Information about Theophoric Names

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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

See Jehovah for the old controversy as to whether YHWH was pronounced "Yahweh" or "Yehowah".

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: "heard by God" or "his name is El"
• Yahweh: Jonathan (Hebrew Yônāṯān or Y^ehônāṯān: "who Yahweh gave"

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, Yesha-yahu, 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 [1] 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 (יְהוֹ‎) into Jo (יְהוֹ‎), to make the start of "Y^eho-" names not sound like an attempt to pronounce the Divine Name. ^[1] and [2]

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

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

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

Christianity

• The name "Christopher" literally means "Christ-bearer".
• Theodore means "gift of God" http://www.lgpn.ox.ac.uk/names/developments.html
• Dorotheus means "gift of God"
• Amadeus is intended to mean "one who loves God".
• Theophilus (Greek)
• Gottlieb (German)

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

Islam

Further information: List of Arabic theophoric names 

"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 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

One common type is a Hindu god's name with "-an" added, e.g. Radhakrishnan, Lakshmanan, Ganeshan.

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

Technical note

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References