The Human Marvel blog has an interesting post about Annie Jones (better known as the Esau Woman), who traveled with P.T. Barnum's circus as the bearded lady:
When she was little more than a year in age, Annie was brought to New York City to be featured in Barnum’s museum as ‘The Infant Esau’. The name ‘Esau’ was often applied to hirsute wonders and was in reference to the biblical grandson of Abraham, brother of Jacob. Esau's name in Hebrew means ‘hairy’, and, according to Genesis 25:25, it is a reference to his hairiness at birth.
--TwoDragons