Theophoric names
Encyclopedia
A theophoric name embeds the name of a god, both invoking and displaying the protection of that deity. Instances of theophoric names embedding Apollo
, will be familiar among the many men named Apollonios or Apollodorus in Greek Antiquity.
Theophoric names were also exceedingly common in the Ancient Near East
and Mesopotamia
, where the personal name of an individual included the name of a god in whose care the individual is entrusted. The practice, called in onomastics
theophory, refers to this naming convention of adding a god
's name (or the local equivalent of the generic term for god) to an individual's proper name.
Some Christian saints have polytheistic theophoric names (such as Saint Dionysius, Saint Mercurius
, Saint Saturninus
, Saint Hermes
, Saint Martin of Tours
).
Rarely, Germanic names contain the element Wod (such as Woðu-riðe), potentially pointing to an association with the god Odin
. In connection, numerous names containing wulf "wolf" have been taken as totemistic, expressing association with Odin in the earliest period, although -ulf degenerated into a mere suffix from an early time (Förstemann 1856).
It is not uncommon to find Hindus with names of Gods. Shiva, Krishna, Ganesh, Durga, Radha, and Sita are all names of Hindu Gods or Goddesses as well as being personal names for Hindus. Hindu Gods themselves have multiple names, so it is not always apparent if an Indian name is the name of a God or not.
(For more information about the pronunciation of יהוה see Tetragrammaton
, Jehovah
and Yahweh
)
Among the Biblical names that have developed this way are:
Referring to God (El
):
Referring to Yahweh
:
Referring to other gods:
Theophoric names in Baal were sometimes "censored" as -bosheth = "shameful one", whence Ishbosheth etc.
Some names might be controversial theological statements: Bealiah could mean Baal is Yahweh and Elijah could mean Yahweh is El (and vice-versa, respectively). On the other hand, as traditionally understood, these names simply mean "YHWH is Master," and YHWH is God."
), Yesha-yahu (Isaiah
), Netan-yah, Yedid-yah, Adoni-yah, Nekhem-yah, Yeho-natan, Yeho-chanan, Yeho-shua, Yeho-tzedek.
"Yahū" or "Yah" is the abbreviation of "YHWH" when used as a suffix in Hebrew names; as a prefix it appears as "Yehō-", or "Yo". In former times that was thought to be abbreviated from the Masoretic pronunciation "Yehovah". There is nowadays an opinion http://members.fortunecity.com/yahuwthah/Resource-577/AnsonLetter.htm that, as "Yahweh" is likely an imperfective verb form, "Yahu" is its corresponding preterite
or jussive short form: compare yiŝtahaweh (imperfective), yiŝtáhû (preterit or jussive short form) = "do obeisance".
However, the name Judah (Yehūdah) is not an example: here the ye- is a verb imperfective prefix, and the name means "He adds [a son to my family]". Some other examples of "y-" in biblical Hebrew names are also verb imperfectives.
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
, will be familiar among the many men named Apollonios or Apollodorus in Greek Antiquity.
Theophoric names were also exceedingly common in the Ancient Near East
Ancient Near East
The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia , ancient Egypt, ancient Iran The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia...
and Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
, where the personal name of an individual included the name of a god in whose care the individual is entrusted. The practice, called in onomastics
Onomastics
Onomastics or onomatology is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. The words are from the Greek: "ὀνομαστικός" , "of or belonging to naming" and "ὀνοματολογία" , from "ὄνομα" "name". Toponymy or toponomastics, the study of place names, is one of the principal branches of...
theophory, refers to this naming convention of adding a god
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
's name (or the local equivalent of the generic term for god) to an individual's proper name.
Christian theophoric names
- The name "ChristopherChristopher (name)Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the greek name Χριστόφορος . The constituent parts are Χριστός, "Christ" and φέρειν , "bear": the "Christ bearer" or "the one who bears Christ ". The name originates in the Christian legend of St...
" literally means "Christ-bearer" - Theodore/TheodoraTheodora (given name)Theodora is a feminine given name, the feminine version of Theodore, which derives from the Greek words θέος or theos, meaning "god" and δώρον or doron, meaning "gift." The name Dorothy contains the same word elements in reverse order...
means "gift of God" http://www.lgpn.ox.ac.uk/names/developments.html - DorotheusDorotheusDorotheus may refer to:* Dorotheus , 6th-century jurist who helped to draft the Justinian Code*See Gorgonius for St. Dorotheus, who was martyred with Gorgonius and Peter *Dorotheus of Gaza, monastic father...
