.

Jared: From the Hebrew name (Yared) or (Yered) which meant "descent". This was the name of a close descendent of Adam in the Old Testament.

Jason: From the Greek name (Iason), which was derived from Greek (iasthai) "to heal". Jason was the leader of the Argonauts in Greek legend. He went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back his kingdom from his uncle Pelias. During his journeys he married the sorceress Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman. This name also appears in Acts in the New Testament.

Javan: Means "Greece" in Hebrew. This was the name of a grandson of Noah in the Old Testament.

Jedidah: Means "beloved" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she was the wife of King Amon of Judah and the mother of Josiah.

Jedidiah: Means "beloved of Yahweh" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is a name given to Solomon by Nathan.

Jehiel: Means "God lives" in Hebrew. This name is briefly mentioned in the Old Testament as belonging to a lute player.

Jehoash: From the Hebrew name (Yeho'ash), an extended form of (Yo'ash) (see Joash). This was the name of a king of Israel in the Old Testament.

Jehoiachin: Means "established by Yahweh" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah who was imprisoned in Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.

Jehoiakim: Means "raised by Yahweh" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah, the father of Jehoiachin.

Jehoram: From the Hebrew name (Yehoram) which meant "exalted by Yahweh ". This was the name of a king of Judah in the Old Testament.

Jehoshaphat: Means " Yahweh has judged" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was a king of Judah.

Jehu: Means " Yahweh is he" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to both a prophet and a king of Israel.

Jehudi: Means "Jew" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of servant of king Jehoiakim.

Jemima: Means "dove" in Hebrew. This was the oldest of the three daughters of Job in the Old Testament.

Jephtha/ Jephthah: Means "he opens" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to a judge who defends Israel from the Ammonites.

Jeremiah: From the Hebrew name (Yirmiyahu) which meant " Yahweh has uplifted". This was the name of one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, author of the Book of Jeremiah and (supposedly) the Book of Lamentations. He lived to see the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC.

Jeremiel: Means "God uplifts" in Hebrew. Jeremiel is named as an archangel in the apocryphal books of Esdras and Enoch in the Old Testament.

Jeremy: English form of Jermiah, and the form used in some versions of the New Testament.

Jeriah: Means "taught by Yahweh" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Jeriah was a descendent of Hebron.

Jericho: From the name of a town in Israel which is mentioned several times in the Old Testament.

Jerusha: Means "possession" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she was the wife of King Uzziah of Judah and the mother of Jotham.

Jesse: From the Hebrew name (Yishay) which possibly meant "gift". Jesse was the father of King David in the Old Testament. A famous bearer of this name was Jesse James, an American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches. He was eventually shot by a fellow gang member for a reward. Another famous bearer was the American athlete Jesse Owens.

Jesus: English form of (Iesous), which was the Greek form of the Aramaic name (Yeshu'a). Yeshu'a is itself a contracted form of Yehoshu'a (see JOSHUA). Yeshua ben Yoseph, better known as Jesus Christ, was the central figure of the New Testament and the source of the Christian religion. The four Gospels state that he was the son of God and the Virgin Mary who fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. He preached for three years before being crucified in Jerusalem.

Jethro: From the Hebrew name (Yitro), which was derived from the Hebrew word (yeter) meaning "abundance". Jethro was the father of Moses's wife Zipporah in the Old Testament.

Jezebel: From the Hebrew ('Izevel) which meant "not exalted". In the Old Testament this is the name of the evil wife of Ahab, king of Israel. She was eaten by dogs, fulfilling Elijah's prophecy.

Joab: Means "Yahweh is the father" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was the commander of King David's army, but when Solomon came to power he was executed.

Joanna: Latinized form of (Ioanna), feminine form of Ioannes (see John). This is the name of a follower of Jesus in the New Testament.

Joash: From the Hebrew name (Yo'ash) which possibly meant either "fire of Yahweh " or "Yahweh has given". In the Old Testament this name belongs to several characters including the father of Gideon, a king of Judah, and a son of King Ahab of Israel.

Job: From the Hebrew name ('Iyyov) which means "persecuted, hated". In the Book of Job in the Old Testament he is a patient man who is tested by God.

Jochebed: From the Hebrew name (Yokheved) which meant "Yahweh is glory". This is the name of the mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses In the Old Testament.

Joel: From the Hebrew name (Yo'el) meaning "Yahweh is God". Joel was a minor prophet in the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Joel.

John: English form of Iohannes, which was the Latin form of the Greek name (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name (Yochanan) meaning "Yahweh is gracious". This name owes its consistent popularity to two New Testament characters, both highly revered as saints. The first was John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ and a victim of beheading by Herod Antipas. The second was the apostle John, also supposedly the author of the fourth Gospel and Revelation.
The name has been borne by 21 popes and eight Byzantine emperors, as well as kings of England, France, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Portugal and Hungary. It was also borne by the poet John Milton and the philosopher John Locke.

Joktan: Means "small" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Eber in the Old Testament.

Jonas/Jonah: From the Hebrew name (Yonah) meaning "dove". This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. He emerged from the fish alive three days later.

Jonathan: From the Hebrew name (Yehonatan) (contracted to (Yonatan)) meaning "Yahweh has given". In the Old Testament Jonathan was the eldest son of Saul and a friend of David. He was killed in battle with the Philistines. A famous bearer of this name was Jonathan Swift, the satirist who wrote 'Gulliver's Travels' and other works.

Joram: Contracted form of (Yehoram) (see Jehoram). This name belongs to several minor characters in the Old Testament, as well as being another name for Jehoram the king of Judah.

Jordan: From the name of a river flowing between the countries of Jordan and Israel. The river's name in Hebrew is (Yarden), and it is derived from (yarad) meaning "descend" or "flow down". John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ in its waters, and it was adopted as a personal name after crusaders brought back water from the river to baptize their children.

Joseph: From the Latin Iosephus, which was from the Greek (Iosephos), which was from the Hebrew name (Yosef) meaning "he will add". In the Old Testament Joseph is the eleventh son of Jacob. Because he was the favourite of his father, his older brothers sent him to Egypt and told their father that he had died. In Egypt, Joseph became an advisor to the pharaoh, and was eventually reconciled with his brothers when they came to Egypt during a famine. This is the name of two characters in the New Testament: Joseph the husband of Mary and Joseph of Arimathea. Also, rulers of the Holy Roman Empire have had this name.

Joses: Greek form of Joseph, used in the New Testament to distinguish Joseph the brother of James from the many other characters of that name.

Joshua: From the Hebrew name (Yehoshu'a) which meant "Yahweh is salvation". Joshua was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan by Moses in the Old Testament. After Moses died Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Israelites. The name Jesus is derived from this name.

Josias /Josiah: Means "Yahweh supports" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah famous for his religious reforms. He was killed fighting the Egyptians at Megiddo.

