The Book of Genesis says that eight people entered Noah's Ark. The group consisted of Noah, his wife, Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their three wives.
Genesis presents these eight people as the human survivors of the Flood. They are preserved because Noah is described as righteous in his generation and follows God's instructions to build the vessel. After the waters recede, the family leaves the Ark and begins repopulating the earth.
The number eight belongs specifically to the Genesis account. Other flood traditions use different characters and family arrangements. The New Testament also refers to “eight souls” being saved through water in 1 Peter, reinforcing the familiar Christian interpretation of the Genesis number. The passage does not identify Noah's wife by name, although later traditions give her various names.