/DorotheaDorothea-Saints:*Dorothea of Alexandria , a martyr*Dorothea of Caesarea , a martyr, patron saint of florists*Dorothea of Montau , Roman Catholic saint, hermitess and visionary-Aristocracy:...
means "gift to God" - TheodosiusTheodosiusTheodosius is a name which might refer to one of several people:* One of three emperors of ancient Rome and Byzantium:** Theodosius I , son of Count Theodosius...
/TheodosiaTheodosiaFeodosiya is a port and resort city in Crimea, Ukraine, on the Black Sea coast. During much of its history the town was known as Caffa or Kaffa .- History :...
, Theodotos/Theodotē and DositheusDositheusDositheos or Dositheus may refer to:*Dositheos , Gnostic*Dositheus Magister, Roman grammarian and jurist*Dositheus of Pelusium , Greek mathematician, probably Hebrew-born, active in Alexandria, best known for his correspondence with Archimedes*Dositheus of Gaza , Egyptian monk*Dositheos , i.e...
/Dosithea mean "God-given" - TheophilusTheophilusTheophilus is a male given name with a range of alternative spellings. Its origin is the Greek word Θεόφιλος from θεός and φιλία can be translated as "Love of God" or "Friend of God," i.e., it is a theophoric name, synonymous with the name Amadeus which originates from Latin...
(Greek), AmadeusAmadeusAmadeus is a play by Peter Shaffer.It is based on the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, highly fictionalized.Amadeus was first performed in 1979...
(Latin), GottliebGottliebGottlieb was an arcade game corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was established by David Gottlieb in 1927, initially producing pinball machines while later expanding into various other games including pitch-and-bats, bowling games, and eventually video arcade games .Like other...
(German) and BogumiłBogumilBogumil can refer to:* Bogomil , Slavic name also spelled Bogumil* Bogomilism, an ancient Gnostic religious community which is thought to have originated in Bulgaria...
(Polish) mean "one who loves God" - TheognisTheognisTheognis was a member of the Thirty Tyrants of Athens . Lysias was able to escape from the house of Damnippus, where Theognis was guarding other aristocrats rounded up by the Thirty....
means "god-knowing" - TheophanesTheophanes-Saints:*Theodorus and Theophanes , called the Grapti, proponents of the veneration of images during the second Iconoclastic controversy*Theophanes the Confessor Byzantine 8th-9th century historian*Theophan the Recluse Russian saint...
means "manifestation of God" - TheophrastusTheophrastusTheophrastus , a Greek native of Eresos in Lesbos, was the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. He came to Athens at a young age, and initially studied in Plato's school. After Plato's death he attached himself to Aristotle. Aristotle bequeathed to Theophrastus his writings, and...
means "godly speech" - TheaetetusTheaetetusTheaetetus could mean:* Theaetetus , a Greek geometer* Theaetetus , a dialogue by Plato, named after the geometer* Theaetetus , a lunar impact crater....
means "one who pleads to God" - TimotheusTimotheusTimotheus may refer to:*Timotheus , Athenian statesman and general*Timotheus of Miletus, 5th century BCE Greek poet*Timotheus , a musician at the court of Alexander the Great...
means "one who fears God"- Fürchtgott is a German loan-translation of Timotheus
Some Christian saints have polytheistic theophoric names (such as Saint Dionysius, Saint Mercurius
Saint Mercurius
Great-martyr Mercurius was a Christian saint and martyr. Born Philopater in the city of Eskentos in Cappadocia, Eastern Asia Minor, his original name means "lover of the Father"...
, Saint Saturninus
Saint Saturninus
Saint Saturninus may refer to:*Saturninus , companion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, martyred in Carthage, feast day: 7 March*Saturnin of Toulouse , first bishop of Toulouse, France, feast day: 29 November*Saturninus Saint Saturninus may refer to:*Saturninus (died c. 203), companion of Saints...
, Saint Hermes
Saint Hermes
Saint Hermes, born in Greece, died in Rome as a martyr in 120, is venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. His name appears in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum as well as entries in the Depositio Martyrum . There was a large basilica over his tomb that was...
, Saint Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
).
- MartinMartin (name)Martin may either be a surname or given name.Martin is a common given and family name in most European languages. It comes from the Latin name Martinus, which is a late derived form of the name of the Roman god Mars, the protective godhead of the Latins...
for the Roman god Mars - God (Christian)
- GotfridGotfridGotfrid, Gotefrid, or Gottfried was the Duke of Alemannia in the late seventh century and until his death. He was of the house of the Agilolfing, which was the dominant ruling family in Bavaria....
