[name]How[/name] about feminized versions of biblical boys names?
[name]Thomasina[/name]
[name]Paulina[/name]
[name]Josephina[/name]
[name]Petra[/name]
[name]Mattea[/name]
[name]Ezri[/name] (unisex - I think)
[name]Philippa[/name]
You’re on the right track with the kind of names we’ve already used, too. [name]Josiah[/name] is actually a lot more common among our friends than it is in the rest of the world. I love it, but it might be a bit too “normal” for me.
[name]Selah[/name] was already used by a friend. Otherwise, I agree. It’s awesome. Actually, one of my biggest problems is I’m trying to avoid names already used by close friends.
[name]Geneva[/name] has definite possibilities. However, my sister claimed our Grandmother’s name, [name]Genevieve[/name], when she was 12, I think. I’m not sure I can get away with that, even if marriage and babies don’t seem to be in her near future.
You’re right in saying that none of our names are “obviously” Reformed. Up until this point we’ve looked primarily to the Bible for inspiration. I’m just starting to think that there might be some other avenues to explore…
I’m really open to place names. [name]Iona[/name] (an important place in pre-reformation history) is my current favorite, but I’m trying to have more than one or two names on “the list” for him to choose from. (I make the list, he tells me what he likes/doesn’t like, and we go from there).
I really like the story of [name]Tabitha[/name] in the NT.
Have you checked all the lists on NB that apply (you likely have, but just in case…)
Also:
[name]Susanna[/name] & [name]Joanna[/name] (see [name]Luke[/name] 8:3)
[name]Lois[/name] & [name]Eunice[/name] ([name]Timothy[/name]'s family)
Apphia ([name]Philemon[/name]'s wife or a leader in that church)
[name]Chloe[/name] (1[name]Cor[/name] 1:11)
[name]Julia[/name] (Rom 16:15)
[name]Junia[/name] (Rom 16:7)
[name]Phoebe[/name] (Rom 16:1)
[name]Rhoda[/name]
[name]Tirza[/name]
So… Sure, the ladies mentioned in Rom 16 are only names mentioned in a list in a letter, but it’s pretty significant that they were singled out in the church, by [name]Paul[/name] no less, to give them a commendation or send them greetings. They must have been exemplary leaders. Here’s where you can find a more complete list of names in the Bible.
Or, what about naming her after a famous hymn writer? Especially if a woman wrote your favourite song.
Hymn Writers | Women of Christianity gives a list which includes [name]Charlotte[/name] ([name]Just[/name] as I am without one plea), [name]Phoebe[/name] (although I’ve never heard of any of her hymns) & [name]Frances[/name] [name]Jane[/name] ([name]Fanny[/name] [name]Crosby[/name]).
Or you could work from a list of famous [name]Christian[/name] missions workers: http://www.fish4him.org/FamousMissionaries/tabid/141/language/en-US/Default.aspx
Which would again include [name]Charlotte[/name], and also, [name]Amy[/name], [name]Gladys[/name], [name]Ida[/name], [name]Corrie[/name], [name]Lillian[/name]
Another idea I just had which would require more work than I currently have time for, but could be interesting…
Take a personally meaningful Bible verse and find the original Greek or Hebrew transliteration for some key words. For example,
[name]John[/name] 10:10 “…I have come that they may have LIFE…” Life in this verse = [name]Zoe[/name] in Greek.
2[name]Tim[/name] 2:22 “…follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on The [name]Lord[/name] out of a pure heart.” ‘Pure’ = katharos = [name]Katharine[/name].
‘[name]Charity[/name]’ in the above verse = Agape
Those are the only two examples I’ve found at the moment
Only 1 of my kids can find their name in the Bible, but i give them all a Bible verse that has their name meaning. Its really beautiful and helps make that verse real to them
I know what you mean about unusual Bible names being normal! i lost track how many [name]Josiahs[/name] i know . Im really.disappointed [name]Eden[/name] caught on with so many of my.friends. i picked out that gem in jr high! LOL [name]Selah[/name] has already been taken for me too.
I go with gem names. I love the biblical references and symbolism and love the secular symbolism too .
[name]Hope[/name] this helps!
Exactly! The Bible names I loved in high school were [name]Hannah[/name], [name]Lydia[/name], and [name]Chloe[/name]. (And [name]Josiah[/name] for a boy–definitely [name]Josiah[/name]!) They all sounded very new and different back then. By the time I got to baby naming…not so much. Especially [name]Chloe[/name]. I had picked it for very personal, spiritual reasons. Then they had to go and ruin it by using it in a soap opera. So much for that.
On the other hand, I am glad that I’ve been forced to think a bit harder about their names. The process is sometimes a bit anxiety-producing for this baby-name nerd, but we’ve always ended up with something that was “just right”.
I hadn’t considered the gem angle much before…I’ll have to look into it! Thanks so much!
I wonder if you would like the name [name]Salome[/name]?
*I have no idea if that fits with the type of biblical name you might be looking for! I don’t know what it means to be a Reformed [name]Christian[/name]. (And is there a Book of [name]Titus[/name]??)
Although she’s not mentioned by name, it is accepted by historians that [name]Salome[/name] was the name of Herodias’ daughter who asked for the head of [name]John[/name] the Baptist on a platter…so no, it doesn’t work for me.
And yes, there is a book of [name]Titus[/name]. It’s relatively short–right after 2 [name]Timothy[/name] in the [name]New[/name] Testament.
My first guess at one of your daughter’s names is [name]Selah[/name], and I like Biblical names along those lines. Unexpected. A lot of the place names strike me as fresh in that way.
Cana - this is one of my favorite biblical names.
Bethlehem - it’s so soft and lovely and [name]Beth[/name] is an obvious nn.
[name]Galilee[/name] – nn [name]Gali[/name] or Lilee
Jerusalem - one of my favorites
[name]Arbela[/name]
Caria
Lycia
[name]Carmel[/name]
[name]Petra[/name]
[name]Zorah[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name]
[name]Bethany[/name]