The Social Security Administration recently released the latest list of the favorite baby names in America. Jacob ranks number one for the 10th straight year. It is a name that comes into English from the Latin Iacobus, which comes from the Greek Iakobos, which comes from the Hebrew Ya’aqov. In the Bible, Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebecca. Like many ancient names, there are varied opinions about original meanings of names. However, most scholars believe Jacob means “holder of the heel” because Jacob was born holding the heel of his twin brother Esau. Later Jacob was called Israel. He was father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. So it is not surprising the there are so many modern namesakes of that hero of the Bible.

     The Bible is the favorite source for boys names. The top five names in order of popularity for baby boys are all from the Old Testament. They are, in order: Jacob, Michael, Ethan, Joshua and Daniel. Michael means “Who is like God?” Ethan means “solid, enduring.” Joshua means “Yahweh is salvation.” (Yahweh—also called Jehovah--is the most common name for God in the Old Testament.) Daniel means “God is my judge.”

     Baby girls are given biblical names less frequently than boys—about 40% of the time. Here are some examples from the scriptures: Judith means “praise of the Lord.” Abigail means “faith is joy.” Naomi means “beautiful.” Sometimes names hint at stories that make you wonder. For example, Rebecca means “a quarrel is appeased.” Other names anticipate future achievement. For example, Oprah means “lead.”

     All parents can testify about the seriousness of choosing names for their babies. We want to select names that our children will like when they grow up. Often we want to honor our ancestors with our naming. Sometimes we want to celebrate our patriotic or political views. Undoubtedly lots of Baracks and Michelles are being born this year. Sometimes our dreams for our babies become their names. For example: Hope. Many parents seek to honor their religious heroes. For example: Muhammad the prophet of Islam and Ali, his cousin, are favorite names for Muslim boys. Jesus is a name rare among Jews even though he was himself a Jew. But Jesus is a very common name among Hispanic Christians. And Christian is a common name among Christians.

     It’s interesting, what’s in a name. My mother’s name was Edith. Showing the impact of high school history lessons on her, she named me Harold. She had learned that King Harold II of England’s mother was named Edith. Mom knew more about her hopes for me than she knew about him for whom I am a namesake. Harold II’s main distinction was that he was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. He reigned as king for only a few months before he was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 when William the Conqueror took over things. Harold was shot in the eye with an arrow! There have been eras in which Harold was touted as a great hero but he also had many detractors. The cruelest blow from this minister’s perspective is that some critics dubbed him “Harold the Faithless.” Ah well.

     What’s in your name? It’s fun to ponder these things. I’m glad that many cultures maintain contact with their heritage in their naming. I’m glad parents often express their hopes and dreams through the names they give their babies. And I’m happy some parents are breaking with all tradition and inventing entirely new names for their children. Maybe this will mark the beginning for altogether new, rich traditions that future generations will celebrate!

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