When my wife and I began to bring children into the world, we had a good bit of conversation about what to name them. We borrowed names we liked. We combined letters from family member’s names to create new ones. We picked names that embodied characteristics we hoped would be a part of our children’s lives. We also avoided names of people… Many of us start thinking about what we’ll name our future children when we’re basically still children ourselves. With youthful-yet-earnest contemplation, many young people choose the names of their future sons and daughters based on such things as an inspiring book character, a beloved geographical location, or (cringe) the pop culture craze of their era. Some people go on to give their children the names they’ve held dear over the years. Others lament when their spouses put the kibosh on a favorite moniker. Yet others discover that life’s unexpected circumstances steer them toward names they hadn’t considered for their child at all. This fascination with names reflects the fact that names carry weight. Names can tie us to our origins and traditions. Names can also allude to our circumstances or stand for something that mattered to our parents in choosing what others would call us. The importance of a person’s name is especially evident in the Bible, making Scripture a longstanding go-to resource for parents when choosing a baby’s name. In fact, names from the Bible have grown in usage and have been trending in recent years! So, what is the meaning and importance of a Biblical name? Names in the Bible can signify origin.Biblical names are rich in symbolism. Some names signify origin. Scripture opens with the Book of Genesis detailing the beginnings of Creation. The word “genesis” itself means “origin.” God named the first human “Adam,” likely derived from the Hebrew word for “ground” and reminding us that Adam, as the first human, was created from the ground’s dust (Genesis 2:7). Adam then named his wife Eve, a name that means “living” and commemorates Eve’s role as “the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20). Names in the Bible can signify purpose.Other Biblical names denote purpose. A fisherman called Simon (which name means “that hears or that obeys”) became one of the first people to hear Jesus’s call and become His disciple. Jesus changed Simon’s name to “Peter,” meaning “rock.” When Peter correctly identified Jesus as the Son of God, Jesus blessed Peter and announced that on that “rock” He would build His church (Matthew 16:18). The name of Christ Himself is also steeped in symbolism. The name “Jesus” means “savior” and “deliverer.”When Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told Joseph to raise the child as his own and name the child Jesus “because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:18-21). Names in the Bible can describe a person’s characteristics or circumstances.Still, other Biblical names depict a person’s traits or environment. When God told Abraham, then 100-years-old, that his 90-year-old wife Sarah would give birth to a son, Abraham and Sarah laughed (Genesis 17:17). Sarah went on to give birth to a son named Isaac, which means “laughter.” Isaac grew up to have twin sons. The first of the twin boys was named Esau, which means “hairy” because of how hairy Esau was at birth. (Genesis 25:25). The second of the twin sons was born grasping at Esau’s heel and was, thus, named Jacob, which means “that supplants” (Genesis 25:26). True to his name, Jacob would go on to rob his older brother Esau of their father’s blessing of the firstborn (Genesis 27). Jacob, thereafter, would go on to wrestle with God and be renamed Israel, which means “wrestles with God” (Genesis 32:28). Names in the Bible honor God.Many parents give their child a name that honors God in some way. You may have planned to choose a name that honored God all along, or you may have experienced difficulties in conceiving or during pregnancy that turned your eyes desperately or joyously upward. Whatever your reason for honoring God through your child’s name, two of the most popular searches for Biblical names are for names that mean “a gift from God” or “God is with us.” What name means “a gift from God?”Boys’ names and their variants that mean a “gift from God” include: Jonathan, Matthew, Matthias, Mateo, Nathanael, and Theodore. Girls’ names and their variants that mean a “gift from God” include: Dorothy, Dora, Doreen, Mattea, Thea, and Theodora. What name means “God is with us?”A boy’s name and its variants that mean “God is with us” include: Emmanuel, Immanuel, and Manuel. A girl’s name and its variants that mean “God is with us” include: Emmanuelle and Manuela. There are numerous other names that celebrate God or that simply refer to Scripture as a way to exalt His Word. Here are ten significant Biblical names and their meanings for males and females, followed by a sampling of Biblical names from A to Z: 10 significant male biblical names and their meanings:Daniel David Elijah Isaiah Jacob John Joseph Luke Michael Noah 10 significant female biblical names and their meanings:Anna Deborah Dinah Elizabeth Joanna Mary Naomi Rachel Ruth Sarah List of Biblical