Free UK delivery on orders over £20 — all May 2026
← All biblical names

Boys · Hebrew · Old Testament · rare

Shem

"Name; renown; fame"

Genesis 5:32

Who they were

Noah's eldest son, ancestor of the Semitic peoples. His name simply means 'name' — as though naming itself begins with him.

Themes

heritagenamingfameancestry

Read their story

Shem's story begins in Genesis.

The full passage is at Genesis 5:32. Any modern translation will do — the NLT and NIV are the most readable; the ESV and NKJV stay close to the wording the church has used for centuries.

Find a Bible to read it in →

Related names