I’m feeling really disappointed because my SO and I thought we had a name narrowed down… Raphael. Our other two sons are Abraham and Peter. We were seeking a strong biblical name for a 3rd boy. However - after researching the name Raphael deeper, we discovered the name is not actually mentioned in the bible - only in the Catholic recognized book of Tobit. We are not Catholic and this is drawing a huge disappointment for me as I was becoming attached to the name Raphael but am now realizing that the name may not be recognized as an archangel as I supposed.
Does anyone with a Christian background have any insight into this? What do you think of when you hear Raphael?
I grew up [name_u]Christian[/name_u], and although I associate it with the painter and not [name_u]Christian[/name_u] tradition, I think it’s a relatively mainstream deuterocanonical concept even for Protestants. Also, although it isn’t technically a Biblical name, it means “God heals,” which is a beautiful (and strongly Christian) meaning that fits with your other sons. I think if you love it, go for it!
If you’re really averse to having a non-Biblical name, [name_u]Gabriel[/name_u] and [name_u]Michael[/name_u] are the two angels named in the [name_u]Christian[/name_u] Bible, and they sound similar to [name_m]Raphael[/name_m]. I think [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] is a beautiful name, though!
[name_f]My[/name_f] first thought is teenage mutant ninja turtles.
I did however pull up out my super Bible dictionary and concordance to see if any correlation whatsoever could be drawn up. The most I have for you isn’t [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] but Rapha meaning he has healed who is described as the fifth son of [name_u]Benjamin[/name_u] in 1 chronicles 8:2 and as a member of sauls family in 1 chronicles 8:37
I’m not Catholic but I still immediately think of the angel.
I think it’s a gorgeous name and fits wonderfully with your other sons’ names. I agree that even if it’s not technically Biblical to non-Catholics, the meaning of the name seems perfect and makes it worth consideration.
I also second the suggestion of [name_u]Gabriel[/name_u]!
It may not be “Biblical” in the technical sense, but [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] is an angel in Judeo-Christian mythology nonetheless and it is a Latanized version (as are most Biblical names) of the Hebrew Rafa’el. [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] is also, traditionally, said to be the angel that troubled the healing waters in Bethsaida/Bethesda which is talked about in the Protestant [name_u]Christian[/name_u] Bible in the Gospel of [name_u]John[/name_u] Chapter 5.
Sorry, but this is definitely not a biblical name. I usually think of the Renaissance painter or occasionally the ninja turtle when I hear the name [name_m]Raphael[/name_m]. I had never heard of the angel association before. [name_u]Michael[/name_u] and [name_u]Gabriel[/name_u] are the only angels named in the Bible. [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] is mentioned in the Apocrypha, which is based on tradition, not the inspired word of God. It is still an okay name to use, but it won’t be instantly recognized as a Bible name that coordinates with your other children.
The good news is that there are many other Biblical boy names ranging from [name_m]Othniel[/name_m] and [name_m]Esau[/name_m] to [name_m]Enoch[/name_m], [name_u]Merari[/name_u], and [name_m]Rufus[/name_m].
I am not Catholic, I was raised Episcopalian. I didn’t know it wasn’t in the bible- I always see it in reference to the angel so I definitely have that association!
Thank you for your response and suggestions! I’m really struggling with this. We try to seek not as common names so [name_u]Michael[/name_u] doesn’t quite fit for me… and for some reason I just can’t get on board with [name_u]Gabriel[/name_u]. I will keep pondering…
Thank you for your insight. We are seeking a biblical, well recognized but not commonly used name. There are several to choose from but just looking for that name that “feels right” like [name_m]Abraham[/name_m] and [name_m]Peter[/name_m] for us.
It is interesting you state “ not as commonly used” yet both [name_m]Abraham[/name_m] and [name_m]Peter[/name_m] fall in the 200’s for boy name ranking.(At name 201 & 214) [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] actually distances itself considerably not ranking until the 500’s
Some biblical name that fall more in line with where [name_m]Abraham[/name_m] and [name_m]Peter[/name_m] lie (and are actually scripture wise biblical. And therefore mesh better IMO) I’d suggest these:
Thanks for your comment. I guess when I say not as commonly used, I mean outside of the top 100. The top 100 is chock full of biblical names - I’m talking along the lines of [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_u]John[/name_u], [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], [name_u]Elijah[/name_u], [name_u]Benjamin[/name_u], [name_u]Noah[/name_u], [name_m]Lucas[/name_m], [name_m]Matthew[/name_m], [name_u]Michael[/name_u], etc.etc.etc. Names like those are what we try to avoid, though they are all great names. I haven’t met another little boy [name_m]Abraham[/name_m] in 6 years and a young [name_m]Peter[/name_m] only once in 3 years. Out of your suggestions I do really like [name_u]Judah[/name_u] but my husband isn’t much of a fan. [name_m]Abel[/name_m] and [name_m]Paul[/name_m] I’d avoid because I feel they are took close to [name_m]Abraham[/name_m] and [name_m]Peter[/name_m] respectively. Thank you for your other suggestions! Open to considering all the different options. Looking for that “right feel” and it’s a very difficult choice!!
