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

The Genesis Flood story names Noah’s three sons as Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They enter the Ark with Noah and their wives, and the three names recur throughout the family genealogies that follow the Flood.

Genesis 10 presents descendants associated with each son, making the brothers important ancestors in the Bible’s account of the peoples known to its ancient audience. Shem is especially prominent because later genealogies trace Abraham’s line through him.

These names are sometimes confused with other famous biblical family groups, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They belong to a much later part of the biblical genealogy. Noah’s sons are also not given the names of their wives in Genesis, despite many later traditions attempting to supply them.