In the Book of Genesis, eight people boarded Noah's Ark.
Genesis names Noah, his wife, his three sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and the wives of those three sons. Together, this makes a total of eight people preserved from the Flood.
The number comes from the biblical narrative rather than from a general tradition about ark stories. The text does not give the names of Noah's wife or his daughters-in-law. It identifies the family group by its relationship to Noah and by the sons' names.
A common mix-up is counting only Noah and his immediate male descendants, which would produce four. Genesis specifically includes the four wives as well. The New Testament also refers to “eight souls” being saved through the Flood, reinforcing the traditional Christian reading of the number.