Ancient boy names: Rediscovering rare options from history

The rich history of ancient civilizations offers many interesting ancient boy names to consider, like Alexander, Brutus, Cassius, and Orion. Choosing one of these timeless yet undiscovered names for boys allows you to give your son a distinctive, cultured name.

Aaron: From the Hebrew name אַהֲרֹן (Aharon) which is most likely of unknown Egyptian origin. Aaron was the older brother of Moses in the Old Testament. He acted as a spokesman for his brother when they demanded that the pharaoh release the Israelites from slavery.

Abel: From the Hebrew name הֶבֶל (Hevel) meaning "breath, vapor". In the Old Testament Abel was the second son of Adam and Eve who was killed by his brother Cain.

Abraham: From the Hebrew name אַבְרָהָם (Avraham) meaning "father of a multitude". Abraham features prominently in the Old Testament as the founding patriarch of the Israelites and Judaism as a religion.

Amos: From the Hebrew name עָמוֹס (amos) meaning "burden, load". Amos was one of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament who authored the Book of Amos, prophesying doom on Israel.

Bartholomew: From Βαρθολομαῖος (Bartholomaios) meaning "son of Talmai". Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Not a lot is known about his life or death according to the New Testament.

Cain: From the Hebrew name קַיִן (Qayin) of uncertain origin. Cain is best known in the Old Testament as the first son of Adam and Eve, murdered his brother Abel after God preferred Abel's sacrifice.

Caleb: From the Hebrew name כָּלֵב (Kalev) meaning "dog". Caleb was one of twelve spies sent into Canaan in the Old Testament. He and Joshua were the only two who brought back an encouraging report and believed the land could be conquered.

Daniel: From the Hebrew name דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning "God is my judge". Daniel was a Hebrew prophet in the Old Testament whose story is told in the Book of Daniel. He was renowned for his ability to interpret dreams and visions.

David: From the Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawid) meaning "beloved". King David is a major figure in the Old Testament books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles as a mighty warrior who united Israel and set the groundwork for the Temple in Jerusalem.

Eli: From the Hebrew name עֵלִי ('Eli) meaning "ascent, elevation". In the Old Testament, Eli was a priest and judge of Israel who trained the prophet Samuel. The Books of Samuel describe Eli's household being cursed for the sins of his sons.

Enoch: From the Hebrew name חֲנוֹךְ (Chanokh) meaning "dedicated". Enoch was said to be the great-grandfather of Noah in the book of Genesis. The apocryphal Book of Enoch expands greatly on the brief biblical mention of this Enoch.

Ezra: From the Hebrew name עֶזְרָא (`Ezra') meaning "help". Ezra led a group of Jewish exiles from Babylon back to Jerusalem in the 5th century BCE. The biblical Book of Ezra credits him with directing the construction of the Second Temple.

Gideon: From the Hebrew name גִּדְעוֹן (Gid'on) meaning "feller, hewer (of wood)". Gideon was a judge and prophet in ancient Israel who defeated a much larger Midianite army with just 300 men in the Book of Judges.

Isaac: From the Hebrew name יִצְחָק (Yitzchaq) meaning "he laughs". Isaac was the long-promised son of Abraham and Sarah whose intended sacrifice by his father on Mount Moriah was a test of faith. He became the father of Esau and Jacob.

Jacob: From the Hebrew name יַעֲקֹב (Ya'aqov) meaning "at the heel". Jacob features prominently in the Old Testament from his birth clutching his twin brother Esau's heel to fathering twelve sons who became the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesse: From the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishay) meaning "gift". Jesse was the father of King David in the Books of Samuel. He is described as a man of wealth and high position, but is not elaborated upon beyond his relation to his famous son.

Jonah: From the Hebrew name יוֹנָה (Yonah) meaning "dove". In the Old Testament Book of Jonah, Jonah was swallowed by a fish or whale and spent three days inside it before being vomited out for disobeying God's command to prophesy to the city Nineveh.

Joseph: From the Hebrew name יוֹסֵף (Yosef) meaning "he will add". Joseph was Jacob's eleventh son in the Old Testament. He was sold into slavery in Egypt but rose to become vizier, the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh.

Joshua: From the Hebrew name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshu'a) meaning "YAHWEH is salvation". Joshua assists Moses in the Old Testament and leads the Israelite tribes in conquest of Canaan after Moses' death. The Book of Joshua details his successful campaigns.

Jude: From the Hebrew name יְהוּדָה (Yehudah), probably meaning "praised". Jude was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus in the New Testament. He is traditionally assumed to be the author of the Epistle of Jude.

Matthias: From Ματθίας (Matthias) which was probably derived from Ματταθίας (Mattathias) meaning "gift of YAHWEH". Matthias was chosen to replaced Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve apostles in Acts 1 of the New Testament.

Methuselah: From the Hebrew name מְתוּשֶׁלַח (M'tushelah) meaning "man of the dart". Methuselah was said to have lived 969 years, longer than anyone else named in the Bible. He was the grandfather of Noah.

Moses: English form of the Hebrew name מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh) meaning "drawn out (of the water)". Moses was the prophet through whom God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt as described prominently in the Old Testament books Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Nathan: From the Hebrew name נָתָן (Natan) meaning "he gave". Nathan was a court prophet who challenged King David over his adultery with Bathsheba in the Old Testament. The Books of Samuel state that Nathan wrote histories of David's reign.

Noah: From the Hebrew name נֹחַ (Noach) meaning "rest, comfort". In the Old Testament Noah built the ark that allowed his family and pairs of every animal species to survive the Flood. After the Flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God.

Samuel: From the Hebrew name שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el) meaning "God 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.

Saul: From the Hebrew name שָׁאוּל (Sha'ul) meaning "asked for, prayed for". Saul was the first king of Israel chosen by the prophet Samuel in the Old Testament Books of Samuel. He was eventually rejected by God for disobeying commands.

Seth: From the Hebrew name שֵׁת (Shet) meaning "placed, appointed". Seth was the third named son of Adam and Eve after Cain and Abel according to Genesis 4:25, and the ancestor of Noah.

Solomon: From the Hebrew name שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomoh) meaning "peaceful". Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of David and Bathsheba. He was renowned for his wisdom and wealth. He was the builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem.

Thomas: From the Aramaic name תָּאוֹמָא (Ta'oma') meaning "twin". Thomas was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He initially doubted Jesus' resurrection, but later proclaimed "My Lord and my God" after seeing Jesus.