Religious Names
Religious names carry centuries of faith, story and meaning. Some come straight from scripture, like Hebrew names from the Bible or Arabic names honoring the attributes of God; others belong to saints, angels, or the gods and goddesses of ancient mythologies that shaped art and language for thousands of years.
This section gathers them all with accurate meanings and sources. Start with our biblical names and saint names for baby-name inspiration, explore angel names, or learn the titles believers use in names of God. Below is a sample from each list, followed by links to every collection.
Religious: browse all lists
Biblical names
Names from the Old and New Testaments remain among the most popular in the U.S. See our full lists of biblical boy names and biblical girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Where in the Bible |
|---|---|---|
| Elijah | Hebrew “my God is Yahweh” | Prophet, 1 Kings 17–19 |
| Miriam | Hebrew, possibly “bitter” or “beloved” | Sister of Moses, Exodus 15 |
| Noah | Hebrew “rest, comfort” | Genesis 6–9 |
| Hannah | Hebrew “grace, favor” | Mother of Samuel, 1 Samuel 1 |
| Isaiah | Hebrew “Yahweh is salvation” | Prophet, Book of Isaiah |
| Ruth | Hebrew, possibly “friend, companion” | Book of Ruth |
| Levi | Hebrew “joined, attached” | Son of Jacob, Genesis 29 |
| Abigail | Hebrew “my father is joy” | Wife of David, 1 Samuel 25 |
| Micah | Hebrew “who is like Yahweh?” | Prophet, Book of Micah |
| Lydia | Greek, “woman from Lydia” | Early convert, Acts 16 |
Saint names
Many Catholic and Orthodox families choose a saint’s name for baptism or confirmation. Find more in our saint names.
| Name | Saint | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Francis | St. Francis of Assisi | Patron saint of animals and ecology |
| Theresa | St. Teresa of Ávila / St. Thérèse of Lisieux | Mystic; “The Little Flower” |
| Patrick | St. Patrick | Patron saint of Ireland |
| Clare | St. Clare of Assisi | Founder of the Poor Clares |
| Augustine | St. Augustine of Hippo | Author of <em>Confessions</em> |
| Monica | St. Monica | Mother of Augustine; patron of mothers |
| Benedict | St. Benedict of Nursia | Father of Western monasticism |
| Cecilia | St. Cecilia | Patron saint of music |
Angel names
Angels appear in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition, though only a few are named in scripture. Explore archangel names and fallen angel names.
| Name | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel | Hebrew “God is my strength” | Daniel 8; Luke 1 |
| Michael | Hebrew “who is like God?” | Daniel 10; Revelation 12 |
| Raphael | Hebrew “God heals” | Book of Tobit |
| Uriel | Hebrew “God is my light” | 1 Enoch; 2 Esdras |
| Seraphina | From <em>seraphim</em>, “burning ones” | Isaiah 6 |
| Ariel | Hebrew “lion of God” | Isaiah 29 (as a name for Jerusalem) |
| Azrael | Hebrew “whom God helps” | Angel of death in later tradition |
| Jibril | Arabic form of Gabriel | Qur’an 2:97 |
Names of God, Jesus and Allah
Believers use many titles to describe God. Each has its own page: names of Jesus and the 99 names of Allah.
| Name | Meaning | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| Elohim | Hebrew “God” (plural of majesty) | Jewish and Christian, Genesis 1:1 |
| El Shaddai | Hebrew, traditionally “God Almighty” | Genesis 17:1 |
| Adonai | Hebrew “my Lord” | Jewish liturgy |
| Emmanuel | Hebrew “God with us” | Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23 |
| Alpha and Omega | The first and the last | Revelation 22:13 |
| Prince of Peace | Title of the Messiah | Isaiah 9:6 |
| Ar-Rahman | Arabic “the Most Gracious” | One of the 99 names of Allah |
| Al-Hakim | Arabic “the Most Wise” | One of the 99 names of Allah |
Names from the Qur’an and Islamic tradition
Many prophets are shared by the Bible and the Qur’an, in Arabic form. For more, see our Muslim names and Arabic names.