- Gotfrid
Germanic theophoric names
- Os, meaning "god"
- Oslac
- OswaldOswald-Fictional characters:*Oswald Bastable, a character in E. Nesbit's The Story of the Treasure Seekers and Michael Moorcock's The Warlord of the Air*Oswald, servant of Goneril in Shakespeare's King Lear...
- Oswin
- ThorThorIn Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
, the god of thunder- ThorsteinTorstenTorsten is a male first name, especially known in Scandinavian and Middle European Countries.-Etymology:The Old Norse name was Þórsteinn. The name is composed by the words Thor and sten...
means "Thor's stone" - ThorkelThorkelThorkel or Thorkell is an Old Norse masculine personal name. Among the more famous holders of the name are:*Thorkel of Namdalen, ninth-century jarl and father of Ketil Trout.*Thorkel Sursson, tenth-century Icelander and character in the Gísla saga....
means "Thor's craft" - Thorulf means "Thor's wolf"
- Thordis
- Thorstein
- IngYngviYngvi, Yngvin, Ingwine, Inguin are names that relate to an older theonym Ing and which appears to have been the older name for the god Freyr ....
, an old name for FreyrFreyrFreyr is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Freyr was highly associated with farming, weather and, as a phallic fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals"...
(an epithet meaning "lord")- Ingrid
- IngeborgIngeborgIngeborg is a Scandinavian, predominantly Danish name carried by many prominent women in Scandinavian history and mythology. People named Ingeborg include:...
- IngerIngerInger may refer to:* Inger!, a 2006 political book* Inger, Minnesota, United States* Stella Inger , American television journalist* Inger, the main character of Andersen's fairy tale The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf....
Rarely, Germanic names contain the element Wod (such as Woðu-riðe), potentially pointing to an association with the god Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
. In connection, numerous names containing wulf "wolf" have been taken as totemistic, expressing association with Odin in the earliest period, although -ulf degenerated into a mere suffix from an early time (Förstemann 1856).
Hinduism
Some traditional Hindu names honor Hindu Gods or Goddesses. Often, the same name is ascribed to multiple deities.It is not uncommon to find Hindus with names of Gods. Shiva, Krishna, Ganesh, Durga, Radha, and Sita are all names of Hindu Gods or Goddesses as well as being personal names for Hindus. Hindu Gods themselves have multiple names, so it is not always apparent if an Indian name is the name of a God or not.
Judaism and biblical
The name of God that appears in Hebrew biblical texts is יהוה, transliterated YHWH.(For more information about the pronunciation of יהוה see Tetragrammaton
Tetragrammaton
The term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
, Jehovah
Jehovah
Jehovah is an anglicized representation of Hebrew , a vocalization of the Tetragrammaton , the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible....
and Yahweh
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
)
Among the Biblical names that have developed this way are:
Referring to God (El
El (god)
is a Northwest Semitic word meaning "deity", cognate to Akkadian and then to Hebrew : Eli and Arabic )....
):
- ElizabethElizabeth (given name)Elizabeth is a feminine given name derived from the Greek Elisávet , which is a form of the Hebrew name Elisheva , meaning "My God is an oath" or"My God is abundance."...
: Hebrew ElishevaElishevaElisheva or Elisheba was the wife of Aaron "the priest" , the forefather of the Kohanim, the Jewish priests, in the Bible. She is a daughter of Amminadab, and a sister of Nahshon, from the Tribe of Judah. According to later Jewish tradition, she is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs in Tiberias...
= "my God is an oath" or "my God is abundance" - Samuel: "name of God"
- MichaelMichaelMichael is a given name that comes from the , derived from the Hebrew question מי כמו אלוהים? meaning "Who is like God?" In English, it is sometimes shortened to Mike, Mikey, or, especially in Ireland, Mick...
: "Who is like God?" - Emmanuel/Immanuel: "God is with us"
- GabrielGabrielIn Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
: "strong man of God" - IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
: "struggles with God" - NathanielNathanielNathaniel is a male name and surname. It comes from the Hebrew name נְתַנְאֵל/Nethan'el meaning "God has given"...
: "God-given" or "gift of God" - DanielDaniel (name)Daniel is a Hebrew masculine given name and a surname. It means, "God is my judge", and derives from two early Biblical figures, primary among them the Prophet Daniel.- Background :...