Jotham: Means "Yahweh is upright" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a son of Gideon and a king of Judah.

Jubal: Means "small stream" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in Genesis in the Old Testament as belonging to the first person to be a musician.

Judah: From the Hebrew name (Yehudah) which meant "praised". Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the ancestor of the tribe of Judah in the Old Testament. This tribe eventually formed the kingdom of Judah in the south of Israel. King David and Jesus were descendents of Judah.

Judas: From (Ioudas), the Greek form of Judah. Judas Iscariot was the apostle who betrayed Jesus in the New Testament.

Jude: Variant of Judas. It is used in many English versions of the New Testament to denote the second apostle named Judas, in order to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. He was supposedly the author of the Epistle of Jude.

Judith: From the Hebrew name (Yehudit) which meant "woman from Judea". Judea was an ancient region in Israel. In the Old Testament Judith is one of the wives of Esau. This is also the name of the main character of the apocryphal Book of Judith who kills Holofernes, an invading Assyrian commander, by beheading him in his sleep.

Julia: Latinate feminine form of Julius. This name was borne by a few early saints and martyrs and was also used by Shakespeare in his comedy 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona'.

Junla: Feminine form of the Roman name Junius, which was possibly derived from the name of the Roman goddess June. This is the name of an early Christian mentioned in the New Testament (there is some debate about whether the name belongs to a man or a woman).

Kenan: Possibly means "possession" in Hebrew. He was a son of Enosh and a great-grandson of Adam in the Old Testament.

Kenaniah: Means "Yahweh establishes" in Hebrew. This is the name of two minor Old Testament characters.

Keren-Happuch: Means "horn of eyeshadow" in Hebrew. This was the name of the third daughter of Job in the Old Testament.

Keturah: Means "incense" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she was Abraham's wife after Sarah died.

Keziah: Means "cassia" in Hebrew, from the name of the spice tree. In the Old Testament Keziah was a daughter of Job.

Laban: Derived from Hebrew (lavan) meaning "white". In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Rachel and Leah.

Lael: Means "of God" in Hebrew. This was the name of Eliasaph in the Old Testament.

Lamech: Possibly means "to make low" in Hebrew. Lamech is the name of two characters in Genesis: a descendent of Cain and the father of Noah.

Lazarus: Latin form of Eleazar found in the New Testament. Lazarus was a man from Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha, who was restored to life by Jesus.

Leah: From the Hebrew name (Le'ah) which was probably derived from the Hebrew word (le'ah) meaning "weary". Alternatively it might derive from a Chaldean name meaning "mistress" or "ruler" in Assyrian. In the Old Testament she was the first wife of Jacob and the mother of seven of his children.

Lehi: From an Old Testament place name meaning "jawbone" in Hebrew. It is also used in the Book of Mormon as the name of a prophet.

Lemuel: Means "belonging to God" in Hebrew. This is the name of a king briefly mentioned in Proverbs in the Old Testament. In the Book of Mormon it is the name of a son of Lehi and Sariah. It is also borne by the hero of Jonathan Swift's novel 'Gulliver's Travels'.

Levi: Means "attached" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites (the tribe that eventually became the priests of the Israelites). In the New Testament this is another name for the apostle Matthew.

Lois: Possibly derived from Greek (loion) meaning "more desirable" or "better". Lois is mentioned in the New Testament as the mother of Eunice and the grandmother of Timothy.

Luke: From the Greek name (Loukas) which meant "from Lucania". Lucania was a region in Italy. Saint Luke, the author of the third Gospel and Acts in the New Testament, was a doctor who travelled in the company of Saint Paul. The name is also borne by the fictional character Luke Skywalker in the 'Star Wars' movies

Lydia: Means "from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor. In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul.

Madai: Means "Medes" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Japheth. He was the ancestor of the Medes, an ancient people related to the Persians.

MagdaleneE: From a title which meant "of Magdala". Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala - a village on the sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection.

Mahalah/ Mahalath: Means "lyre" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she was the daughter of Ishmael and the wife of Esau.

Mahali/Mahli: Possibly means "weak" or "sick" in Hebrew. This is the name of two characters mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Mahlah: Possibly means "weak" or "sick" in Hebrew. This name is used in the Old Testament as both a masculine and feminine name.

Malachi: Means "my messenger" or "my angel" in Hebrew. This was one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Malachi, which some claim foretells the coming of Christ.

Manasses /Manasseh: Means "causing to forget" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the oldest son of Joseph and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Mara: Means "bitter" in Hebrew. This is a name taken by Naomi in the Old Testament

Marcus: Roman praenomen, or given name, which was probably derived from the name of the Roman god Mars. Two famous Roman bearers of this name were Marcus Tullius Cicero (known simply as Cicero), a statesman and orator, and Marcus Aurelius, a notable emperor of the 2nd century. This was also the name of a pope of the 4th century. Marcus is the original form of the name Mark.

Mark: Familiar form of Marcus. Saint Mark was the author of the second Gospel in the New Testament. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Another famous bearer of this name was Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius), the Roman triumvir who was the lover of Cleopatra. Shakespeare tells this story in his tragedy 'Antony and Cleopatra'. Yet another famous bearer was the American author Mark Twain, real name Samuel Clemens, author of 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Huckleberry Finn' (he actually took his pen name from a call used by riverboat workers on the Mississippi River to indicate a depth of two fathoms).

Martha: Means "mistress of the house" or "lady" in Aramaic. This is the name of sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany in the New Testament. It was also borne by Martha Washington, the wife of the first American president.

Mary: Usual English form of Maria, which was the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names (Mariam) or (Maria) (the spellings are interchangeable), which were from the Hebrew name (Miryam). The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love".
This is the name of several New Testament characters, most importantly Mary the virgin mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene. Two queens of England have had this name, as well as a Queen of Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots.

Mattan: Means "gift" in Hebrew. This is the name of the father of Shephatiah in the Old Testament.

Mattaniah: Means "gift of Yahweh" in Hebrew. This is the original name of Zedekiah, a king of Judah, in the Old Testament.

Matthan: Variant of Mattan. This is the name of the great-grandfather of Jesus in the New Testament.

Mattithyahu/Matthew: English form of (Matthaios), which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name (Mattityahu) which meant "gift of Yahweh". Saint Matthew, also called Levi, was one of the twelve apostles, a tax collector. He was supposedly the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament.

Matthias: Variant of (Matthaios) (see Matthew) which appears in the New Testament as the name of the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot. This was also the name of kings of Hungary, including Matthias I who made important reforms to the kingdom in the 15th century.

Medad: Means "love" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Medad is one of the elders who prophesizes in the camp of the Israelites after the flight from Egypt.

Mehtabel/Mehetabel: Means "God makes happy" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Melech: Means "king" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Micah (not the prophet).

Menahem: Means "comforter" in Hebrew. This was the name of a king of Israel who appears in the Old Testament.

