It is much more common to hear baby names for girls from the bible such as Elizabeth, Sarah or Mary. However there are many unique bible names to choose from to name a new baby girl.
One of the reasons parents may choose to use a more unique bible name is because of the historical and spiritual significance of using names from scripture to name their children. They may prefer something a bit more unusual rather than the typical bible baby names that are more commonly heard.
Here are several unusual bible baby names for a girl to select from as well as a description of their role in scripture.
Phoebe (means "shining light" or "pure")
Although it is not as popular a baby name as it used to be years ago, the name Phoebe can be found in the New Testament. Phoebe was a Greek woman who was one of the early converts to Christianity and held the position of deaconess in the early Christian Church. She played a very prominent role in the early days of Christianity.
Adria (means "without wood")
Adria (pronounced ad-ree-yah) is a Greek word that is found in the New Testament. It is sometimes used as a unique bible baby name for a girl. Adria was the name of a sea that extended from Greece to Italy and was the site of the famous shipwreck in which Paul was held captive as a prisoner.
Caleh (mean "completion" or "maturity")
Caleh is another unusual name from the bible that could be used for babies of either gender. It is pronounced "keh-lah" and is Hebrew in origin. In Genesis, Caleh was one of the oldest cities of Assyria.
Tamara (means "palm tree")
This Hebrew name is not an unusual baby name, however most parents would not recognize that the name Tamara is found in the bible. Tamara was the daughter-in-law of Judah and the mother of twins Perez and Zerah. Another variation of Tamara is Tamar, who was also well-known as a daughter of King David.
Reaia (means "God has seen")
Although Reaia was Hebrew name for a boy in biblical times, it might be more appealing as a baby name for a girl today. It is actually pronounced "ray-aw-yaw" and in the Old Testament, Reaia belonged to the tribe of Reuben and was the son of Micah.
Salome (means "peaceful")
In the New Testament, it is more likely that people would have known about Salome, rather than known her by her name. Salome was a Hebrew woman and a close follower of Jesus. Her two sons, James and John, were both apostles of Jesus. She was one of the witnesses of the crucifixion as well as one of the women to see the empty tomb. Because of the prominence of this woman and her important role in scripture, Salome may be a unique and desirable bible baby name for a girl.
Parents searching for a unique bible baby name rather than a common one for their girl have many names to choose from. There are even more specific websites with many bible names that can help parents in their quest.
Reference:
The New International Version Study Bible, Zondervan Publishing, 1995.
Brenda Lane - Brenda Lane is a published author, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, DONA certified birth doula and approved birth doula trainer.
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