Women of the Bible
33 women from Genesis to Paul’s letters: who each one was, where she first appears, and how often she is named.
| Name | Who she was | First appears | Named |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eve | The first woman, wife of Adam. | Genesis 3:20 | 4 |
| Sarah | Wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac (first called Sarai). | Genesis 17:15 | 56 |
| Hagar | Sarah’s Egyptian servant, mother of Ishmael. | Genesis 16:1 | 17 |
| Rebekah | Wife of Isaac, mother of Esau and Jacob. | Genesis 24:15 | 31 |
| Rachel | Jacob’s beloved wife, mother of Joseph and Benjamin. | Genesis 29:6 | 49 |
| Leah | Jacob’s first wife, mother of six of the twelve tribes. | Genesis 29:16 | 36 |
| Tamar | Judah’s daughter-in-law, named in the genealogy of Jesus. | Genesis 38:6 | 32 |
| Miriam | Prophetess, sister of Moses and Aaron. | Exodus 15:20 | 13 |
| Zipporah | Wife of Moses. | Exodus 2:21 | 3 |
| Rahab | Woman of Jericho who hid the Israelite spies. | Joshua 2:1 | 17 |
| Deborah | Prophetess and judge of Israel. | Judges 4:4 | 11 |
| Jael | Killed the Canaanite commander Sisera. | Judges 4:17 | 6 |
| Delilah | Betrayed Samson to the Philistines. | Judges 16:4 | 7 |
| Naomi | Ruth’s mother-in-law. | Ruth 1:2 | 30 |
| Ruth | Moabite widow, great-grandmother of David. | Ruth 1:4 | 24 |
| Hannah | Mother of the prophet Samuel. | 1 Samuel 1:2 | 21 |
| Michal | Daughter of Saul, wife of David. | 1 Samuel 14:49 | 19 |
| Abigail | Wise wife of Nabal, later David’s wife. | 1 Samuel 25:3 | 19 |
| Bathsheba | Wife of Uriah, then David; mother of Solomon. | 2 Samuel 11:3 | 14 |
| Jezebel | Queen of Israel, wife of Ahab, enemy of Elijah. | 1 Kings 16:31 | 23 |
| Huldah | Prophetess in Jerusalem in the time of King Josiah. | 2 Kings 22:14 | 4 |
| Vashti | Queen of Persia before Esther. | Esther 1:9 | 10 |
| Esther | Jewish queen of Persia who saved her people. | Esther 2:7 | 48 |
| Elizabeth | Mother of John the Baptist. | Luke 1:5 | 10 |
| Mary (mother of Jesus) | Mother of Jesus. The count is for every Mary in the Bible; several women share the name. | Luke 1:27 | 57 |
| Anna | Elderly prophetess who saw the infant Jesus in the temple. | Luke 2:36 | 1 |
| Mary Magdalene | Follower of Jesus and first witness of the resurrection. | Luke 8:2 | 12 |
| Martha | Sister of Mary and Lazarus of Bethany. | Luke 10:38 | 14 |
| Dorcas (Tabitha) | Disciple in Joppa known for her good works, raised by Peter. | Acts 9:36 | 4 |
| Lydia | Seller of purple cloth in Philippi, the first convert in Europe. | Acts 16:14 | 4 |
| Priscilla | Teacher and co-worker of Paul, with her husband Aquila. | Acts 18:2 | 7 |
| Phoebe | Servant (deacon) of the church at Cenchrea who carried Paul’s letter to Rome. | Romans 16:1 | 1 |
| Lois and Eunice | Timothy’s grandmother and mother, who taught him the faith. | 2 Timothy 1:5 | 2 |
Counts are for the name in the Berean Standard Bible (Sarah includes Sarai; Priscilla includes Prisca).
Questions
Who are the most important women in the Bible?
Among the most prominent are Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Miriam, Deborah, Ruth, Hannah, Esther, Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
Which woman is named most often in the Bible?
Leaving aside Mary (several women share that name), Sarah is named most often: 56 times in the Berean Standard Bible.
How many women are named in the Bible?
Estimates range from about 130 to over 180 named women, depending on how women with the same name are counted.