Meanings of Baby Names: What's in a Name?

All names whether biblical, historical, traditional or even modern fad/celebrity based should have a meaning. Names should not simply be random collections of letters making up words that sound cool, hip or different! Going back to basics a given name becomes a babies identity and is used to distinguish a baby from other members of the family, however it should mean so much more.

In most cultures a baby is named very soon after birth, usually within a few days (nowadays many babies are named even before birth as some parents choose to learn the sex of the baby between the 18th and 26th week of pregnancy!). Depending on your religious denomination the naming of the baby may be done officially through religious rites and celebration, in these cases the meaning of the babies name chosen can be especially important. However, even if the baby name is given without any formal event or gathering, the meaning of the baby name is still important.

The meaning of many names can be traced back to ancient times (many are pre-christian) and often relate to religious deities or followers thereof. Additionally many of the more traditional names were given to signify personal traits, attributes, places or even occupations. More modern names tend to be either modifications of traditional names, usually by changing spelling or shortening, for example

Benaiah meaning son of the Lord shortened to a more modern "Ben",
Nathanael meaning "the gift of God" becomes "Nathan",
Timotheus meaning "valued of God" simply becomes Tim or Timothy,
Barbara, meaning "Stranger" shortened to Barbie.

Or have their origins in nature such as gemstones ( Ruby, Crystal), seasons (Autumun, Summer, April), feelings (Joy, Bliss, ) or wildlife and natural formations such as Clay, Forrest, Lily, Nigella, Holly, Heather, Poppy, Basil, Cliff, Daisy and Dawn).

Religious names and their meanings
Abel - which means "son of Adam and Eve"
Abdiel - servant of God
Anastasia - resurrection
Daniel - God my judge
Diana - the moon goddess
Dominic - belonging to god
Elizabeth - the oath, or fullness, of God
Gabriel - God is my strength
Nathanael - the gift of God
Samuel - asked of God

Although the above example of names are more obvious in their religous background, many popular names from the last 100 years also have a
religous origin, traditional names such as:-

Jessica although very common worldwide is actually of Hebrew origin and means "God's grace"
Jack meaning "The Lord is Gracious"
Hannah is also of Hebrew origin and its means "Grace of God"
Benjamin meaning "is Son of My Right Hand"
Matthew comes from Hebrew "Gift of God"

As you would expect the impact of religion on language has been enormous over many centuries so the list of names with a religious meaning or
origin is endless.

Whether you decide on a modern or more traditional name for your baby, it pays to do some research. In fact many parents have immense problems trying to choose a name and find that by researching the origin and meanings of names it actually becomes easier to choose. We all have hopes and aspirations for our children, an idea in our heads of what we want them to become and the values and attributes we hope for them to have, so why not choose a name that relects these principles. Remember your son or daughter may one day ask you why you gave them that name, make sure you have a good answer!