Merab: Means "abundant" in Hebrew. This was the name of a daughter of Saul in the Old Testament.

Merari: Means "bitter" in Hebrew. This was the name of the youngest son of Levi in the Old Testament.

Meshach: Possibly means "who is what Aku is?" in Babylonian, Aku being the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Old Testament Meshach was the Babylonian name of Mishael, one of the three men cast into a blazing furnace but saved from harm by God.

Meshullam: Means either "paid for" or "friend" in Hebrew. This is the name of many characters in the Old Testament.

Methuselah: Means "man of the dart" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was the father of Lamech and the grandfather of Noah. He lived to age 969, making him the longest-lived person in the Bible.

Micah: Contracted form of Micaiah. Micah was a minor prophet of the Old Testament who predicted the destruction of Jerusalem.

Micajah/Micaiah: Means "who is like Yahweh?" in Hebrew. This name occurs in the Old Testament belonging to both males and females.

Michael: From the Hebrew name (Mikha'el) which meant "who is like God?". This is the name of one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies, and thus is considered the patron saint of soldiers.
This was the name of nine Byzantine emperors and a czar of Russia.

Michal: Possibly means "brook" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she was a daughter of Saul who married David.

Miriam: Original Hebrew form of Mary. It is used in the Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of Moses and Aaron.

Mnason: Possibly means "reminding" in Greek. In Acts in the New Testament Paul stays in Jerusalem with a man named Mnason, a Jew who was originally from Cyprus.

Moab: Means "of his father" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Lot. He was the ancestor of the Moabites, a people who lived in the region called Moab to the east of Israel.

Mordecai: Means "servant of Marduk" in Persian. In the Old Testament Mordecai was the cousin and foster father of Esther.

Moriah: Possibly means "seen by Yahweh" in Hebrew. This is a place name in the Old Testament, both the land where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac and the mountain upon which Solomon built the temple. They may be the same place. It is sometimes used as a feminine given name.

Moshe /Moses: From the Hebrew name (Mosheh) which is most likely derived from Egyptian mes meaning "son", but could also possibly mean "deliver" in Hebrew. The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of "drew out" from Hebrew (mashah) is probably an invented etymology. The biblical Moses was drawn out of the Nile by the pharaoh's daughter. He led the Jews out of captivity in Egypt and received the Ten Commandments from God.

Naamah: Means "pleasant" in Hebrew. This name is borne in the Old Testament by both a daughter of Lamech and a wife of Solomon. Some later Jewish texts give Naamah as the name of Noah's wife, even though she is not named in the Old Testament.

Nadab: Means "generous" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Aaron in the Old Testament. He was consumed by flames and killed when he offered unauthorized fire to God.

Nahor: Means "snorting" in Hebrew. Nahor was the name of both the grandfather and a brother of Abraham in the Old Testament.

Nahum: Means "comforter" in Hebrew. Nahum was one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Nahum in which the downfall of Nineveh is foretold.

Naomi: From the Hebrew name (Na'omiy) meaning "pleasantness". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of Ruth. After the death of her husband, Naomi took the name Mara

Naphtali: Means "wrestling" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was a son of Jacob by Rachel's servant Bilhah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Nathan: Means "giver" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a prophet and also a son of King David. This name can also function as a short form of Jonathan or Nathanael.

Nathanael: From the Hebrew name (Netan'el) which meant "God has given". In the New Testament this is the name of an apostle also known as Bartholomew.

Nathaniel: Form of Nathanael used in the some versions of the New Testament. Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of 'The Scarlet Letter', is a famous bearer of this name.

Nehemiah: Means "comforted by Yahweh" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was the leader of the Jews who was responsible for the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the return from the Babylonian captivity.

Nekoda: Means "marked" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the head of a family of temple servants.

Nereus: Derived from Greek (neros) meaning "water". In Greek and Roman myth this was the name of a god of the sea. This was also the name of a Roman saint of the 1st century, a member of the army, who was martyred with his companion Achilleus because they refused to execute Christians.

Neriah: Means "lamp of Yahweh" in Hebrew. This is the name of the father of Baruch in the Old Testament.

Nethaniah: Means "Yahweh has given" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of Ishmael's father, as well as other minor characters

Nicodemus: From the Greek name (Nikodemos) which meant "victory of the people" from Greek (nike) "victory" and (demos) "the people". This is the name of a character in the New Testament who helped Joseph of Arimathea entomb Jesus.

Nimrod: Meaning unknown, possibly of Babylonian origin or possibly meaning "rebel" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Nimrod was a renowned hunter, the great-grandson of Noah. He was the founder of Babylon.

Noa/Noah: Derived from the Hebrew name (Noach) meaning "rest, comfort". In the Old Testament Noah was the builder of the ark which allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the great Flood. After the Flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. Derived from the Hebrew name (No'ah) meaning "motion". In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of Zelophehad.

Nogah: Means "brightness" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of King David in the Old Testament. In modern times it is sometimes used as a feminine name.

Obadiah: Means "servant of Yahweh" in Hebrew. This was the name of one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament.

Obed: Means "servant, worshipper" in Hebrew. This was the name of several Old Testament characters including the grandfather of David.

Oded: Means "to restore" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a prophet from Samaria.

Ohad: Means "united" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was the third son of Simeon.

Omar: Means "speaker" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Eliphaz in the Old Testament.

Omri: Means "my sheaf" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Israel.

Onesimus: Latinized form of the Greek name (Onesimos), which meant "beneficial, profitable". Saint Onesimus was an escaped slave of Philemon who met Saint Paul while in prison and was converted by him. Paul sent him back to Philemon carrying the epistle that appears in the New Testament.

Onesohorus: Latinized form of the Greek name (Onesiphoros), which meant "bringing advantage, beneficial". This name is mentioned briefly in Paul's second epistle to Timothy in the New Testament. According to tradition he was martyred by being tied to horses and then torn apart.

Ophir: Meaning unknown. This is the name of a son of Joktan in the Old Testament.

Ophrah: Means "fawn" in Hebrew. Originally it was a masculine name, but it is now used for females too. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a man mentioned in genealogies and a city in Manasseh.

Orpah: Means "back of the neck" in Hebrew. Orpah was Naomi's second daughter-in-law in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament.

Oshea: Variant of Hoshea used in some versions of the Bible.

Othniel: Means "lion of God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the nephew of Caleb who became the first judge of Israel.

Pallu: Means "distinguished" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of Reuben in the Old Testament.

Paul: From the Roman family name Paulus, which meant "small" or "humble" in Latin. Saint Paul was an important leader of the early Christian church, his story told in Acts in the New Testament. He was originally named Saul, but changed his name after converting to Christianity. Most of the epistles in the New Testament were authored by him. This was also the name of six popes. Famous bearers of this name in the art world include Paul Cezanne and Paul Gauguin, both 19th-century impressionist painters from France.

