Theophoric name

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A theophoric name (Greek: "bearing a deity") 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.

Judaism and biblical

The name of God that appears in Hebrew biblical texts as יהוה transliterates as YHWH, (For more information about the pronunciation of יהוה see Tetragrammaton, Jehovah and Yahweh)

Here, "-hh" at the end of a word means Hebrew h with mappiq, showing that that 'h' must be pronounced and is not a mater lectionis.

Among the Biblical names that have developed this way are:
Referring to God:

• El: Elizabeth: Hebrew Elisheva = "my God is an oath" or "my God is abundance"''
• El: Samuel: "his name is El"
• El: Michael: "Who is like God?"
• YHWH /Yahweh: Jonathan (Hebrew Yônāṯān or Y^ehônāṯān: "who Yahweh gave"
• YHWH: Jesus: Ye·shu′a‛ or Yehoh·shu′a‛: “Yahweh/Jehovah Is Salvation”.

Referring to other gods:

• Yam: Abijam: "my father is Yam"
• Zedek: Melchizedek: "My king is Zedek"
• Nabu: Nebuchadnezzar (in Babylonian Nabu-kudurri-usur)
• Baal: Ishbaal: "man of Baal".

Theophoric names in Baal were sometimes "censored" as -bosheth = "shameful one", whence Ishbosheth etc.

Some names could be controversial political statements: Beliah can mean Baal is Yahweh, Jael and Elijah can mean Yahweh is El (and vice-versa, respectively), while Jabin can mean Yahweh is the son.

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) appears in many theophoric names of the First Temple Period, e.g., Yirme-yahu (Jeremiah), Yesha-yahu (Isaiah), Netan-yah, Yedid-yah, Adoni-yah, Nekhem-yah.

"Yahū" or "Y^ehū" is a common short form for "Yahweh" in Hebrew names; as a prefix it sometimes appears as "Y^ehō-". In former times that was thought to be abbreviated from the supposed pronunciation "Yehowah". There is nowadays an opinion that, as "Yahweh" is likely an imperfective verb form, "Yahu" is its corresponding preterite or jussive short form: compare yiŝt^ahawe^h (imperfective), yiŝtáhû (preterit or jussive short form) = "do obeisance".

However, the name Judah (Y^ehūda^h) is not an example: here the y^e- 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 "Y^eho-" names not sound like an attempt to pronounce the Divine Name. and

Table 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	Strong's Words Compounded	English Spelling
3059		Yehow'achaz	Jehovah & achaz [# 270]	Jehoachaz
3099		Yow'achaz	"a form of 3059"	Joachaz
3060		Yehow'ash	Jehovah & 'esh [# 784]	Jehoash
3101		Yow'ash	"a form of 3060"	Joash
3075		Yehowzabad	Jehovah & zabad [# 2064]	Jehozabad
3107		Yowzabad	"a form of 3075"	Jozabad
3076		Yehowchanan	Jehovah & chanan [# 2603]	Jehochanan
3110		Yowchanan	"a form of 3076"	Jochanan
3077		Yehowyada	Jehovah & yada [# 3045]	Jehojada
3111		Yowyada	"a form of 3077"	Jojada
3078		Yehowyakiyn	Jehovah & kuwn [# 3559]	Jehojakin
3112		Yowyakiyn	"a form of 3078"	Jojakin
3079		Yehowyaqiym	Jehovah & quwm [# 3965]	Jehojakim
3113		Yowyaqiym	"a form of 3079"	Jojakim
3080		Yehowyariyb	Jehovah & riyb [# 7378]	Jehojarib
3114		Yowyariyb	"a form of 3080"	Jojarib
3082		Yehownadab	Jehovah & nadab [# 5068]	Jehonadab
3122		Yownadab	"a form of 3082"	Jonadab
3083		Yehownathan	Jehovah & nathan [# 5414]	Jehonathan
3129		Yownathan	"a form of 3083"	Jonathan
3085		Yehow'addah	Jehovah & 'adah [# 5710]	Jehoaddah
3087		Yehowtsadaq	Jehovah & tsadaq [# 6663]	Jehotsadak
3136		Yowtsadaq	"a form of 3087"	Jotsadak
3088		Yehowram	Jehovah & ruwm [# 7311]	Jehoram
3141		Yowram	"a form of 3088"	Joram
3092		Yehowshaphat	Jehovah & shaphat [# 8199]	Jehoshaphat
3146		Yowshaphat	"a form of 3092"	Joshaphat

Table of Theophoric names with "Yah" and "Yahu" suffixes

Strong's #	Hebrew word	Strong's Transliteration	Strong's Words Compounded	English Spelling
3470		Yesha'yah	yasha [# 3467] & Yah	Jeshajah
3470a		Yesha'yahuw	yasha [# 3467] & Yahu	Jeshajahu
5418		Nethanyah	nathan [# 5414] & Yah	Nethanjah
5418a		Nethanyahuw	nathan [# 5414] & Yahu	Nethanjahu
138		'Adoniyah	'adown [# 113] & Yah	Adonijah
138a		'Adoniyahuw	'adown [# 113] & Yahu	Adonijahu
452		' Eliyah	'el [# 410] & Yah	Elijah
452a		' Eliyahu	'el [# 410] & Yahu	Elijahu
3414		Yirmeyah	ruwm [# 7311] & yah	Jirmejah
3414a		Yirmeyahuw	ruwm [# 7311] & yahu	Jirmejahu
5166		Nechemyah	nacham [# 5162] & yah	Nechemjah

Greek, Roman and Christian names

• The name "Christopher" literally means "Christ-bearer"
• Theodore/Theodora means "gift of God"
• Dorotheus/Dorothea means "gift to God"
• Theodosius/Theodosia, Theodotos/Theodotē and Dositheus/Dosithea mean "God-given"
• Theophilus (Greek), Amadeus (Latin) and Gottlieb (German) mean "one who loves God"
• Theognis means "god-knowing"
• Theophanes means "manifestation of God"
• Theophrastus means "godly speech"
• Theaetetus means "one who pleads to God"
• Fürchtegott (German) means "fear God"
• Martin for the Roman god Mars

Some Christian saints have polytheistic theophoric names (such as Saint Mercurius, Saint Saturninus, Saint Hermes, Saint Martin of Tours).

