It is true that parents are now looking for modern names or trying to come up with unique and unheard of names for their little ones. And the difficulty in spellings or pronunciation has taken away some of the glamour from Biblical names. But in spite of that, biblical names continue to be extremely popular not just in the Western world but in other countries with Christian occupants. It is a known fact that the choices are much more for males than females simply because there are more male characters of importance and significance in the Bible. The choice might be less for the girl child but nevertheless, there are some beautiful and exquisite Bible names for females that you can consider for naming your little princess.

Though biblical names should actually mean the personalities and characters mentioned in the Holy Book, there are many modern names which are adaptations or derivations of these names. These include names like Hope, Grace, Bethany, Adonis, Marcellus etc. According to a recent survey, one of the most popular Biblical names that continue to be used frequently in the modern times is Jacob. The others include Andrew, Anthony, William, Joshua, Daniel, Ethan, Matthew, Michael and Christopher. Sometimes, parents tend to name their children after the heroes of the Holy Book like Moses, Abraham, Issac, Abel etc. as these are meaningful names which have been immortalized by the people who bore these names. The desirable qualities and strength of the character makes these names all the more attractive for the modern generation parents.

The top female name from the Bible, according to the survey, is Emily which is closely followed by Emma, Isabella, Madison, Hannah, Ava, Abigail, Olivia, Sophia and Elizabeth. Another trend for naming babies these days is to use tweak the biblical names to from new and unique ones. One such name that is becoming common is Nevaeh which is heaven spelt backwards. Mary, mother of Jesus, used to be an extremely common name in the earlier days but has somehow lost its shine because of its very high frequency. So is the case with Eve which used to be extremely popular among girl children but is now on the downside.

The relevance of Bible names will continue in the coming generations too. There might be many new and unique names that will come up but the beauty of these age old names will never go out of fashion. So the next time you are looking for a baby name, open up the Bible and read through it to come across beautiful and meaningful names for your little bundle of joy.

Popular boy names

Some of the most common boy names include

• Mason – This is a name with French origin meaning ‘bricklayer’ or ‘stone mason’. It is derived from the name ‘macian’ meaning “to make”
• Liam – A name originating from Ireland meaning “to protect”. It is short for the name ‘William’.
• Jacob – It is Hebrew name. It means ‘held by the heel’. It is found in the Christian bible where Jacob was the son of Isaac.
• Ethan –This is also a Hebrew name meaning “to be strong or permanent”. It occurs often in the Christian and Hebrew bibles.

Popular girl names

There are names that many girls and women share. They include:

• Emma – It is a name of German origin. It means ‘absolute’ or ‘universal’. It is also a shortened form of the Hebrew name ‘Emmanuel’ meaning ‘God with us’
• Olivia – This is a name originating from Greece. It is a form of ‘olive’ with represents peace. It is also the female version of ‘Oliver’
• Sophia – This is also a Greek name meaning ‘wisdom’
• Isabella – This is a Hebrew name meaning ‘God is a vow’. It is also very popular in European countries like Spain and Italy.

The above names show that most parents prefer to adopt baby names with religious undertones.

It is important to take time in the baby name selection process. This is because there is a direct connection between the personality a baby develops and the name given to him or her.

Most parents want the best for their children. They want them to have a balanced life, to do well in school, to have a strong circle of friends etc. The best way to set this ball rolling is to give them names that represent these qualities. For instance, a baby named ‘Ethan’ will start associating himself with ‘unwavering strength’ during his formative years. It is not surprising to find that the baby develops a strong personality and good character when he grows up.

On the other hand, giving a baby names with negative meanings will wreak havoc in that baby’s life. Choosing a funny name will cause that child to be ridiculed by his/her peers in school. The end result is low self-esteem and in extreme cases, violent or suicidal tendencies. Personality flaws that develop during a child’s early years stay with them for the rest of their lives.

More parents are starting to avoid naming their children after their parents, relatives or using popular names. Instead, they are opting for unusual names. Some are naming their children after characters of antiquity, unknown plants, birds etc, all in a bid to have their babies stand out.

In a nutshell, names play a large role in how our lives turn out. It is important for parents to pay particular attention when looking for their children’s names.