Peninnah: Means "precious stone" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the wives of Elkanah.

Persis: Greek name meaning "Persian woman". This is the name of a woman mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament.

Peter: Derived from the Greek (Petros) meaning "stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name Cephas (meaning "stone" in Aramaic) which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus's ministry and is considered by some to be the first pope.
This name was borne by Peter the Great, the czar of Russia who defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War in the 18th century.

Philadelphia: From the name of a city in Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation in the New Testament. The name of the city meant "brotherly love" from Greek (phileo) "to love" and (adelphos) "brother". It is also the name of a city in the United States.

Philemon: Means "affectionate" in Greek. Philemon was the recipient of one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament.

Philetus: Means "beloved" in Greek. In the New Testament Philetus was a heretic in the church at Ephesus.

Philip: From the Greek name (Philippos) which means "friend of horses", composed of the elements (philos) "friend" and (hippos) "horse". Saint Philip was one of the twelve apostles. This was also the name of an early figure in the Christian church spoken of in Acts in the New Testament. The name was borne by five kings of Spain, six kings of France, and five kings of Macedon, including Philip II the father of Alexander the Great.

Phineas/Phinehas: Probably means "Nubian" from the Egyptian name Panhsj, though some believe it means "serpent's mouth" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Phineas was a grandson of Aaron who killed an Israelite because he married a Midianite woman, thus stopping a plague sent by God. Also in the Bible this was the son of Eli, killed in battle with the Philistines.

Phobe: Latinized form of the Greek name (Phoibe), which meant "bright, pure" from Greek (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess Artemis. A moon of Saturn bears this name in honour of the Titan. This name also appears in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae.

Pontius: Roman family name possibly derived from the name of the ancient province of Pontus in Asia Minor, itself probably derived from Greek (pontos) "sea". Alternatively, the Roman family name could be related to Latin pons meaning "bridge". A famous bearer of this name was Pontius Pilate, who appears in the New Testament as the Roman governor of Judea.

Prisca: Feminine form of Priscus, a Roman family name which meant "ancient" in Latin. This name is used in the epistles in the New Testament, referring to Priscilla the wife of Aquila.

Priscilla: Pet form of Prisca. In Acts in the New Testament Paul lived with Priscilla and her husband Aquila in Corinth for a while.

Prochorus: Latinized form of the Greek name (Prochoros) which meant "leader of the dance". Saint Prochorus was one of the original seven deacons, as told in Acts in the New Testament.
RACHEL: Means "ewe" in Hebrew. She was the favourite wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin in the Old Testament.

Rahab: Means "spacious" in Hebrew. This was the name of a prostitute of Jericho who aided the Israelites in the Old Testament.

Ram: Means "exalted" in Hebrew. This is a son of Hezron in the Old Testament.

Raphael: From the Hebrew name (Refa'el) which meant "God has healed". Raphael was one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition. In the Book of Tobit in the Old Testament it is told how he aided Tobias. This was also the name of a 16th-century Renaissance painter, the designer of several of the frescoes in the Vatican Palace in Rome.

Rivka/Rebekah /Rebecca: From the Hebrew name (Rivqah), possibly meaning "a snare" in Hebrew, or perhaps derived from an Aramaic name. This was the name of the wife of Isaac and the mother of Esau and Jacob in the Old Testament.

Rehoboam: From the Hebrew name (Rechav'am) meaning "he enlarges the people". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Solomon. He succeeded his father as king of Israel, but his subjects eventually revolted because of high taxes. This resulted in the division of the kingdom into Israel and Judah.

Reuben: Means "behold, a son" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was the eldest son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Reuel: Means "friend of God" in Hebrew. The fantasy author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was a famous bearer of this name.

Rhoda: Derived from Greek (rhodon) meaning "rose". In the New Testament this name is borne by a maid in the house of Mary the mother of John Mark.

Rufus: Roman cognomen which meant "red-haired" in Latin. Several early saints had this name, including one mentioned in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. As a nickname it was used by William II Rufus, a king of England, because of his red hair.

Ruth: From a Hebrew name which was derived from the Hebrew word (re'ut) meaning "friend". This is the name of the central character in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who was the ancestor of King David.

Salathiel: Form of Shealtiel used in some versions of the Bible

Salome: From an Aramaic name which was related to the Hebrew word (shalom) meaning "peace". According to the historian Josephus this was the name of the daughter of Herodias (the consort of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee). In the New Testament, though a name is not given, it was a daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod and was rewarded with the head of John the Baptist. Also in the New Testament, this was the name of a woman who witnessed the crucifixion.

Samson: From the Hebrew name (Shimshon) which probably meant "sun". Samson was an Old Testament hero of exceptional strength. His uncut hair was the source of his power, but his mistress Delilah betrayed him and cut it. Thus he was captured by the Philistines, blinded, and brought to their temple. However, in a final act of strength, he pulled down the pillars of the temple upon himself and his captors.

Samuel: From the Hebrew name (Shemu'el) which could mean either "name of God" or "God has heard". Samuel was the last of the ruling judges in the Old Testament. He anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel, and later anointed David. A famous bearer was the American author Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain.

Sapphira: From the Greek name (Sappheire), which was from Greek (sappheiros) meaning "sapphire" or "lapis lazuli" (ultimately derived from the Hebrew word (sappir)). Sapphira was a character in Acts in the New Testament who was killed by God for lying.

Sarah: Means "lady" or "princess" in Hebrew. This was the name of the wife of Abraham in the Old Testament. She became the mother of Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally (Saray), but God changed it (see Genesis 17:15).

Sarai: Possibly means "contentious" in Hebrew. This was the name of Sarah in the Old Testament before God changed it

Satan: Derived from Hebrew (satan) meaning "adversary". This is the Hebrew name of the enemy of the Judeo-Christian God. In the New Testament he is also known by the title Devil (Diabolos in Greek).

Saul: From the Hebrew name (Sha'ul) which meant "asked for" or "prayed for". This was the name of the first king of Israel who ruled just before King David, as told in the Old Testament. Also, Saul was the original name of Saint Paul before his conversion to Christianity.

Sela: Means "rock" in Hebrew. This is the name of a city, the capital of Edom, in the Old Testament.

Selah: From a Hebrew musical term which occurs many times in the Old Testament Psalms. It was probably meant to indicate a musical pause.

Seraiah: Means "Yahweh is ruler" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament, including the father of Ezra.

Seth: Means "placed" or "appointed" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he was the third son of Adam and Eve, and forefather of the entire human race.

Shadrach: Means "command of Aku" in Babylonian, Aku being the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Old Testament Shadrach was the Babylonian name of Hananiah, one of the three men cast into a fiery furnace but saved by God.

Shamgar: Possibly means "sword" in Hebrew. Shamgar was one of the Old Testament judges.

