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 [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 "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 (hebrew|יְהוֹ) into Jo (hebrew|יוֹ), to make the start of "Y^eho-" names not sound like an attempt to pronounce the Divine Name. [Christian Ginsburg, Introduction To the Massoretico-Critical Edition Of The Hebrew Bible, p 369] and [http://www.lamblion.net/Articles/ScottJones/jehovah1.htm]

Table of theophoric names with "Yeho" and "Yo" prefixes

[Note that theophoric names with "hebrew|יוֹ" [i.e. "Yo"] are written in bold letters.]

Strong's #	Hebrew word	Strong's Transliteration	Strong's Words Compounded	English Spelling
3059	Hebrew|יְהוֹאָחָז	Yehow'achaz	Jehovah & achaz [# 270]	Jehoachaz
3099	Hebrew|יוֹאָחָז	Yow'achaz	"a form of 3059"	Joachaz
3060	Hebrew|יְהוֹאָש	Yehow'ash	Jehovah & 'esh [# 784]	Jehoash
3101	hebrew|יוֹאָש	Yow'ash	"a form of 3060"	Joash
3075	hebrew|יְהוֹזָבָד	Yehowzabad	Jehovah & zabad [# 2064]	Jehozabad
3107	hebrew|יוֹזָבָד	Yowzabad	"a form of 3075"	Jozabad
3076	hebrew|יְהוֹחָנָן	Yehowchanan	Jehovah & chanan [# 2603]	Jehochanan
3110	hebrew|יוֹחָנָן	Yowchanan	"a form of 3076"	Jochanan
3077	hebrew|יְהוֹיָדָע	Yehowyada	Jehovah & yada [# 3045]	Jehojada
3111	Hebrew|יוֹיָדָע	Yowyada	"a form of 3077"	Jojada
3078	Hebrew|יְהוֹיָכִין	Yehowyakiyn	Jehovah & kuwn [# 3559]	Jehojakin
3112	Hebrew|יוֹיָכִין	Yowyakiyn	"a form of 3078"	Jojakin
3079	hebrew|יְהוֹיָקִימ	Yehowyaqiym	Jehovah & quwm [# 3965]	Jehojakim
3113	hebrew|יוֹיָקִימ	Yowyaqiym	"a form of 3079"	Jojakim
3080	hebrew|יְהוֹיָרִיב	Yehowyariyb	Jehovah & riyb [# 7378]	Jehojarib
3114	hebrew|יוֹיָרִיב	Yowyariyb	"a form of 3080"	Jojarib
3082	hebrew|יְהוֹנָדָב	Yehownadab	Jehovah & nadab [# 5068]	Jehonadab
3122	hebrew|יוֹנָדָב	Yownadab	"a form of 3082"	Jonadab
3083	hebrew|יְהוֹנָתָן	Yehownathan	Jehovah & nathan [# 5414]	Jehonathan
3129	hebrew|יוֹנָתָן	Yownathan	"a form of 3083"	Jonathan
3085	hebrew|	Yehow'addah	Jehovah & 'adah [# 5710]	Jehoaddah
3087	hebrew|יְהוֹצָדָק	Yehowtsadaq	Jehovah & tsadaq [# 6663]	Jehotsadak
3136	hebrew|יוֹצָדָק	Yowtsadaq	"a form of 3087"	Jotsadak
3088	hebrew|יְהוֹרָם	Yehowram	Jehovah & ruwm [# 7311]	Jehoram
3141	hebrew|יוֹרָם	Yowram	"a form of 3088"	Joram
3092	hebrew|יְהוֹשָפָט	Yehowshaphat	Jehovah & shaphat [# 8199]	Jehoshaphat
3146	hebrew|יוֹשָפָט	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	hebrew|יְשַׁעְיָה	Yesha'yah	yasha [# 3467] & Yah	Jeshajah
3470a	hebrew|יְשַׁעְיָהוּ	Yesha'yahuw	yasha [# 3467] & Yahu	Jeshajahu
5418	hebrew|נְתַנְיָה	Nethanyah	nathan [# 5414] & Yah	Nethanjah
5418a	hebrew|נְתַנְיָהוּ	Nethanyahuw	nathan [# 5414] & Yahu	Nethanjahu
138	hebrew|אֲדֹנִיָּה	'Adoniyah	'adown [# 113] & Yah	Adonijah
138a	hebrew|אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ	'Adoniyahuw	'adown [# 113] & Yahu	Adonijahu
452	hebrew|אֵלִיָּה	' Eliyah	'el [# 410] & Yah	Elijah
452a	hebrew|אֵלִיָּהוּ	' Eliyahu	'el [# 410] & Yahu	Elijahu
3414	hebrew|יִרְמְיָה	Yirmeyah	ruwm [# 7311] & yah	Jirmejah
3414a	hebrew|יִרְמְיָהוּ	Yirmeyahuw	ruwm [# 7311] & yahu	Jirmejahu
5166	hebrew|נְחֶמְיָה	Nechemyah	nacham [# 5162] & yah	Nechemjah

Greek, Roman and Christian names

*The name "Christopher" literally means "Christ-bearer"
*Theodore/Theodora means "gift of God" [http://www.lgpn.ox.ac.uk/names/developments.html]
*Dorotheus/Dorothea means "gift to God"
*Theodosius/Theodosia, Theodotos/Theodotē and Dositheus/Dosithea mean "God-given"
*Theophilus (Greek), Amadeus (Latin), Gottlieb (German) and Bogumił (Polish) 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:

Other Islamic names

*Asad-u-Allah (name)
*Saif-u-Allah (name) nickname for Khalid bin al Walid

*Habibur-Rahman
*Najibul-rahman
*Amatul-Laah
*Waliul-Laah
*Rooh-Allah

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 gods or goddesses. Often, the same name is ascribed to multiple deities.

External links

*http://www.ancientneareast.net/religion mesopotamian/cult ritual/names theophoric.html Theophoric names: bibliography
* [http://www.lgpn.ox.ac.uk/names/developments.html Lexicon of Greek Personal Names]
* [http://www.edofolks.com/html/pub119.htm Ogden Goelet, "Moses' Egyptian Name"]
* [http://www.jewish-languages.org/onomastics.html Jewish onomastics]
* [http://www.slate.com/id/2179082/ 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