So I started this project cause, you know, names are a big deal. Biblical names? Even bigger. Was chatting with some folks last week about baby names and realized half the group didn’t recognize basic Bible names starting with J. Felt like a crime! So I grabbed my worn-out Bible notebook and dug in.
First Steps & Roadblocks
Went straight to Genesis hunting J names. Easy? Nah. Found Jacob right off, but then hit confusion – Isaiah has multiple spellings for Josiah! Checked five translations. Some write it “Yoshiyahu” which ain’t even a J. Totally derailed my afternoon. Had to hit up my pastor buddy. He shrugged: “Stick with King James Version for consistency.” Saved my bacon.
Building The List
Made a messy spreadsheet. Joseph popped up everywhere – Genesis, Matthew, even Acts. But Jezebel? Only 1 Kings and 2 Kings. Weighed importance: Joseph impacted whole nations, Jezebel just scared folks. Ranked by how much each changed Bible stories. John the Baptist got top three easy – dude literally announced Jesus.
Tried fitting Judas Iscariot in. Controversial? Heck yeah. Wife said: “He’s infamous, not popular. Cut him!” Ended up axing him. Saved the drama.
Final Rankings
Here’s my hard-fought list. Fight me on the order:
- Jesus (No-brainer #1)
- John (Baptist AND apostle)
- Joseph (Dreamcoat guy + Jesus’ dad)
- Jacob (Israel’s OG patriarch)
- James (Peter’s fishing buddy)
- Jonah (Whale dude everyone remembers)
- Joshua (Moses’ successor with killer horn strategy)
- Judah (Jacob’s kid tribe)
- Job (Suffered more than anyone on Twitter)
- Jethro (Moses’ father-in-law with bomb leadership advice)
Jethro barely squeezed past Jeremiah cause – be honest – how many people actually read Lamentions? Zero.
Wrap-Up Thoughts
Learned that spelling battles could start wars. Also, some “J” names like Isaiah’s kid Shear-Jashub? Forget including those tongue-twisters. Whole thing took three coffee-fueled nights. Worth it? Totally. Next time someone mentions biblical J’s? I’ll hit ’em with all ten. Mic drop.
