Names play a variety of roles in the Bible. They sometimes relate to the nominee's role in a biblical narrative, as in the case of Nabal, a foolish man whose name means "fool".[1] Names in the Bible can represent human hopes, divine revelations, or are used to illustrate prophecies.[2][clarification needed]
The titles given to characters, locations, and entities in the Bible can differ across various English translations. In a study conducted by the BibleAsk team in 2024, a comprehensive catalog of names found in the King James Version was compiled and organized into categories such as individuals, geographical locations, national groups, and miscellaneous designations. The team discovered that within the King James Version Bible, a total of 3,397 distinct names were identified. Among these, 1,967 names pertain to individuals, 1,051 names refer to places, 315 names denote collective entities or nations, and 85 names are allocated to miscellaneous items such as months, rivers, or pagan deities. There are instances of overlap, where the same name may be used across multiple categories (e.g., as both a personal name and a geographical location).[3]
During the period 330 BC – 200 AD, the most common male names in Judea or post Kingdom of Israel were:[4]
During this period, the most common female names were:[4]
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| By culture Surnames by country |
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| Manners of address List of authority/of honour |
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| Related traditions |
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| Related |
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