Genesis names three sons of Noah in the Ark story: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:10 introduces these three sons before describing the construction of the Ark and the coming Flood. Genesis 7:13 later says Noah, his wife, his sons, and his sons’ wives enter the Ark together. The account therefore presents eight human survivors: Noah, his wife, three sons, and three daughters-in-law.
Shem, Ham, and Japheth become important figures in the genealogy that follows the Flood. Genesis 10, often called the Table of Nations, associates their descendants with different peoples and regions known to the biblical world.
The text names Noah’s sons but does not name Noah’s wife or the wives of his sons. Another common mistake is counting only the sons and overlooking the three daughters-in-law when calculating the eight human occupants who survive the Flood.