| Name | Meaning / figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Maryam | Mary, mother of Jesus (Isa) | The only woman named in the Qur’an; Surah 19 bears her name |
| Yusuf | Joseph, son of Jacob | Surah 12 tells his story |
| Ibrahim | Abraham | Revered as Khalil Allah, “friend of God” |
| Musa | Moses | The prophet mentioned most often in the Qur’an |
| Isa | Jesus | Honored as a prophet in Islam |
| Sulayman | Solomon | King and prophet known for wisdom |
| Dawud | David | King and prophet, given the Zabur (Psalms) |
| Yunus | Jonah | Swallowed by the whale; Surah 10 |
| Fatima | Arabic “one who weans” | Daughter of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Khadija | Arabic “early baby, premature” | First wife of the Prophet Muhammad |
Christian virtue names
Virtue names became popular with the Puritans and are fashionable again today. Browse our Christian names and Puritan names.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Grace | God’s unearned favor | Top-100 U.S. girl name for decades |
| Faith | Trust in God | 1 Corinthians 13:13 |
| Hope | Expectation of good | Paired with Faith and Charity |
| Charity | Christian love | Latin <em>caritas</em> |
| Mercy | Compassion, forgiveness | Puritan favorite |
| Constance | Latin “steadfastness” | Faithfulness |
| Felicity | Latin “good fortune, happiness” | Also an early martyr, St. Felicity |
| Christian | “Follower of Christ” | Acts 11:26 |
Gods and goddesses from world mythology
Ancient religions gave us some of the most striking names still in use. See Greek god names, Norse god names, Egyptian god names and goddess names.
| Name | Role | Mythology |
|---|---|---|
| Athena | Goddess of wisdom and war strategy | Greek |
| Apollo | God of music, light and prophecy | Greek |
| Artemis | Goddess of the hunt and the moon | Greek |
| Hermes | Messenger god | Greek |
| Odin | All-father, god of wisdom | Norse |
| Freya | Goddess of love and beauty | Norse |
| Thor | God of thunder | Norse |
| Frigg | Queen of Asgard | Norse |
| Isis | Goddess of magic and motherhood | Egyptian |
| Osiris | God of the afterlife | Egyptian |
| Ra | Sun god | Egyptian |
| Bastet | Cat goddess of home and protection | Egyptian |
How to choose a religious name respectfully
- Check the story, not just the meaning. Some biblical figures had complicated lives — read the passage before choosing.
- Consider your tradition’s customs. Many Catholics pick a baptismal saint; many Muslim families avoid using the divine names of Allah alone and prefix “Abd” (servant of), as in Abdul Rahman.
- Mythological names are cultural, not doctrinal. Names like Athena or Freya are used widely today regardless of faith.
- Look at spelling variants. Hebrew and Arabic names have many English spellings (Elijah/Elias, Jibril/Gibreel) — choose one that reads easily.
- Pair with a meaningful middle name. Virtue names like Grace or Faith make lovely middle names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular biblical name?
Noah, Elijah and Levi for boys and Hannah, Abigail and Leah for girls have ranked high in U.S. Social Security baby-name data in recent years.
What are religious names for a boy?
Classic choices include Elijah, Isaiah, Micah, Gabriel, Francis, Benedict and Christian.
What are religious names for a girl?
Popular picks include Hannah, Miriam, Ruth, Grace, Faith, Clare and Seraphina.
How many names of God are there in the Bible?
Scripture uses many names and titles for God, including Elohim, Yahweh, Adonai, El Shaddai and El Elyon, along with descriptive titles like Shepherd and Rock.
What are the 99 names of Allah?
They are attributes of God in Islam, such as Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious) and Al-Hakim (the Most Wise). See our full list of the names of Allah.