What were the names of Noah’s three sons in the Genesis account?

Noah’s three sons in the Genesis account were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis names the three sons before the flood narrative and repeatedly refers to them as Noah’s family aboard the ark. After the flood, the text develops separate genealogical lines through Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These lists connect the story to later nations and peoples as understood by the biblical authors.

The names are sometimes confused with other major family groups in Genesis. Shem is associated with the line leading toward Abraham in the biblical genealogy, while Ham and Japheth receive their own descendant lists. The story does not identify the sons as twins or give them identical roles.

Later interpretations have sometimes used the sons as a framework for explaining the distribution of nations in the ancient world. Such interpretations vary, but the three names themselves are explicit and stable in the Genesis narrative.