Sharar: Means "enemy" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Ahiam.

Sharon: From an Old Testament place name meaning "plain" in Hebrew, referring to a fertile plain near the coast of Israel. This is also the name of a type of flowering shrub, the rose of Sharon.

Shealtiel: Means "I have asked of God" in Hebrew. This is the name of the father of Zerubbabel in the Old Testament.

Sheba: Means "oath" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament. Also in the Bible this is a place name, referring to a region in Ethiopia. The queen of Sheba visited Solomon after hearing of his wisdom.

Shelah: Means "petition" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a grandson of Shem and a son of Judah.

Shem: Means "name" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Shem was the eldest of Noah's three sons and the ancestor of the Semitic peoples.

Shemer: Possibly means "preserved" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the owner of the hill upon which Samaria was built.

Sherah: Means "kinswoman" in Hebrew. This is the name of a daughter of Ephraim in the Old Testament.

Shiphrah: Means "beautiful" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the midwives who disobeys the Pharaoh's order to kill any Hebrew boys they deliver.

Shlomo: Original Hebrew form of Solomon

Shmuel: Original Hebrew form of Samuel

Shulammite: Derived from Hebrew (shalom) "peace". This name occurs in the Song of Songs in the Old Testament.

Silas: Short form of Silvanus. This is the name of a companion of Saint Paul in Acts in the New Testament.

Simeon: From the Hebrew name (Shim'on) (see Simon). In the Old Testament this is the name of the second son of Jacob and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Testament this is the name of a man who blessed the newborn Jesus. This was also the name of a powerful 10th-century ruler of Bulgaria.

Simon: From the Greek form of the Hebrew name (Shim'on) which meant "hearkening" or "listening". The New Testament presents Simon, also known as Peter (a name given to him by Jesus), as the most important of the apostles. This is also the name of several other characters in the Bible, including the man who carried the cross for Jesus.

Solomon: From the Hebrew name (Shelomoh) which was derived from Hebrew (shalom) "peace". Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of David, renowned for his wisdom. Supposedly, the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament were written by him.

Stephen: From the Greek name (Stephanos) meaning "crown". Saint Stephen was an early Christian martyr who was stoned to death, as told in Acts in the New Testament. Another Saint Stephen is the patron saint of Hungary, the first Christian king of that country (10th century). This was also the name of kings of England, Serbia, and Poland, as well as ten popes. More recently it is borne by the British physicist Stephen Hawking and the American author Stephen King.

Susanna: From (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name (Shoshannah). This was derived from the Hebrew word (shoshan) meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian sšn "lotus".
In the New Testament this is the name of a woman who ministered to Christ. It also occurs in the Old Testament Apocrypha as the name of a woman falsely accused of adultery. The prophet Daniel clears her name by tricking her accusers, who end up being condemned themselves.

Susannah: Form of Susanna found in some versions of the Old Testament.

Syntyche: Ancient Greek name meaning "common fate". This is the name of a woman mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament.

Tabitha: Means "gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the New Testament was a woman restored to life by Saint Peter. The name in Greek is Dorcas

Talitha: Means "little girl" in Aramaic. The name is taken from the phrase talitha cumi meaning "little girl arise" spoken by Jesus in order to restore a young girl to life

Tamar: Means "palm tree" in Hebrew. Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah in the Old Testament. Also in the Old Testament, this was the name of a daughter of David.

Tarah: A place name used in some versions of the Old Testament. It is identical to the personal name Terah.

Tekoa: Means "stockade" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a both a city and a son of Ashhur.

Teman: Means "right hand" or "south" in Hebrew. This is both a personal name and a place name in the Old Testament.

Temani: In the Old Testament this refers to a person from the land of Teman.

Terach /Terah: Possibly means "wild goat" or "station" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Terah was the father of Abraham.

Thaddeus: Possibly means "heart" in Aramaic. In the New Testament Thaddeus is listed as one of the apostles, probably equivalent to the apostle Jude.

Theophilus: Latinized form of the Greek name (Theophilos) which meant "friend of god", derived from (theos) "god" and (philos) "friend". In the New Testament the evangelist Luke addresses his gospel and the Book of Acts to a man named Theophilus.

Thomas: Greek form of the Aramaic name Te'oma which meant "twin". In the New Testament this is the name of the apostle who doubts the resurrected Jesus. According to tradition he was martyred in India. Famous bearers of this name include philosopher and theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas, philosopher Thomas Hobbes, inventor Thomas Edison, American president Thomas Jefferson, and novelist Thomas Hardy.

Timeus /Timaeus: Latinized form of the Greek name (Timaios) which meant "honour". This is the name of one of Plato's dialogues, featuring Timaeus and Socrates. Timaeus is also the name of a person mentioned briefly in the New Testament

Timon: Derived from Greek (time) meaning "honour, esteem". This is the name of the main character in Shakespeare's tragedy 'Timon of Athens'.

Timothy: From the Greek name (Timotheos) meaning "honouring God", derived from (timao) "to honour" and (theos) "god". Saint Timothy was a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys and was the recipient of two of Paul's epistles that appear in the New Testament. According to tradition, he was martyred at Ephesus after protesting the worship of Artemis.

Tiras: Possibly means "desire" in Hebrew. Tiras was a grandson of Noah in the Old Testament.

Tirzah: Means "favourable" in Hebrew. Tirzah is the name of one of the daughters of Zelophehad in the Old Testament. It also occurs in the Old Testament as a place name, the early residence of the kings of the northern kingdom.

Titus: Roman praenomen, or given name, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to Latin titulus "title of honour". In the New Testament Titus was a companion of Saint Paul. He became the first bishop of Crete and Paul wrote one of the epistles that appear in the New Testament to him. Titus was also the name of a 1st-century Roman emperor.

Tobiah: From the Hebrew name (Toviyyah) which meant "yahweh is good". This is the name of an Ammonite in the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament.

Tobias: Greek form of Tobiah. Tobias is the hero of the apocryphal Book of Tobit in the Old Testament. It relates how Tobias is able to defeat a demon with the help of the archangel Raphael.

Tryphena: From the Greek name (Tryphaina), derived from Greek (tryphe) meaning "softness, delicacy". This name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament.

Tryphosa: Derived from Greek (tryphe) meaning "softness, delicacy". In the New Testament this name is mentioned briefly as belonging to a companion of Tryphena.

Uri: Means "my light" in Hebrew. This was the name of the father of Bezalel in the Old Testament.

Urias /Uriah: From the Hebrew name ('Uriyah) which meant "Yahweh is my light". In the Old Testament this is the name of a Hittite warrior in King David's army, the first husband of Bathsheba. David desired Bathsheba so he placed Uriah in the forefront of battle so he would be killed.

Uriel: From the Hebrew name ('Uri'el) which meant "God is my light". Uriel was one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition. He is mentioned only in the Apocrypha.

