The perfect name is one of the first and most important gifts parents can give their children - and often one of the most challenging decisions of parenthood. Expectant parents who want their child's name to be meaningful will find Classic Biblical Baby Names a unique and invaluable resource. Drawing from both the Old and New Testaments, here are hundreds of history's most enduring names, carefully selected to appeal to contemporary tastes yet outlast trends. Organized alphabetically by gender, and complete with fascinating background information, each entry includes:

• Scriptural stories surrounding the name
• Meaning and spiritual connotation
• Citation of where the name appears in the Bible
• Proper pronunciation
• Cultural origin
• Alternate spellings, related names, nicknames
• Famous namesakes

From Adam to Zeph and Abigail to Zia, Classic Biblical Baby Names will enrich your understanding of familiar names and invite you to discover lesser-known possibilities. Names are an integral part of our identity and this one-of-a-kind guide will help you choose a name that reflects your hopes for the future and instills a sense of self in your child.

Of all the hundreds of decisions that expectant parents must make, one of the most important is choosing a name for their new baby. "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches," says Proverbs 22:1. For parents wanting to give their child a name with substance, a name that represents strength and tradition, a name whose enduring meaning will outlast the trends of Brittany, Tiffany, and Tyler, here is Classic Biblical Baby Names: Timeless Names for Modern Parents.

Names are an integral part of our identity. A child's name affects his/her self-perception and reflects the parents' beliefs and culture. A name pays tribute to the individual spirit and is one of the first wonderful gifts you can offer your child. Naming your baby is like naming your hopes for the future; the "right" name will shepherd your child into a life of grace, strength, and integrity.

In the beginning, God gave Adam the sacred task of naming every living thing, and the Bible is replete with stories about assigning names. Moses received his name because Pharaoh's daughter "drew him out of the water" (Exodus 2:10) and Leah called her son Asher because she was "happy" (Genesis 30:13). Like Adam, you are given the sacred task of choosing a name for your child - a name that will express your beliefs, your history, and your dreams. With the Bible as a guide, you can be certain that your choice will be underscored by a strong spiritual heritage as well.

For example, naming a girl Bethany, after the village near Jerusalem where Lazarus rose from the dead (John 11:38-44), evokes a spiritual awareness that trendier names such as Madison and Mackenzie may be lacking. It offers her a home in a cherished religious tradition and may even invite her to discover more about her namesake by reading the Bible. Likewise, selecting Tamar instead of Taylor opens a young person to choices that are even more profound and will help give your child a unique sense of self.

For those who are searching for a name that is both meaningful and spiritual, Classic Biblical Baby Names offers a myriad of choices. Organized alphabetically by gender, this collection offers hundreds of biblical names culled from both the Old and New Testaments. Each entry includes:

• The language/cultural origin of the name
• Pronunciation
• Concise meaning
• Spiritual connotation
• Scriptural story surrounding the name
• Citation of where the name appears in the Bible
• Related names and nicknames
• Alternate names with spelling variations

This book is not intended to be comprehensive. Of the 3,300 names in both the Old and New Testaments, nearly 500 have been selected. The names were chosen with the consideration that they should appeal to contemporary tastes. Others, such as Jezebel and Judas, were excluded because of their association with evil, and Jehoshaphat because of its impracticality.

Unlike some exhaustive name dictionaries, which provide only a one- or two-word definition for thousands of names, Classic Biblical Baby Names offers a selection of specifically chosen names that are beautiful and powerful, along with the engaging biblical story of each name's origin. Expectant parents can use this guide to give them background on more-common names and to open up new possibilities of lesser-known names that are classic and unique at the same time. In our multicultural society, unusual names are no longer the exception, and the Bible is a rich resource waiting to be mined.

"A good name is better than precious ointment," says Ecclesiastes 7:1. Take time to peruse these pages and make a choice that will start your precious one off on a distinctive path that will last a lifetime.

Copyright © 2006 by Judith Tropea.

Tags: Parenting and Families, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Christianity: Bible

About the Author

Judith Tropea has written children's books, including A Day in the Life of a Bee Keeper. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey.