The name "Ariel" is actually a Hebrew name from the Bible and it doesn't mean "mermaid"--it means "lion of God" or "lioness of God". It is technically a unisex name, but it seems to be more common for females, especially since the main character of Disney's version of "The Little Mermaid" bears this name.
There are men named Ariel in the Old Testament, see Ezra 8:16 and 2 Samuel 23:20, but it is also used as another name for Jerusalem in Isaiah 29. Jerusalem or Ariel is addressed as feminine in Isaiah.
2. Bathsheba
Answer: Daughter of the oath
"Bathsheba" means "daughter of the oath". In 2 Samuel 11, Bathsheba was the woman who David saw bathing. He lusted after her and then murdered her husband. David should be considered the only one to blame for that mess; he was being a Peeping Tom! However, Bathsheba eventually became one of David's wives and the mother of Solomon, Nathan, Shimea, and Shobab. 1 Chronicles 3:5 alternatively calls her "Bath-shua".
While it might seem interesting that her name includes "bath" in it and her story includes a bath, it must be pointed out that the Hebrew word "bath" means "daughter".
3. Claudia
Answer: Lame
The name "Claudia" is the feminine version of "Claudius" and it means "lame". It was originally a Roman name. 2 Timothy 4:21 references a Christian woman named Claudia. Some scholars suggest that she was the wife of Pudens and the mother of Linus, because the verse mentions her alongside those men. The text itself doesn't really state this.
Tradition also asserts that Pilate's wife was named Claudia. The Bible doesn't mention Pilate's wife's name. In a similar way, the Bible left the step-daughter of Herod Antipas nameless, but it is believed that "Salome" was her name.
4. Deborah
Answer: Bee
"Deborah" is a Hebrew name, which means "bee". The Bible includes two women who bear this name. In Genesis, Deborah was Rebekah's nurse. The other Deborah was a judge and prophetess (see Judges 4). She must had been a tough woman for her time, because Barak said that he wouldn't go to war unless she went with him!
This name's diminutives include "Deb" and "Debbie" or "Debby".
5. Elizabeth
Answer: My God is my oath
"Elizabeth" comes from the Greek version, "Elisabet", of the Hebrew "Elisheva", which means "my God is my oath". This name appears in the Old Testament as "Elisheba", in which Aaron's wife and Moses's sister-in-law bore it. According to the New Testament, Elizabeth was John the Baptist's mother and probably the aunt or cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Another spelling is "Elisabeth". Its diminutives include "Beth", "Eliza", and even "Lisa".
6. Gomer
Answer: Complete or completion
The unfaithful wife of the prophet Hosea was named Gomer (see the book of Hosea). The name means "complete" or "completion" in Hebrew, and BibleGateway.com states that her name was indicative of the adultery and idolatry that she committed. In other words, she was completely wicked.
In the Bible, most prostitutes were unmarried. Gomer continued to be a prostitute even after Hosea married her and professed love for her.
7. Huldah
Answer: Weasel
The name "Huldah" apparently means "weasel" in Hebrew, but the lady from the Bible is almost anything but a weasel. Information about her can be found in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Huldah was a prophetess and, like Deborah, also a great woman of the Old Testament.
King Josiah consulted Huldah when Hilkiah the priest found a copy of the Book of the Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy; the Torah or Pentateuch). Oddly, neither Josiah nor the priest had ever seen the Law before, which, as GotQuestions.org states, is a commentary on the depravity Israel had been in, especially during the reigns of King Manasseh and King Amon. But Huldah gave a word from the Lord confirming that the Law was of or from God.
8. Iscah
Answer: See, behold; she will look
The Hebrew name "Iscah" means something like "see", "behold", or "she will look". She is mentioned only once in the entire Bible (Old and New Testaments) so not much is known about her. Genesis 11:29 identifies her as Abraham's niece, a daughter of his brother, Haran. In addition, Iscah was Milcah's sister. Milcah was the wife of Nahor, another brother of Abraham.
While some people believe that Iscah was the same as Sarah, I actually think that with Iscah's meaning, there is only one person she could be: Lot's wife, the one who looked at Sodom's destruction. For the record, Haran was Lot's father too, so if Lot did marry Iscah, then he married his sister, but that was somewhat common in Genesis anyway.
The English name "Jessica" actually derives from "Iscah".
9. Judith
Answer: Praised or woman from Judea
Some sources state that the Hebrew name "Judith" means "praised," or something along that line, while other sources say it means "woman from Judea". It seems like both are legitimate meanings. Of course, Judea is another name for Israel (based upon Jacob's son Judah), but it can also refer to Judah only instead of Israel as a whole. "Judith" IS the feminine version of "Judah" and Abarim
Publications.com provides the fascinating theory that Jacob's son Judah was probably named after Judith, his aunt! I guess it's also possible that there was a Judah before Judith, but a different Judah than her nephew, obviously.
Genesis 26:34 says that Esau married Judith, who, as stated above, became an aunt of Jacob's children, including Judah. There is irony in one of the meanings, because she was NOT an Israelite or even a Hebrew. She was a Hittite.
10. Keziah
Answer: Cassia
The Hebrew name "Keziah" (or, sometimes, "Kezia") means "cassia". As a plant, cassia has very pretty yellow flowers. As a spice, it is very similar to cinnamon.
According to Job 42:14, Keziah was one of Job's daughters, born after God restored Job's health and prosperity back to him. Her sisters were Jemimah and Keren-happuch.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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