Uzzi: Means "my power" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.

Uzziah: Means "my power is Yaweh" in Hebrew. This is the name of several Old Testament characters including a king of Judah.

Uzziel: Means "my power is God" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.

Vashti: Possibly means "thread" in Hebrew, but it is most likely of Persian origin. In the Old Testament this is the name of the first wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia before he married Esther.

Yaakov: Original Hebrew form of Jacob

Yechezkel: Hebrew form of Ezekiel

Yishai: Original Hebrew form of Jesse

Yitzhak: Hebrew form of Isaac. This was the name of two recent Israeli prime ministers.

Yochanan: Hebrew form of John. This a contracted form of the longer name (Yehochanan).

Yosef: Hebrew form of Joseph

Zacchaeus: From the Greek form of the Hebrew name (Zakhhay) which meant "pure". In the New Testament he was a tax collector of Jericho who gave half of his possessions to charity.

Zacharias: Greek form of Zechariah. This form of the name is used in most English versions of the New Testament.

Zadok: Means "righteous" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, most notably the high priest of Israel during the reigns of David and Solomon. Solomon was anointed by Zadok.

Zalmon: Means "shady" in Hebrew. This is the name of one of David's mighty men in the Old Testament.

Zebadiah: Means "Yahweh has bestowed" in Hebrew. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.

Zebedee: Greek form of Zebadiah used in the New Testament, where it refers to the father of the apostles James and John.

Zebulon/Zebulun: Means "exaltation" in Hebrew. Zebulun was the tenth son of Jacob in the Old Testament and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is also the name of a plain in Israel.

Zechariah: From the Hebrew name (Zekharyah) which meant "Yahweh remembers". Zechariah was a minor prophet of the Old Testament, author of the Book of Zechariah. This is also the name of the father of John the Baptist in the New Testament, who was temporarily made dumb because of his disbelief.

Zedekiah: Means "justice of Yahweh" in Hebrew. This was last king of Judah as told in the Old Testament.

Zephaniah: Derived from the Hebrew name (Tzefanyah) meaning "Yahweh has hidden". This was the name of one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Zephaniah.

Zibiah: Means "roe, deer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother of king Joash of Judah.

Zillah: Means "shade" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Zillah was the second wife of Lamech.

Zelpha/Zilpah: Means "frailty" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the slave-girl who was given to Jacob by Leah.

Zimri: Means either "my praise" or "my music" in Hebrew. This was the name of a king of Israel who ruled for only seven days.

Zion: From the name of a citadel which was in the center of Jerusalem. Zion is also used to refer to a Jewish homeland and to heaven.

Zipporah: From the Hebrew name (Tzipporah) which meant "bird". In the Old Testament Zipporah was the wife of Moses.

Zuriel: Means "my rock is God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is borne by a chief of the Merarite Levites at the time of the Exodus.



GameFAQs paraphrased weapons and armor discussion. Types of armor and their origin.

Just cause I'm bored and people like BeckStir and Verboten like this stuff I'm going to explain some of the Weapons and Armor in the game like they are in history.

Banded Mail- Made of overlapping strips of metal sewn into leather and chain mail. Ususally only covered vulnerable areas and didn't cover joints so movement wasn't restricted. Weight is even all over the body because of good use of straps and buckles.

Brigandine- This is made of small metal plates sewn into canvas or leather with an outer layer of thick cloth. It is stiff and again doesn't cover joints.

Ring Mail- This is a less effective form of chain mail made by sewing metal rings directly to a leather backing instead of being interlocked. Some people argue wether this even existed.

Chain Mail- Made of interlocking metal rings, and it is always worn with a layer of fabric padding to prevent chafin and lowering the impact of blows. It was very effective but most of the weight is on the shoulders making it difficult to wear for very long.

Scale Armor- Actually Scale Mail, it was a coat and leggings of leather with overlapping pieces of metal that looked like scales on it.

Plate Mail- This is a combination of chain or brigandine with metal plates covering vital areas (curiass, epaulettes, elbow guards, gauntlets, tasets, and greaves). The weight is even over the whole body. This is very common and effective armor.

Splint Mail- Again, some people don't believe it existed but this is just like banded mail except the strips are vertical instead of horizontal making movement difficult.

I have never heard of or even know if Fluted, Jazerainte, or Dread armor even exist in the real world. Hoplite armor wasn't actually an armor, but very effective Greek Militia were called Hoplites. They used Heavy armor, spears, shields, and a formation called Phalanx.

WEAPONS:

Stilleto- This dagger was used in unison with a Rapier.

Kris- A Kris knife was an extremely sharp dagger.

Baselard- a Baselard was a short sword built for speed.

Rapier- A rapier is a fencing sword used for piercing and thrusting. It was very quick and required much skill....but basically was a giant hypodermic needle tee hee.

Shotel- The Norman sword. It a large dip in the blade that looked like a crescent almost and could be thrown very easily.

Falchion- The blade curves from the very beginning, it looks like the sword Hasan in the old Looney Toons cartoons used (HASAN CHOP!)

Khopesh- The Khopesh sword was what the Egyptians used. It wasn't a very effctive sword, very awkward. But it could be used to hook an opponents weapon....which is what it looked like. The sword went out and then turned into a large hook or scythe.

Wakizashi- This is a short Katana. That is basically what it is.

Footman's Mace- This was a very long mace used by foot soldiers. It was used for breaking bones and crushing and worked against all types of mail armor.

Bec de Corbin- This was a very large weapon, about 12 or so ft. long. It had a large hammer on one side and a pick or beak on the other. You would break through armor with that side and beat someone down with the hammer.

Katana- Sword used by the Japanese. It was about a meter long and curved. The Hilt was long and the sword was extremely sharp from folding the blade and very balanced for extremely quick attacks.

Nodachi- About a foot and a half longer than the katana and had a large, thicker blade. It was the two handed sword version of the katana (the real katana was not actually a two handed sword, though some used it with 2 hands)

Bastard Sword- This sword was simply a long sword with a longer hilt so you could use it with two hands raising the power of your strikes.

Broad Sword- Generally a shorter blade, though it had a thick, wide blade. It was an effective sword to say the least.

Glaive- This was simple a single edged blade mounted on an 8 to 10 foot pole. The blade usualy looked like an axe or cleaver.

Awl Pike- This is a long spear ending in a spike point with a tapered spear head. The pole was usually 12 to 20 ft. long. It was used mostly in ''side-by-side'' formations.

Fauchard- This was merely a very, very long Scythe that also had a point on it for thrusting and slashing.

Voulge- This was merely a very long cleaver or axe. It was also called the Lochaber Axe

Bardiche- This was a very long Battle Axe

Crossbows- The only 2 I reconize is Light Cross bow, it was small enough to be able to be pulled by one person, and an Arbalest. The Arbalest was a very large crossbow that required the use of a tool called a ''CRANEQUIN'' to help reload it. Cranequin is a tool, not an actual bow.

