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80 biblical baby names for boys and girls — and their place in history

Looking for a name from the Bible for your baby-to-be? You have so many options.
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/ Source: TODAY

Can't decide on a biblical name for your baby-to-be? That's understandable because there are so many.

"It seems straightforward, but the nature of biblical baby names has changed over time," Laura Wattenberg, author of "The Baby Name Wizard," told TODAY Parents.

Names from both the Old and New Testaments have fluctuated in popularity.

Related: Unique boy names for parents searching for baby names with meaning

“A handful of New Testament names like John, James, Mary and Elizabeth dominated for centuries,” Wattenberg, founder of the website Namerology, explained. “In the mid-late 20th century, Old Testament names like Deborah, Jonathan and Rebecca took off.”

According to Wattenberg, some parents prefer a biblical-sounding name — (think Elijah, Delilah, Levi, Naomi or Ezekiel) — but original names with a biblical vibe also are picking up steam.

"You can see the power of biblical style in newly invented names with endings like -iel and -ah (for example, Ameliah and Dariel) and even in the rise of biblical villain names," Wattenberg said. "Many parents like the idea of baby names rooted in tradition and faith, even if the names themselves can’t be considered traditional."

Related: These are the top 200 old-fashioned baby girl names

Check out this list of popular biblical names from the Old and New Testaments. According to Wattenberg, some are Hebrew classics; others (like Joseph and Michael) occur in both the Hebrew and Greek scriptures.

Classic names in English

John

James

Mary

Joseph

Elizabeth

Thomas

Paul

Anna

Samuel

Simon

Martha

David

Peter

Sarah

Philip

Esther

Rhoda

Priscilla

Hannah

Susanna

Names that were popular in the 20th century

Michael

Matthew

Daniel

Rebecca

Mark

Timothy

Rachel

Jonathan

Joanna

Benjamin

Maria

Adam

Leah

Joel

Deborah

Stephen

Tamara

Claudia

Bethany

Judith

21st century favorites

Noah

Hannah

Jacob

Delilah

Elijah

Naomi

Ethan

Abigail

Gabriel

Phoebe

Luke

Lydia

Isaac

Eve

Eli

Sarai

Joshua

Rebekah

Caleb

Eden

Trendy names

Ezekiel

Asher

Ezra

Silas

Levi

Lucas

Micah

Gideon

Jude

Jericho

Micah

Noemi

Keziah

Shiloh

Miriam

Hadassah

Shoshona

Lois

Mara

Selah

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