Christian Names

[Jun]

Hello,

 

I was just wondering how many here have biblical/Hebrew/Jewish names, but aren't in fact Jewish/Hebrew, and are ExChristians. If so, is your name a family tradition? ie: passed on in the family from father to son?

 

Does having a biblical name affect your life in any way? example: family uses the fact to bolster your support for Christianity, Christians point out the fact that you are named after someone in the bible.

 

Any other comments you would care to make.

 

Thanks.

[smellincoffee]

Hello,

 

I was just wondering how many here have biblical/Hebrew/Jewish names, but aren't in fact Jewish/Hebrew, and are ExChristians. If so, is your name a family tradition? ie: passed on in the family from father to son?

 

Does having a biblical name affect your life in any way? example: family uses the fact to bolster your support for Christianity, Christians point out the fact that you are named after someone in the bible.

 

Any other comments you would care to make.

 

Thanks.

 

Both my first and middle names are from the bible (Stephen, the first martyr, and Mark, writer of one of the Gospels). My sister, who was born before my parents joined a UPCI church, has names of no obvious Biblical origin. The only problem I have is being called "Steve" and people looking at me when a preacher mentions the biblical Stephen.

[pandora]

My names are not biblical, but my husband was named "Daniel Abraham" (HA HA!!! Abraham!) because his mother "promised God" she would name her baby "good Biblical names."

[SilentLoner]

I'm named after a character from Dante's Inferno, does that count?

 

Anyways, I hate it. For some reason most people can't pronounce it right. I go by my middle name (which is after a famous tennis player, ironic because I suck at tennis).

[Cracked]

I too have an xtian first name that I prefer not to disclose but since I have become an Atheist I am a little morte skeptical about using my first name.

[Franciscan Monkey]

My first name is not biblical, but my middle name is, quite ironically, "Christian." Perhaps I should change it to "Ex-christian" or "Atheist"? Anyway, it doesn't bother me or affect me in any way, except for the humor in it.

[Jeydid]

I strongly suspect that many parents give their children Biblical names without considering their origins at all. For example I have a brother named Timothy. He was named for a friend of my mother. He has a son named Timothy, which of course he named after himself. I suspect very few people in this day and age got stuck with Biblical names simply because they are names from the bible. The names we have were generally all mentioned somewhere before we got them after all.

[Guest JP]

I guess Jeremy is a take on Jeremiah, a Christian name. But I wasn't named after any biblical figure.

[Astreja]

My middle name used to be Elizabeth. I actually had it removed it legally when I changed the spelling of my RL first name, partially because I knew it translated as "consecrated to God."

 

Hey, I was only three months old when that priest dumped water on my head. Ain't nobody consecratin' me to nothin' without my consent.

[Renfield]

Michael, you know, like in archangel.

Michael was a popular name in the late '40s early '50s. At one time I had a class with 4 other Michaels.

[Gaura]

All of us have Christian first and middle names. Mike and I (Lidia) were both named in Catholic tradition. John needed to be named in Mike's family tradition so his are "Biblical" too.

 

I have thought about changing my name several times, primarily because I literally have to spell out my name to almost everyone except my very closest friends. It gets really old. Ironically, I've thought about Linda which isn't a Christian name, just means "pretty" in Spanish.

[All Gods Fail]

"I'm an American, baby. Our names don't mean shit."

 

 

Yeah, I got one too, but I agree with Jeydid - it wasn't because it was a biblical name, my folks just liked the sound of it.

 

 

Franciscan Monkey, here's what you do: change your first name to 'Xavier'.

"X. Christian"! Get it?

[ChristiaNazi]

Did you ever notice nobody names their kid Judas?

 

Cool a "speaking in tongues" emoticon -->

[Callyn]

My name's David, but I never really thought about it that way. All names come from somewhere, and it's not like I'm named Jesus or anything. A name's a name, nothing more.

 

My name's David, but I never really thought about it that way. All names come from somewhere, and it's not like I'm named Jesus or anything. A name's a name, nothing more.

[Caretaker]

Hmmmm

 

What about all those girls who are name Faith and Hope, and so on?

[Lorena Rodriguez]

I was given the Spanish name for Timothy's (sp?) grandmother. I don't like the name because it is uncommon. I only know like 3 other people who have it.

 

The rest of my siblings and their children all have biblical names, too. It sucks.