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Claymore- Scottish sword used for slashing. They are very large but rather thin in comparison to other great swords. It is also double edged. This was useful for its maneuverability. It was an improvement from the otherwise conciderably heavier great swords for you only spared a few amount of power for speed and control. You'll find claymores in the movie ''Braveheart.'' William Wallace's sword is a good example. It is my choice favorite long sword.

Shamshir (scimitar)- A Persian blade with and extremely long and curved blade used for slashing. Piercing was virtually impossible. It was more of a pick up and run weapon, where just about anyone can pick it up and use it. It was effective and practical.

Leg pieces were kind of sketchy in the game where they didn't make it very clear as to where the parts belonged.

Cruisse- Simply a metal thigh piece worn along with full bodied armor.

Greave- Same as above but for the shins.

Also, the spur was first used in Europe rather than in the US, as it is famous because of Cowboys. They were of course used by riders and manly in jousting, where it required the horse to go along one path at a very high speed.

About the metal types, they were forged with bronze but it was very maliable and was somewhat ineffective in combat. Iron was used widely afterward, because it was very durable. However, I question the exhistance of hagane and damascus. I think they were just put in the game as special metals (Mythril). Silver in terms of combat was horrible. It was used more as decoration rather than battle. It is evident in the game that Silver weapons lose attack strength. Silver was supposedly the weakness of some mythical creatures, so that is also why they pumped it up full of undead affinity points. I hope that there is some information
out there that can verify the exhistance of hagane and damascus. I'd like to know.

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Close Helm- Were one of the most recognized helms of the medieval times. You'd know if you saw it. It was usually made of steel and was completely closed as the name suggests. It had holes for vision yet it was somewhat limited. Great head protection but all you gotta do is bash the guy's head in with a mace and it's all over. The helmets that the Soldiers were seen in are Close Helms.

Barbut- Also of classic style. It is one of those bullet head shapes usually with a ''T'' opening in the front. Magneto style.

Sallet- Half enclosed from the top down, exposing the mouth. Think Robocop.

Cabasset- It was more like a metal hat rather than a helm.

Basinet- Usually eliptical and covered the whole head.

Spangelhelm- Segmented conical crown, connected by vertical straps.

Targa Shield- Round Scottish shield. Very small and light concidering that it was just a construction of leather over wood. Weight distribution was important when concidering that Scottsmen used it in combination to the rather heavy Claymores.

Kris- Very exotic daggers with a wavy blade. Think Soul Reaver but minimized.

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I think Kris is based on the 'Keris' blade, which is a wavy bladed knife.

Khukuri is a version of Kukri, the Gurkhan blade. The widened blade and shallow bend make it perfect for disembowelling, stabbing and, in times of peace, harvesting crops.

A Gastraph bow (Or Gastraff) is an Italian hunting bow, too cumbersome and slow for battle due to the wind-on mechanism for drawing back the bow.

The Masamune story was of two weaponsmiths in Japan, Masamune and Murumasa. The greatest blades they made gained mythic status, Masamune for never shedding blood (I didn't understand this bit either), the Murumasa for being a dark and bloody blade. The were stuck into a tree (Or thrown into a river), and the leaves (Or currents) would pass by the Masamune, but were cut in half by the Murumasa. For more information, check out the FFVII's message board 'Why there was no Blood in Aeris' Death. Both Masamune and Murumasa also appear in Castlevania.

Bardysh (Or Bardiche) were sort of like larger forms of Halberds, with a large spike coming out of the top and an elliptic blade.

Damascus steel, or Damask steel DID exist, and was noted for it's wavy pattern given during its water cooling. It was a strong alloy, using techniques similar to those used today.

Shotel's weren't Norman, they were Abyssinian. They were a step up from the traditional sickle-swords used by the Egyptians. Heat Shotels also appear in BOF3.

Yggdrasil (As in Yggdrasils tears) was the Nordic Tree of life, who also appears in BOF3.

The affinity gemstones all seem to take a leaf from the Secret of Mana Book of Elements. In Secret of Mana, four of the Elemental Beasts were Salamando, Undine, Gnome and Sylphid. I'm currently searching for Grimoire Shade and Grimoire Lumin, the Dark and Light elementals.

Morlock Jets I think refer to Moloch, the Demon of Thorns.

Wyverns are heraldicly two-legged dragons, which is how they appear in the game. However the Dragons aren't technically Dragons, being bipedal. Then again, who am I to say how they walk?

Dulluhans (Or Duruhans, or Dhurons, or Dihions) are suits of armour possessed by demons and thought to be headless due to lack of helmets. They also appear in Castlevania.

Balin (As in Balin's revenge, an Axe I found) refers to one of two kings in the Dark ages, King Bran and King Balin. It's not too clear as to who was the evil one and who the good one, but according to Robert Rankins 'Sprouts of Wrath', Balin was evil and wielded a mighty axe.

All the rooms in Iron Maidens B1 to B3 are tortures, in case you haven't guessed. I could go into detail, but little kiddies could read this.

Dao isn't a genie. I always thought of Dao as like Dao-Chao, the Wutai god in FFVII. Of course, in Daoism he is a warm and compassionate God, so I'll back down on this point.

The reason for so few Japanese weapons was because the game was set in a medieval town similar to European, so they got all the weapons from around the Euro-Turkish area. Another reason is that the Japanese didn't alter their weapons much. Wakizashi, Katana and Nodachi are all blades made to the same specifications, but to varying lengths. If something works, why change it?

split

Asura: an iron statue of a woman. That's what they meant with Iron Maiden. As you can see on the map, the room where you fight Asura is called... The Iron Maiden.

Also, if you want more info about legends and religion in games (Xenogears to be more precise), try http://www.zenogias.com/index3.html. The trivia section there is pretty good. It has stuff about Sephiroth, Zohar, etc.

split

My father has just shed new light on the subject. Damascus is simply Steel heated to a very high temperature for hardness, the blade is folded many times (kind of like a Katana). The Steel also has a moderate Carbon content which gave it's edge very good staying power. Amazing what your parents will know. Also, Damascus is a grey like color, not gold tinted.

I also ask him about the best metal to make a sword out of these days. he said a metal called ATS-34. This metal is a Stainless Steel with very high carbon content that would keep it's edge VERY well. A slightly stronger metal would be Carbon Steel but it rust very easily.

split

Shasmir is not from Persia, it came from India ( an area called Kasmir )then shiped to Europe then the european call it Shasmir.

Splint mail did exist in ancient China.