: "God is my judge" or "justice from God"
Referring to Yahweh
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
:
- Jonathan (Hebrew Yônāṯān or Yehônāṯān: "(whom) Yahweh gave"
- JoshuaJoshuaJoshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
(Yahoshea): “Yah is Salvation” (JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
is the Anglicized version of the Greek transliteration (ιησους/Iesous) of "Joshua").
Referring to other gods:
- AbijamAbijamAbijam was the fourth king of the House of David and the second of the Kingdom of Judah. He was the son of Rehoboam, the grandson of Solomon and the great-grandson of David. The Chronicler refers to him as Abijah ....
: "my father is YamYam (god)Yam, from the Canaanite word Yam, meaning "Sea", also written "Yaw", is one name of the Ugaritic god of Rivers and Sea. Also titled Judge Nahar , he is also one of the 'ilhm or sons of El, the name given to the Levantine pantheon...
" - NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar was the name of several kings of Babylonia.* Nebuchadnezzar I, who ruled the Babylonian Empire in the 12th century BC* Nebuchadnezzar II , the Babylonian ruler mentioned in the biblical Book of Daniel...
(in Babylonian, NabuNabuNabu is the Assyrian and Babylonian god of wisdom and writing, worshipped by Babylonians as the son of Marduk and his consort, Sarpanitum, and as the grandson of Ea. Nabu's consort was Tashmetum....
-kudurri-usur) - Ishbaal: "man of BaalBaalBaʿal is a Northwest Semitic title and honorific meaning "master" or "lord" that is used for various gods who were patrons of cities in the Levant and Asia Minor, cognate to Akkadian Bēlu...
".
Theophoric names in Baal were sometimes "censored" as -bosheth = "shameful one", whence Ishbosheth etc.
Some names might be controversial theological statements: Bealiah could mean Baal is Yahweh and Elijah could mean Yahweh is El (and vice-versa, respectively). On the other hand, as traditionally understood, these names simply mean "YHWH is Master," and YHWH is God."
Theophoric names with "Yeho" or "Yo" prefixes or "Yah" or "Yahu" suffixes
The name of the Israelite deity YHWH (usually shortened to Yah or Yahu, and Yeho or Yo) appears as a prefix or suffix in many theophoric names of the First Temple Period, e.g., Yirme-yahu (JeremiahJeremiah
Jeremiah Hebrew：יִרְמְיָה , Modern Hebrew:Yirməyāhū, IPA: jirməˈjaːhu, Tiberian:Yirmĭyahu, Greek:Ἰερεμίας), meaning "Yahweh exalts", or called the "Weeping prophet" was one of the main prophets of the Hebrew Bible...
), Yesha-yahu (Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
), Netan-yah, Yedid-yah, Adoni-yah, Nekhem-yah, Yeho-natan, Yeho-chanan, Yeho-shua, Yeho-tzedek.
"Yahū" or "Yah" is the abbreviation of "YHWH" when used as a suffix in Hebrew names; as a prefix it appears as "Yehō-", or "Yo". In former times that was thought to be abbreviated from the Masoretic pronunciation "Yehovah". There is nowadays an opinion http://members.fortunecity.com/yahuwthah/Resource-577/AnsonLetter.htm that, as "Yahweh" is likely an imperfective verb form, "Yahu" is its corresponding preterite
Preterite
The preterite is the grammatical tense expressing actions that took place or were completed in the past...
or jussive short form: compare yiŝtahaweh (imperfective), yiŝtáhû (preterit or jussive short form) = "do obeisance".
However, the name Judah (Yehūdah) is not an example: here the ye- is a verb imperfective prefix, and the name means "He adds [a son to my family]". Some other examples of "y-" in biblical Hebrew names are also verb imperfectives.
"Yeho" prefixes changed to "Yo" prefixes
In the table below, 13 theophoric names with "Yeho" prefixes have corresponding forms (in bold type) where the letters "eh"' have been omitted. There is a theory by Christian Ginsburg that this is due to Hebrew scribes omitting the "h", changing Jeho into Jo , to make the start of "Yeho-" names not sound like an attempt to pronounce the Divine Name. and http://www.lamblion.net/Articles/ScottJones/jehovah1.htmTable of theophoric names with "Yeho" and "Yo" prefixes
[Note that theophoric names with "" [i.e. "Yo"] are written in bold letters.]| Strong's # | Hebrew word | Strong's Transliteration | |
English Spelling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Table of Theophoric names with "Yah" and "Yahu" suffixes
| Strong's # | Hebrew word | Strong's Transliteration | |
English Spelling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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