[Jun]

I want to thank those of you who gave their opinions. It seems that most are not happy with having a biblical name.

 

The reason I asked was because of a war I have started within my own family.

 

You see, my family is from Scotland and has for the last 800 years passed on Christian names as a tradition. I am the 432nd person in my family to have my name - pretty depressing really when you see the rows of gravestones all with the same name (or variations) lined up.

 

When my son was born I decided to break that tradition, and have been ostracised from most of my immediate family because of it. My son is half-Japanese so my wife and I decided on a Japanese name. My family insists that he be baptised and given a "Christian" name in line with the family tradition.

 

I am no longer Christian and have changed my name also. This wasn't so bad as I'm an adult (and many STILL insist on calling me by my "Christian" name), but my family still insists that my son's name be changed to a bilblical name.

[Jeydid]

You have a right to name your child anything you like. Tell your family that if they want a baby with a Christian name they can go have one of their own.

 

Though if your family's opinion is that important to you perhaps you could compromise with a generic sort of Biblical name for your son's middle name.

[Jun]

You have a right to name your child anything you like. Tell your family that if they want a baby with a Christian name they can go have one of their own.

 

Though if your family's opinion is that important to you perhaps you could compromise with a generic sort of Biblical name for your son's middle name.

 

My son has already been named, and NOTHING can change that. If he decides when he grows up that he wishes to change his name, then that will be HIS choice and my wife and I will have no say in it.

 

Perhaps I take things a bit far to get my message of being anti-Christian across. When I am required to fill in forms, and it says "Christian name" I leave it blank. I'm ok with forms that say "first or given name" but I don't have a Christian name (anylonger), so if it says this I leave it blank and explain that I don't have a "Christian name."

 

A name's a name, nothing more.

 

I totally agree. But being from a traditional Scottish family that has had a strong connection to the church (over 140 of my ancestors have been ministers or such) it is seen as a way of cementing the tradition and the ties to "God."

[Mr. Neil]

Mwee! I was named after an astronaut!

 

There are some people in my family who have biblical names, but they're mostly unconscious decisions. For example, my youngest nephew's name is Daniel, but he wasn't named after the name in the Bible.

[Vigile]

I'm named after a character from Dante's Inferno, does that count?

 

Anyways, I hate it. For some reason most people can't pronounce it right. I go by my middle name (which is after a famous tennis player, ironic because I suck at tennis).

 

I know we covered this ground before, but don't you even like the shortened version Bea (pronounced Bay-ya)? I still think it's a pretty name.

[The Sage Nabooru]

I was named after St. Stephen. My mother laid a guilt trip on me while growing up, about how St. Stephen had a "pure heart" free of taint and evil and I obviously didn't.

 

Like many, if not most, New Testament names, however, the name is actually Greek in origin.

 

My middle name has no Biblical or Christian roots, however, it is mind-numbingly boring all the same.

 

My brother was named for St. Christopher, which is unusual, since even while he still was claimed to have existed he was mainly a Catholic saint, and our church made a big fucking deal out of not naming children for Catholic or legendary saints (names from other sources, like classical mythology [i.e. Diana or Minerva] were still acceptable).

 

I don't particularly like my name, but it's mostly not out of its supposedly Christian connotations. I am pleased and grateful that my mother gave both my brother and me regular, normal names instead of some faddish or overdone made-up garbage.

[Markkasan]

I'm named after a character from Dante's Inferno, does that count?

 

Anyways, I hate it. For some reason most people can't pronounce it right. I go by my middle name (which is after a famous tennis player, ironic because I suck at tennis).

 

Virgil is the only names that come to mind from Dante's inferno. it's a cool name, you should keep it.

 

 

Mine's Scandinavian, which was origianlly pagan, so no Christian's going to tell me my name is wrong.

[Lizard]

I don't think Lizard is in the bible..

 

Ok..no, no biblical names here. Not my parents either..my grandmother's name was Grace, though. And a cousin was named after her.

 

None of my children have biblical names either. Well, my daughter's middle is Marie, but that was the only name that would go with her first name.

 

My son is named after Bonnie Prince Charlie..

 

Lorena..I know several women with your name down here..its pretty common..I mean, as in alot of women here in Texas have the name.

[SilentLoner]

Virgil is the only names that come to mind from Dante's inferno. it's a cool name, you should keep it.

 

Virgil is cool, but unfortunately that's not my name.