Gwyneth Paltrow with baby Apple in 2004. Paltrow heralded the biblical name trend when she named her second child Moses. Image by Getty Images

By Anne Cohen January 3, 2014

Are you expecting a little bundle of joy in 2014?

If so, you better revisit your Hebrew school notes. According to BabyNames.net, the biggest new name trend isn’t fruit-related (read: Apple Paltrow-Martin) or experimental (North West…).

No. 2014 will be the year of the Biblical name – Welcome Caleb and Levi! How do you do, Naomi and Ruth!

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

After years of Blue Ivy and Bear Winslet, why this sudden return to tradition? In an interview on FoxNews, Julie Andrews (not the one of Maria von Trapp or Mary Poppins fame, though in this case, the name seems fitting), columnist for BabyNet.com, explained why the old is now new:

“We”ve had Biblical names in the past, but then we sort of went away from that and into this trend of really being creative, trying to win the competition for most original and even inventing names,” Andrews said. ” But now we’re really coming away from that, we’re coming back to history and tradition. There’s so much lore and stories about biblical names, and we’re looking for that bedrock and foundation of things that we know and are familiar with – there’s a lot of comfort in that.”

And just like that, Adriel is the new Ace Knute. After all, even Gwyneth Paltrow named her second child Moses.

For inspiration, check out this list of potential names, from Abel to Zachary.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount