Old Testament names

[PilauMice]

We are looking for names with a Christian/Muslim crossover. Surname is tricky as it has hard k, y and n sounds which rules out a lot of lovely names.

For boys:
I love Samuel (Sam), DH doesn't like Samuel but is ok with Sam, I refuse to put a shortened name on a birth cert.
Jacob- We both like it but I HATE Jake and I don't want to be that mother who hisses 'Jacob' whenever his friends call him Jake. Also the k sound is a bit much with surname.
Adam- Both think it's boring
Joseph- I like more than DH, he especially doesn't like Joe (see jacob!)
Noah- It's getting very popular and I like to think I'm yoooniique.
Zachary- I like it but again it's quite common and it contains the k and the y sounds which grate with our surname.

Girls:
Miriam- I liked it for DS1 but I've now gone off it. DH still loves it.
Sarah- I love it, DH not so keen.

Errr, not many women in the old testament, damn the patriarchy!

Can anyone help with some suggestions/comments? We might be close to a deal where I let him have Miriam for a girl if he lets me have Samuel for a boy. Is that fair?

[indieakka]

Abraham? Abe is a really fab nn!

[Biscuitsneeded]

How about Samir instead of Samuel?

[HerRoyalNotness]

I love Miriam and Samuel, nice choices.

Other not so out there OT names:

Asher
Caleb
Benjamin
Daniel
Jonah
Jesse
Levi
Phineas

Abigail
Naomi
Esther
Orpah
Rebecca
Rachel
Zipporah

[PilauMice]

Wow, Zipporah is an amazing name.

[HerRoyalNotness]

It's great right! I only know one, in her 20s, she's a lovely, confident girl.

[meditrina]

I think Zillah is a wonderful name, but probably unusable now. Not to my taste, but Delilah and Jezebel are both in use.

Jemima?

[florascotia]

Miriam and Samuel are both great. Otherwise, as well as names above (I like Jemima):

Girls' names ARE difficult:

Adah, Azariah, Eve, Dinah, Hannah, Sheba, Judith, Ruth, Keziah, Leah, Michal, Tamar, Tirzah, Vashti, Susannah, Deborah, Jael, Elizabeth, Sarai, Hepzibah...

Boys' names much easier:

Abel, Amos, Ariel, David, Jonathan, Jared, Jeremy, Michael, Eli, Elijah, Ezra, Isaac, Isiah, Gideon, Jethro, Joseph, Joshua, Jude, Nathan/Nathaniel, Noah, Saul, Solomon...

[HenriettaTurkey]

Esther, Hannah, Ruth

Elisha, Nathaniel

[looki]

Why is Zilah unusable now? (Curious)

[Chillycamper]

Talitha
Samira
Esther

Elisha
Elijah
Reuben - may clash with n in surname
Solomon - sorry n again

[colleysmill]

I had a relative called Zilla. I love it but dh vetoed it totally saying it would be a lifetime of nicknames along the lines of Godzilla

[HamAndPlaques]

Bathsheba?

[PilauMice]

I love Esther, Hannah, Rebecca and Susannah but the last three clash with the surname.

Maybe I should just change the surname and put it down as Rebecca Jones. Can you put a random and completely new surname on a birth cert or does it have to be a family name?

[Megrim]

Abigail
Bethany
Elizabeth
Jemima
Joanna
Judith
Leah
Lydia
Martha
Naomi
Rachel
Ruth
Sarah
Tabitha
Tamar
Zina

Adam
Andrew
Benjamin
Caleb
Daniel
David
Elijah
Ethan
Gabriel
Gideon
Isaac
James
Jason
Joel
Jonathan
Joseph
Jude
Lucas
Luke
Marcus
Mark
Matthew
Nathan
Stephen
Thomas
Tobias

[DonkeysDontRideBicycles]

I have a feeling the mother of a child can give the child any first and surname she likes.

Hopefully someone else can corroborate this but the surname is just a second name, it can be anything; DH's surname, related or unrelated to you, or anything you choose.

[Blithereens]

I love Josiah. Probably just because of the West Wing

[Meggymoodle]

Nobody has mentioned my favourite OT man's name: Jotham.

Ruth for a girl.

[sonlypuppyfat]

Deborah and Esther were both pretty cool.

[NationMcKinley]

Reuben
Isaac
Josiah
Jonah
Seth
Judah


Sarai
Eve (!)

I love Miriam too

[BumpNGrind]

What about Eden for a girl, I know it's not strictly an Old Testament name but is still very relevant.

Also what about Samson instead of Samuel? The nn could be Sonny instead of/In addition to Sam.

[NationMcKinley]

Eden is a fab name. Apparently it's traditionally a boys name although DH and I had it on our girls list and didn't use it for any of our DSs

[Redling]

We are going with Nathaniel for a boy. I didn't choose it because of Old Testament but I'm glad it's traditional. I adore Bathsheba for a girl but I don't have the balls to do it!

[fussychica]

Adam boring? How very dare you. Chose this for our DS and never regretted it and he is pretty happy with it too 21 years on.

[Topsyloulou]

How about Zachariah rather than Zachary?

Bethany is a lovely Old Testament name & nn can be Beth or Betsy.