Biblical names

[ilovemyflipflops]

Tell me, do you think some names can be 'too' biblical to use if you aren't very religious?

I personally think any name is fair game in this day and age, but since naming our son a biblical name friends and family say they keep getting the comment 'i didn't know they were religious' Also we keep getting 'what made you choose a biblical name' er... because we both liked it maybe?! Aren't there an awful lot of biblical names in common use that no-one bats an eyelid at, Rachel, Sarah, Joseph etc etc i bet their parents don't get these questions.

What does it take for a biblical name to loose it's biblical connotations ??? Or are some names just off limits to non church goers? It's not like we named him Jesus..

[Playdough]

I think that if you aren't very religious but don't mind that a name is biblical, then you really shouldn't worry. I find the meaning of a name quite important and so that's one of the things I think about. A lot of biblical names have quite pagan origins (Mark, for instance, from the god Mars) or are just descriptive (Paul: small, as in humble, I think). Have a look at the meaning of the name(s) you like and see if that's one way to answer the 'oh, I didn't know you were religious' angle. But, in the end, if the name works for you, then choose it. It will soon stop being the name you chose and start being the person your child becomes.

[Boulders]

I don't think names are off limit but I understand which Christian names you are talking about. A lot of biblical names that were only popular amoungst the religious have made a sudden comeback to the masses (like Jeremiah, Isaac, Zachariah, Caleb). Others have been generally popular for longer and are not associated with christianity only (like Joseph, Sarah, Adam, Benjamin).

[MadBadandDangerousToKnow]

I think Boulder's right. Some names - like Sarah and Joseph and others - have been in common usage for so long that they're just seen as names and nobody really thinks about the link to the Bible. Other names are still only (in my experience) used by Christians - I've never met a Malachi, for example, whose parents weren't committed Christians. Then in the middle are names like Caleb which seem to be becoming mainstream (for want of a better word).

I don't think any name should be off limits but you may find for a while that people make wrong assumptions. In time, though, they will just connect your child and his name and the odd comments will stop.