I completely understand where you are coming from. [name_f]My[/name_f] first born is [name_m]Jabez[/name_m] and my other son is [name_m]Gideon[/name_m]. I keep trying to push for naming a child [name_m]Jairus[/name_m] but may just end up as a guilty pleasure. I will say even with ranking it’s hard to know just who you’ll come across in life. We’ve had a couple times where “Gideon” has been yelled at the park and not by me!
You’re definitely right, you just never know. [name_u]Love[/name_u] your name choices and [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] is on my short list! [name_f]Do[/name_f] you use any nicknames?
I was in the same boat as you once. I feel 50/50 because it’s still connected to God of the Protestant Bible by meaning but I still put it aside eventually because there are so many other great connections I can make without feeling conflicted.
However, I like to name my children by meaning connected to God metaphorically or poetically so if a name has a connection I think fits that bill I will use it. My first son’s name is not in the Bible but means “noble, eager, ready for battle” and his middle name Eliott pairs with the meaning of his first name to make the statement “noble, eager, ready for battle; the Lord is my God/Jehovah is God”. My second son’s name is a very rare Old English name meaning “friend of God” It is not found in the Bible and paganism has been muddled with Christianity throughout history so I’m not certain which “God” was behind the meaning to the original users but I know God looks on my heart and sees that I attribute it to
Him and have no knowledge of its use otherwise (which is why “Raphael” conflicts me more). His middle name “Maxwell” means “great stream” and I attributed that to “rivers of living water”. Abraham’s faith was attributed to him as righteousness and he was called a “friend of God” and whoever believes in Christ (through faith), out of his heart will flow “rivers of living water”. What greater stream is there?
If your conscience is clear God will see the motivation of your heart but if you still cannot reconcile it I would let it go. Prayer should help if you feel conflicted, of course!
Nathaniel
Amos “carried by God”
Asa (means “healer”) Christians are to reflect God and His attributes and healing is one of these
Barnabas “son of consolation” (consolation contributes to emotional and spiritual healing)
Bartholomew
Gideon
Jonah “dove” a symbol of peace, which brings healing
Jonas (same as Jonah)
Josiah “God supports, heals”depending on where you live in the US this could be less common in your area. I’ve only ever heard it on an uncle of mine yet it was #50 last year
Micah
Moses (Moses is another prominent figure in the Bible as are both Abraham and Peter.)
Nehemiah “comforted by God” goes along with healing
Philip
Samson “sun” the sun contributes to life, growth, prosperity of the earth as well as light, all of which help with healing, just as the Son does
Tobias “God is good”
Zachariah
Zeke “God strengthens” Strength is the opposite of weakness and illness causes weakness so strength too contributes to healing
Would you consider [name_m]Ezekiel[/name_m]? It feels less common like [name_m]Abraham[/name_m] and distinctly biblical like [name_m]Peter[/name_m].
[name_m]Joshua[/name_m] is one of my favorite biblical names, despite its popularity. [name_u]Love[/name_u] the book of [name_m]Joshua[/name_m] so it’s worth it to me.
Throwing a few others out there - apologies for repeats:
Thank you for your extremely thoughtful response, I really appreciate it. I am definitely in prayer over the name choice. I like [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] and [name_m]Samson[/name_m] and am going to be considering all the names suggested in this thread. I also have seen the point of [name_m]Abraham[/name_m] and [name_m]Peter[/name_m] being large biblical figures.
I very much wish I could consider [name_m]Ezekiel[/name_m] but I named my dog [name_u]Zeke[/name_u] 6 years ago… haha!!! Oops. I feel the same way about [name_m]Joshua[/name_m], great name but very popular, and also just doesn’t ring as strong sounding to me as [name_m]Abe[/name_m] and [name_m]Peter[/name_m]. I like [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] and [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] as options. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband loves [name_m]Titus[/name_m], and I wish I could get on board with that but it just doesn’t feel like the right fit for me.
We do use nicknames for Gideon actually- my other two not so much. When I was pregnant and came on Nameberry the ones that were suggested were Giddy, Gidge and Deon and honestly none of those struck me as ones I liked and was reluctant on going with this one (my husbands #1 choice) as a result. After he was born I called him Gid for the first months. We now call him Gin, Bin or Binny - all thanks to my DD last winter having a silly moment and started singing a song about him and just spurted off all these nicknames that have stuck for us.
As a (sort of) Catholic, I’ve always have just assumed [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] was in the Bible because I thought it was the name of an angel. At this point you just have to determine if your happiness with the name outweighs your desire to have a name that is from the Bible.