BabyNameScore

Shiloh

SHY·loh, IPA /ˈʃaɪ.loʊ/. · 2 syllables

90/100

Strong Practical Fit

Balanced across pronunciation, everyday use, lifetime fit and international use.

Name Profile

  1. Pronunciation & Spelling

    Effortless

    A documented English pronunciation is on file: SHY-loh, IPA /ˈʃaɪ.loʊ/.

    91/100

  2. Everyday Use

    Low risk

    95/100

  3. Growing Up

    Strong lifetime fit

    Works comfortably across child and adult settings.

    82/100

  4. International Use

    Broad international fit

    Works cleanly across the assessed languages and writing systems.

    85/100

ORIGIN & HISTORY

About the name

The precise literal meaning of Shiloh is genuinely unsettled: the Old Testament place name is only "possibly" tied to a Hebrew word for tranquility, and the separate prophetic use in Genesis 49:10 has been read as a personal title, a place name, or the product of textual corruption across different ancient translations, with no scholarly consensus resolving it.

  1. שִׁילֹה (Shiloh), Hebrew. Shiloh was a real ancient Israelite city in the territory of Ephraim that served as the central sanctuary of Israel before Jerusalem's rise under David and Solomon. According to Joshua 18:1, the Tabernacle (tent of meeting) was set up there, and Talmudic sources place its stay at roughly 369 years. The site was a pilgrimage destination for sacrifices and festivals (Judges 21 describes annual gatherings), was administered by the high priest Eli and his sons, and was where the prophet Samuel was dedicated by his mother Hannah and began his ministry. The Ark of the Covenant was later captured by the Philistines at Aphek, after which archaeological evidence indicates Shiloh itself was destroyed, around 1050 BCE. By the time of the prophet Jeremiah, Shiloh lay in ruins, and Jeremiah invoked its fate as a warning to Jerusalem.
  2. Mythological and religious contextSeparate from the place name, the word Shiloh appears in Jacob's blessing to Judah in Genesis 49:10 ("the sceptre will not depart from Judah... until Shiloh comes"), a passage that has generated centuries of disputed interpretation. Ancient versions disagree sharply: the Latin Vulgate renders it as "he... that is to be sent," the Peshitta as "the one to whom [it] belongs," and the Septuagint as "the things stored up for him." Jewish tradition (e.g., Rashi) has linked the term to Moses and to the Messiah, with the Zohar noting that "Shiloh" and "Moses" share the same gematria (numerical) value; Christian tradition has widely read the passage as messianic prophecy fulfilled by Jesus, making it a major messianic proof-text among the Church Fathers; and some Islamic tradition identifies the referent with Muhammad (citing Quran 3:81). Scholars note that Shiloh "is not found as a personal name in the Old Testament" outside this contested passage, leaving its precise sense as personal title, place name, or textual corruption unresolved.

Pronunciation & Forms

SAY IT

SHY·loh, IPA /ˈʃaɪ.loʊ/.

STRESS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS
  • Shilosimplified spelling
PRACTICAL LIFE

How This Name Lives

AT SCHOOL & DAY TO DAY

Gentle-sounding and unisex, currently used for both boys and girls; strongly boosted for a modern generation of parents by its association with a well-known celebrity child.

INTO ADULTHOOD

Carries genuine biblical/historical weight (an ancient sacred city, plus a famously disputed prophetic term) alongside a soft, peaceful sound, giving it a mature, spiritually resonant register that works for an adult in either gender-usage context.

Cultural Footprint

Shiloh carries a real Southern U.S. regional association through the Civil War's Battle of Shiloh, fought near the biblically named town of Shiloh, Tennessee, in addition to its biblical resonance.

TRACEABLE ORIGIN
  1. Shiloh, ancient city in Ephraimbiblical sanctuary site housing the Tabernacle before Jerusalem's rise
  2. Battle of Shiloh (1862)major American Civil War battle fought near Shiloh, Tennessee, giving the name a Southern U.S. regional association

More about Shiloh

FORMALITY

Used in full in essentially all contexts; no standard short form or nickname is documented.

Names around it

Zion
EDITORIAL SYNTHESIS

The Decision

Shiloh is spelled without unusual letter patterns, and it holds up in everyday use. Surname-dependent compatibility remains unassessed until a surname is added.

STRENGTH

A documented English pronunciation is on file. Uses standard characters that systems widely handle cleanly.

BEST FIT

Everyday Use is the strongest-scoring part of this name — no obvious nickname traps, rhymes, or initial issues detected.

FULL-NAME CHECK

See how it works with a surname.

Shiloh