Biblical Hebrew name meaning 'God is with me'; borne by a figure in Proverbs and a descendant of Benjamin.
Ithiel is a rare and ancient Hebrew name appearing in the Hebrew scriptures in the Book of Proverbs (30:1), where Agur son of Jakeh addresses his wisdom sayings to Ithiel and Ucal. The name's meaning has been interpreted variously as "God is with me," "signs of God," or "God has arrived" — all variations on a theme of divine presence and immanence. In Nehemiah 11:7, a second Ithiel appears among those who resettled Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile, lending the name a connotation of restoration and homecoming.
Ithiel belongs to a category of deeply biblical names that have remained largely outside mainstream usage, preserved among communities with strong scriptural traditions — particularly among Puritan settlers of New England who mined the Old Testament for distinctive names that set their children apart. The 17th and 18th centuries saw a flowering of names like Ithiel, Zenas, and Elnathan among Protestant communities who viewed naming as a theological act. The Connecticut minister Ithiel Town (1784–1844), one of America's earliest professional architects who designed the iconic Center Church on the New Haven Green, gave the name a distinctly American historical footprint.
In contemporary usage, Ithiel appeals to parents seeking a genuinely rare biblical name — not merely uncommon but genuinely obscure, carrying thousands of years of textual history in just three syllables. It sits in a growing category of "rediscovered" scriptural names that feel both ancient and surprisingly modern, with a melodic sound that rewards attention.