Hi Jennifer,

My husband and I are expecting our second child early this November.
We love uncommon Biblical names that represent our deep faith, that don’t sound too weird.
Our first child we named Selah, she is both strong like a rock, but also musical and meditative like in the Psalms.

For this child we adore the name Calvary if it’s a boy (Cal for short), but have had a difficult time finding a girl name were are as fond of. As an illustrator I am very used to doing loads of research, but most names, while I still like them, I don’t love them as much as I thought I would. Right now we are considering Alleluia (Lulu, Luya, or Ally for short). I’ve noticed neither of these names are in your data base… Am I freaking out for nothing or are these just too weird?

Gratefully yours,
Rebecca

Hi Rebecca,

I don’t consider “Allelujah” or “Alleluia” a Biblical name, as it is an exclamation meaning “praise God.” I understand there are other names that have the same meaning, although this is particularly religious and rare as a given name. I, personally, would not recommend it although I am not a religious person. I see it as being teasable. Every time she encountered someone would they yell “Allelujah!?” That would get old fast.

Calvary is a place name and less likely to be associated with Christianity, although it was the site on which Christ was crucified. It’s also the name of many churches in the U.S. I wouldn’t be as opposed to using this name as much as Alleluia. I say keep brain storming!

Sincerely,

Jennifer

Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.

Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.