Islam

"Abdul" names

"Abd" (= slave or servant) added to a name of Allah or one of his attributes. In Classical Arabic any of these names can be pronounced as "Abdul-" or "Abdal-" or "Abdil-" according to grammatical position in the speech. The most common are the first two:

‘Abdullah (name) ‘Abdul-Rahman (name) ‘Abdul Rahiem (name) ‘Abdul `Aakher (name) ‘Abdul `A'ala (name) ‘Abdul Akram (name) ‘Abdul Ielah (name) ‘Abdul Awwal (name) ‘Abdul Bari`e (name) ‘Abdul Basit(name) ‘Abdul Batin (name) ‘Abdul Barr (name) ‘Abdul Basier (name) ‘Abdul Tawwab (name) ‘Abdul Jabbar (name) ‘Abdul Jamiel (name) ‘Abdul Jawad (name) ‘Abdul Hadi (name) ‘Abdul Hasieb (name) ‘Abdul Hafiez (name) ‘Abdul Haq (name) ‘Abdul Hakam (name) ‘Abdul Hakiem (name) ‘Abdul Haliem (name) ‘Abd al-Hamid (name) ‘Abdul Haie (name) ‘Abdul Khaliq (name) ‘Abdul Khabier (name) ‘Abdul Khallaq (name) `Abdul Karim (name) ‘Abdul Diaan (name) ‘Abdul Raouf (name) ‘Abdul Razieq (name) ‘Abdul Razzaq (name)	‘Abdul Rabb (name) ‘Abdul Rafieq (name) ‘Abdul Raqieb (name) ‘Abdul Subboh (name) ‘Abdul Settier (name) ‘Abdul Salam (name) ‘Abdul Samie' (name) ‘Abdul Sayyied (name) ‘Abdul Shafie (name) ‘Abdul Shaker (name) ‘Abdul Shakoor (name) ‘Abdul Shahied (name) ‘Abdul Samad (name) ‘Abdul Tayyieb (name) ‘Abdul Dhahier (name) ‘Abdul 'Aziz (name) ‘Abdul 'Aziem (name) ‘Abdul ‘Afou (name) ‘Abdul ‘Alie (name) ‘Abdul ‘Aliem (name) ‘Abdul Ghaffar (name) ‘Abdul Ghafour (name) ‘Abdul Ghanie (name) ‘Abdul Fattah (name) ‘Abdul Qabiedh (name) ‘Abdul Qadir (name) ‘Abdul Qadier (name) ‘Abdul Qahir (name) ‘Abdul Quddous (name) ‘Abdul Qarieb (name) ‘Abdul Qahhar (name) ‘Abdul Qawi (name) ‘Abdul Qaioum (name)	‘Abdul Kabier (name) ‘Abdul Kariem (name) ‘Abdul Latief (name) 'Abdul Maalik (name) ‘Abdul Mlieek (name) ‘Abdul Malik (name) 'Abdul Moakhier (name) ‘Abdul Moe'min (name) ‘Abdul Mobien(name) 'Abdul Motaali (name) ‘Abdul Motakabbir (name) ‘Abdul Matien (name) 'Abdul Mugieb (name) ‘Abdul Magied (name) ‘Abdul Mohsen (name) 'Abdul Mos'a'air (name) ‘Abdul Mlieek (name) ‘Abdul Mosawir (name) 'Abdul Mo'ati (name) ‘Abdul Moqaddim (name) ‘Abdul Moqiet (name) ‘Abdul Muqtadier (name) ‘Abdul Mannan (name) ‘Abdul Mawla (name) ‘Abdul Nasier (name) ‘Abdul Wahid (name) ‘Abdul Wasie (name) ‘Abdul Witr (name) ‘Abdul Wadoud (name) ‘Abdul Wakiel(name) ‘Abdul Walii (name) ‘Abd-al-Wahhab (name)

Other Islamic names

• Asad-u-Allah (name)
• Saif-u-Allah (name) nickname for Khalid bin al Walid
• Habibur-Rahman (name)
• Najibul-rahman (name)
• Amatul-Laah (name)
• Waliul-Laah (name)
• Rooh-Allah (name)

Islamic names which some think are faulty

• ‘Abdal Rasoul (name) means "slave of the prophet", a misnomer according to orthodox Muslim thinking, some change the name to Abd-Rab-Ar-Rasoul to mean "slave of the Lord of the prophet".
• Examples in Arabic name#Common mistakes

Hinduism

Most traditional Hindu names honor Hindu god(esse)s. Oftentimes, the same name is ascribed to multiple deities.

External links

• http://www.ancientneareast.net/religion mesopotamian/cult ritual/names theophoric.html Theophoric names: bibliography
• Lexicon of Greek Personal Names
• Ogden Goelet, "Moses' Egyptian Name"
• Jewish onomastics
• When Can Muslims Use the Name Mohammed?: Plus, why don't English speakers name their children Jesus? by Michelle Tsai

Technical note

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References

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Last updated on Thursday February 21, 2008 at 12:46:53 PST (GMT -0800)
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