names from A-Z, with typical male (M) or female (F) designations:A Aaron (M): A teacher; lofty; mountain of strength Abigail (F): The father's joy Abraham (M): Father of a great multitude Adam (M): Ground; earthy Alexander/Alexandra (M/F): Defender of men Andrew (M): Astrong man Anna (F): Gracious Ariel (F): Light or lion of God Asher (M): Happiness B Barnabas (M): Son of the prophet Bartholomew (M): A son that suspends the waters Baruch (M): Who is blessed Benjamin (M): Son of the right hand Bernice (F): One that brings victory Bethel (F): The house of God C Calah (F): Completion; maturity Candace (F): Who possesses contrition Chloe (F): Green herb Christian/Christianne (M/F): follower of Christ D Daniel/Daniella(M/F): God is my judge David (M): Beloved Diana (F): Luminous Dora/Doreen (F): A gift from God Dorothy/Dorothea (F): A gift from God E Eden/Edna (F): Pleasure; delight Eleazar (M): Help of God Eli (M): The offering or lifting up Elijah (M): Yahweh is my God Elisha (F): God’s salvation Elizabeth (F): God’s oath Emmanuel/Emmanuelle (M/F): God is with us Ephraim (M): Fruitful; increasing Ethan (M): Strong; the gift of the island Eve/Eva (F): Living Ezekiel (M): The strength of God Ezra (M): Help; court F Faith (F): To trust Felix/Felicia (M/F): Lucky; successful G Gabriel/Gabriella (M/F): God is my strength Gaius (M): To rejoice Grace (F): Favor; blessing H Hannah (F): Gracious; merciful Hope (F): Expectation Hosea (M): Salvation I Immanuel (M): God is with us Isaac (M): Laughter Isaiah (M): The salvation of God Ishmael (M): God that hears J Jacob (M): That supplants Jason (M): He that cures Jeremiah/Jeremy (M): Exaltation of the Lord Joanna (F): God is gracious Joel (M): He that wills or commands John (M): God is gracious Jonah (M): A dove Jonathan (M): A gift from God Joseph (M): Increase; addition Joshua (M): Asavior; a deliverer Josiah (M): The Lord burns; the fire of the Lord Judah/Judith (M/F): The praise of the Lord; confession Julian/Julia (M/F): Soft and tender hair K Kemuel (M): God is raised up Kenan (M): Buyer, owner Keturah (F): Incense L Lazarus (M): Whom God helps Leah (F): Weary Lemuel (M): God with them Lillian/Lily (F): Lily, purity Lois (F): Agreeable Lucas/Luke (M): Luminous; white Lydia (F): Beauty M Malachi (M): My messenger, my angel Marcus/Mark (M): Polite, shining Matthew/Matthias/Mateo (M): A gift from God Mercy (F): Reward Michael (M): Who is like God? Moses (M): Drawn out or saved from the water Myra (F): Sweet-smelling oil N Naomi (F): Pleasantness Nathan (M): Given Nathanael/Nathaniel (M): A gift from God Nehemiah (M): Consolation; repentance of the Lord Neriah (F): Light; lamp of the Lord Noah (M): Rest; repose O Obadiah (M): Servant of the Lord Omar (M): He that speaks; bitter Omri (M): Sheaf of corn Orpah (F): The neck or skull P Paul/Paula (M/F): Small Pauline (F): Small Peter (M): A rock Philip (M): Warlike; a lover of horses Phineas (M) Face of trust or protection Phoebe (F): Shining; pure Priscilla (F): Ancient Q Quartus (M): Fourth R Rachel (F): Sheep Reuben (M): Who sees the son; the vision of the son Ruth (F): Friend S Samson (M): His sun; his service; there the second time Samuel (M): God has heard Sarah (F): Princess Sharon (F): His plain; his song Shiloh (F): Peace; abundance Silas (M): Three Simon (M): That hears; that obeys Solomon (M): Peaceful; perfect; one who recompenses Stephen/Stephanie (M): Crown; crowned Susanna (F): Lily; rose; joy T Tabitha (F): Clear-sighted; deer Thaddeus (M): That praises or confesses Theodore/Theodora (M/F): A gift from God Thomas (M): A twin Timothy (M): Honor of God; valued of God Tobias (M): The Lord is good U Uriah (M): Light of God Uzziah (M): Strength of God V Victor/Victoria (M/F): Victor; victory Z Zacchaeus (M): Pure; clean; just Zebedee (M): Abundant; portion Zachariah/Zachary (M): The Lord remembers Zina (F): Shining; going back Dolores Smyth writes on faith and parenting. Her work has appeared in numerous print and online publications. You can read more of her work on Twitter @LolaWordSmyth. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Stockbyte What is the meaning of my name is?My-name-is Definition
A common way to identify oneself.
What is your name in the Bible?In Genesis 32, we have the story of Jacob wrestling with God. In verse 27, God asks Jacob, “What is your name?” Was he asking for the label, or was he asking the more probing question, “Who are you?” The meaning of the name Jacob was “one who overthrows” or even trickster.
What does names in the Bible mean?Names play a variety of roles in the Bible. They sometimes relate to the nominee's role in a biblical narrative, as in the case of Nabal, a foolish man whose name means "fool". Names in the Bible can represent human hopes, divine revelations, or are used to illustrate prophecies.
What the Bible says about names?To have the same name written in Heaven that was ours on Earth speaks of the continuity between this life and the next. In addition to our earthly names, we'll receive new names in Heaven. In the context of the New Earth, God says, “To his servants he will give another name” (Isaiah 65:15).
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