For damascus metal, It's real, most kris blade I saw, made from this metal.

split

Just to add my two cents worth:

A large percentage of european weapon names were generic rather than specific. For example, ''short sword'', a term commonly applied to things like the roman gladius, was just as often used for longer daggers. Heck, ''dagger'' itself, can refer to any long knife used in battle, from main gauches to poinards. ''long sword'' and ''broad sword'' are equally vague. So two people could be talking about ''long swords'' and be refering to differant blades. As time went on, the names became more and more consistant. Most places outside of europe had consistant weapon names much earlier, especially the arab and asian cultures.

As an addition to the Kris, not only is the blade wavy, but if I remember right, it had some religious significance. I can't for the life of me remember what it was though, but I vaguely remember it having something to do with the number of waves in the blade.

Oh, and in referance to a specific point made some time ago, the terms Gnome, Slyph, Salamander and Undine are actually what earth, air, fire and water elementals are called in the old alchemical texts. That is to say a gnome IS an earth elemental, a slyph IS an air elemental, etc. The modern stereotypical depictions of the elementals (humanoid figures composed of the elements in question) are actually D&Disms. The gnome appears as a small dark-skinned man wearing mostly brown, the slyph as a beautiful winged woman, the salamander as a small red/orange lizard and the Undine as a beautiful, and generally wet, unwinged woman. At least when they chose/were force to come into physical manifestation.

And just because somebody mentioned Golem, the golem is a figure from old hebrew legend. The one in the legend was made of clay. Though I don't remember the details of the story, I know it took it's orders literally, and ran amok. It is animated, at least in part by writing the hebew word Emet (or debt) on it, and deactivated by erasing a character and changing the word to Met (dead). (note: I'm not 100% sure of the hebrew words or their translations, I'm trying to remember a legend I last heard over a year ago, and I don't actually know any hebrew)

You'll notice that the word is written on the golem's arm in the game... I know I was impressed that they remembered to put that in.

split

I already explained it. A Rune Blade is any blade with ruens etched on the sword, usually giving it magical abilities which is why it is used in so many RPGs

split

Kris knive came from South East Asia, but the most popular kris knive came from Java island. During Majapahit Empire It's lenght about 35-80 cm, mainly used for combat, and straight edged. After the fall of this empire, the Java kingdom ( used to be a part of the empire ) use this knive for religious ceremony than for battle, they starting to create waves and decorate for this knive and from now on it's lenght reduced about 25-40 cm. this knive made by combining two difrent metal ( I only know one stronger, the other one weaker ), the stronger metal wraped by the weaker metal then forged with choracoal ( the javanese don't use coal until dutch arival in 16th century )

split

I have addressed the Hoplite stuff before, Hoplites were Greek militia, they used Spear, shields, and heavy armor and used a formation called Phalanx.

As for the Griever and Destroyer, Destroyer was made up, the name ''Griever'' was taken from Final Fantasy 8.

Actually Luminaire, it does make sense that Rune Blade and Nodachi (basically same idea as katana but larger) are stronger but not bastard sword, I agree with you. I have never seen an actual Wakizashi so I don't know if it is long enough to be a sword or not. Also, Katana's could be used 2 handed, unless you are strong it is awkard with one hand, believe me, I own 2 of them.

split

Banded Mail was part of the Armor worn by Roman Legionaries and a Katana could be used in one hand. In fact the Wakizashi is it's companion blade. In ancient Japan only a Samurai could wear the two together.

split

To some extent i agree that's true that Nodachis were the same as Katanas. Nodachis were originally used to kill horses and were not a respected weapon even after they were taken to the use of killing people. Since no respectable samurai would wield it the quality that was put into the making of a Nodachi was far less than that of the Katana. Master swordsmiths forged exceptionally well made Katanas and Wakizashis, which came as a longsword shortsword pair fro Samurai. Normal soldiers or mercenaries who were prohibited by law to own that pair (If i'm not mistaken they could own either one but not the other) could opt to buy Nodachis since they were both longer and cheaper than any subquality Katana they could get.
I've read a lot about Samurai and unless I'm wrong the smaller size of the Katana would also provide an advantage over the longer blade of the Nodachi. Jubei Yagyu and Musashi were considered the greatest swordsmen of all time and they opted to use the Katana. Even given if a Nodachi was made as well as a good Katana the smaller blade would provide more versatility in the hands of a skilled swordman. That's why the greatest swordsmen of Japan used Katanas since Nodachis required far less finesse (remember it was designed to kill horses).
My point is this: Nodachis were the weapon of choice for any old regular infantry due to its larger size. For very skilled, however, practictioners the Katana was better also due to the Nodachi's larger size.
Ashley who has a habit of destroying Dragons should be able to wield a Katana single-handedly and should have the skill to render it more dangerous than a Nodachi.
Secondly, I'm not disrespecting you, Maximus, But the Katanas that were made in that time were probably betterbalanced than those available today. So th ones available to Ashley would probably better made than the ones you own. =)

split

For Luminaire,

Wakizashis are not used as daggers. Daggers are for thugs and hold no value.

Wakizashis are a symbolic sword. A samurai is to have his sword everywhere he goes. Because a sword is his pride and that is where the saying ''a samurai is never without his sword'' comes from. So the wakizashi is the sword he carries everywhere because the katana is not to be carried into the house of a daimyo or any other superior.

An exception to when a samurai can use the wakizashi is that he has to commit seppuku and the circumstances are not right for him to go through a formal seppuku ceremony, where a traditional seppuku knife is used.

Certain famous samurais like Saigo Takamori and Toyotomi Hideyoshi have been known to never unsheath their wakizashis.

So please don't casually say it can be used as a dagger.

slpit

ive done alittle research on japanese swords, since i myself have several.
Wakazashi=translated means short sword, its basically a katana but shorter, and could be carried anywhere with the samari
Katana=translated sword*not sure, just a guess*
and i dont think its a nodochi, its a tachi*forgot spellins* but a tachi is basically a katana but longer, meaning tachi means long sword.

Oh and Damacus steel IS OR HAS an orange tint to it, thats because of the way its made.
someone talked about someother type of metal but i forgot it, but i know of another one, that was thought to be made from witchcraft, and smiths that used it/worked with it were killed, the metal is called Living Steel. supposidly it gives off some kind of aura, and today there is only one person that still uses Living Steel, and these swords are not cheap. the maker is Angelswords...
ok thats enough talking from me.



Medieval terms site

http://delusionland.com/medieval

Elven phrases site

http://www.grey-company.org/Circle/l...ase.htm#titles

Online world laws

http://www.raphkoster.com/gaming/laws.shtml

Sephiroth system: the 32 paths of wisdom

http://www.skygodproject.net/history...oth_system.htm

[JPS]

Re: multi resources

Why didnt you just post the links for all the names also

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: multi resources

Why didnt you just post the links for all the names also

lost the site thats the problem lol. i copied them down along time ago and lost the site they came from.

[Red Dragon]

Re: multi resources

Coulda just put them into a .txt file and uploaded them to fileden or somthing.