to give my child a biblical name even if we aren't religious?

[Kaitan]

Love the name Moses. Didn't think it was a problem using it until someone at work told me it was a bit disrespectful to use such a religious/biblical name if you're not religious. Do I need to rethink? I just like the name and so does DP - don't want to raise eyebrows...

Meh, one of my DC has a name associated with Catholicism, and the other a virtue name likely to be associated with the Quakers.

I just liked the names, we are complete heathens in this house.

Yes, he's a Seth. I love it: short, sturdy. It was either that or Amos! I also had a hankering for medieval names. He's lucky he didn't end up an Ecbert.

Daughter lucked out with Stella. Like a 50's starlet. Never come across another one.

I like Moses as a name! I wouldn’t necessarily think he came from a super religious family but probably as I’m not religious at all! When I worked at a school in London I had Moseses aplenty (and not limited to any one ethnicity) so it was never seen as unusual. Now I’m out in the sticks everyone has something ending in -ayden (which is still lovely!) so the area you live in might make a difference too with how comfortable you feel about it. If you love the name, go for it!

Random musing but is it correct to say that all the names in the bible are biblical in origin? Surely many of the names in there already existed - so the bible might have raised the profile of those names but their origins might pre-date the bible considerably.

Anyway, I'm not religious and have an Isaac - I've been asked once if I am jewish but I don't think anyone else has assumed much more than I like it as a name. I think Moses is fine.

When choosing my youngest son’s name we deliberately tried to avoid religious names but it’s actually quite hard when you read the meanings! Moses is quite a blatantly religious name but at the end of the day it’s your choice and if you love the name then go for it! It doesn’t have to have the religious connection for you if that’s not why you chose it - ignore anyone else, your child your choice!

As other people have pointed out, loooooads of Western names are mentioned in the Bible at some point. I think it's a lovely name. I wouldn't assume you were religious, although I might wonder if you'd been reading Animal Farm (which makes it an even better name as far as I'm concerned!)

I probably would think you were religious but I wouldn't think anything of it if I found out that you were not. I don't think it matters.

I think calling your child Moses because you like it is the best reason. So many people now seem to want to call their child something unique or not in the top 1000 names that that seems to be more important than naming their child something they actually like.

I know lady who named her son Abraham - Abe for short. They’re not religious, the name suits him, everyone’s happy.

My son has a biblical name and neither of us is religious in the slightest. Never had any issues and nobody has asked weird questions about name choice. We just liked it.

I like the name Moses , I would wonder if you were an emmerdale fan!

Moses as a name existed before the biblical Moses was heard of.
Call your child what you like. He won't be picked on any more than any other name ~ there are tonnes of Noah's about now and Jacob and Joshua are both ultra common names. Celeb's now get the credits for names, not the Bible.

YANBU as long as long as you don't call religious people 'flying spaghetti monsters' believers or otherwise intolerant.