The New Testament gives more recorded conversations between Jesus and women than between Jesus and most of his named male disciples. Their voices come through the text directly: Mary’s consent at the Annunciation, Martha’s confession at Lazarus’ tomb, Elizabeth’s blessing, Anna’s testimony at the temple, the Magdalene’s witness at the empty tomb. Seven of these women have remained as Christian girls’ names in continuous use. Each name carries a moment in the Gospels or Acts when a woman either recognized who Jesus was or carried his message after his death.
Mary (Hebrew Miryam through Greek Maria, Latin Maria; the same name as the Old Testament Miriam). Multiple women named Mary appear in the New Testament. Mary the mother of Jesus, betrothed to Joseph in Nazareth, who responded to Gabriel’s announcement with consent rather than refusal (Luke 1:38). Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus, who sat at Jesus’ feet to learn while her sister served (Luke 10:38-42). Mary the mother of James and Joses, present at the crucifixion and the tomb. The name has been one of the most consistently given Christian girls’ names in continuous use for two thousand years, with translations into every Christian language: Maria, Marie, Maria, Miryam, Maryam. Held #1 in US baby names in 1880; ranked #125 in 2025.
Martha (Aramaic Martha, “lady” or “mistress”). Sister of Mary of Bethany and Lazarus. Met Jesus at the door when Lazarus had been four days in the tomb and answered his question about belief in the resurrection with one of the most direct Christological confessions in the Gospel of John: that she believed he was the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world (John 11:21-27). Earlier in the Gospel of Luke she had complained that Mary was not helping with the housework (Luke 10:38-42), receiving the answer that her sister had chosen the better part. The name reads warm, dignified, and unfussy. Held the US Top 20 in the 1880s; ranked #713 in 2025.
Elizabeth (Hebrew Elisheva, “my God is an oath” or “God is my abundance”; in Greek Elisabet). Wife of the priest Zacharias and mother of John the Baptist. Conceived in old age after years of childlessness, in parallel to Sarah’s late conception of Isaac in Genesis. When her cousin Mary came to visit while both were pregnant, the unborn John leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth declared Mary blessed among women (Luke 1:39-45). The name has been among the most consistently used Christian girls’ names for centuries, with many recognizable nicknames including Liz, Beth, Eliza, Betsy, and Lisa. Ranked #17 in US baby names in 2025; held #3 in 1887, a remarkably tight range across the full SSA dataset.
Anna (Hebrew Channah through Greek Hanna; the New Testament form of the Old Testament Hannah). The aged prophetess at the temple who recognized the infant Jesus when his parents brought him for purification (Luke 2:36-38). Widowed after seven years of marriage, she had served in the temple with fasting and prayer for decades, perhaps as long as eighty-four years. After encountering Jesus she spoke about him to everyone in Jerusalem who was looking for the redemption of the city. Anna and the elder Simeon together form the temple-recognition pair that closes Luke’s infancy narrative. Ranked #107 in 2025, down from an 1880 peak of #2.
Magdalene (Greek Magdalēnē, “of Magdala,” referring to the fishing town on the Sea of Galilee from which Mary Magdalene came; the place-of-origin designation evolved into a personal name in later Christian usage). Mary Magdalene, distinct from the other Marys in the New Testament, was the disciple from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons (Luke 8:2). She traveled with Jesus during his Galilean ministry, stood at the foot of the cross, and was the first witness of the Resurrection at the empty tomb (John 20:11-18). The name has fallen out of common use as a given name but remains recognizable through its biblical and historical weight. Outside the SSA Top 1000 in 2025 (rank #1345); peaked at #432 in 1904.
Joanna (Hebrew Yochanah, feminine form of Yochanan, “the LORD is gracious”; the same root as John). Wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod Antipas. One of the women who supported Jesus’ Galilean ministry from her own means (Luke 8:3) and one of the women who came to the tomb on the resurrection morning to find it empty (Luke 24:10). Her wealth, her court connections, and her presence at the tomb make her one of the most concretely documented women in Jesus’ circle. The name has remained in steady Christian use and is one of the gentler-sounding New Testament girls’ names. Ranked #306 in 2025, down from a 1984 peak of #88.
Tabitha (Aramaic Tabitha, “gazelle”; the Greek form Dorcas in Acts has the same meaning). A disciple in Joppa devoted to good works and charity, who made garments for the widows of the community (Acts 9:36-42). When she died, the widows showed Peter the clothing she had made; Peter prayed and raised her from the dead, one of the few resurrections recorded in the apostolic writings. Tabitha has remained an evocative if uncommon biblical girls’ name, with a sound that reads gentle without being saccharine. Outside the SSA Top 1000 in 2025 (rank #1308), down from a 1978 peak of #126.
Other women appear in the New Testament narrative without yet having dedicated entries on this site: Salome at the tomb, Susanna who supported the ministry from her means (Luke 8:3), and Eunice and Lois who raised Timothy in the faith (2 Timothy 1:5).
Beyond the women of the Gospels and Acts, the Old Testament generates two more clusters of girl names worth knowing. The matriarchs of Genesis anchor the family tree from Sarah through Leah. The Old Testament women beyond the matriarchs cover Miriam, Ruth, Esther, and the rest. Strong biblical girl names with deep meanings curates cross-cutting picks by meaning rather than by figure. Less common biblical girl names covers Junia, Phoebe, Lydia, and the rest of the early Christian women named once or twice in the New Testament. For the complete list, see New Testament names or Biblical girl names.
Names from the conversations Jesus had
The disciples got most of the speaking lines in the Gospels, but the women got some of the most pointed ones. Mary said yes. Martha gave the Christological confession that’s framed as the Gospel of John’s structural center. Elizabeth recognized what was happening before the birth had taken place. Anna saw who the child in the temple was. Mary Magdalene saw the risen Christ before any of the men did.
These are not background names. They are the names of the women who showed up in the right place at the right time and recognized what was in front of them. A child named for one of them is named for someone whose name appears in Scripture next to a moment of seeing clearly.
The disciples got most of the speaking lines in the Gospels, but the women got some of the most pointed ones.
Sources
- Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. University of Chicago Press.
- Brown, Driver, and Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford University Press.
- Hanks, Hardcastle, and Hodges. A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press.
- Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/