Friday, October 30, 2009

Five Biblical Names (maybe not) Perfect for Your Children

The Jewish Publication Society Blog suggests the Five Best Biblical Names.
Orginality. It’s one of the few things almost everyone wants. People dress in unique styles, dye their hair crazy colors, and tattoo their bodies, all in an attempt to be different from the pack.

That’s how things are today.

[...]

The problem is, with everyone trying to find something new, originality is becoming harder to obtain. So, I have come up with a solution. For those trying to find unique names, look no further than the Bible! I can guarantee that most of these names are not in use today, ensuring that you will be unique! Even better, some of the greatest names ever can be found in the Bible. Need some ideas? Here are my top five Biblical names of all time (hope they make you smile)
You'll have to follow the link to read their five choices. Here's mine:

1) Cain - You might think no one would name their child after the first person to commit murder. But according to my research, there were over 1200 Cains in the US in 1900, so that's likely 1200 sets of parents willing to do so.

2) Tubalcain - If my quick calculations are correct, the fourth great grandson of Cain, there is nothing negative associated with him. He actually 'forged all implements of copper and iron.' Any child should be proud of that. However, there is only one Tubalcain in the 1900 census. (Though there are three Tubals with the middle initial C, so let's say there are four.)

3) Ham - Some might fear this name is a bit treyf. But perhaps you'll raise a natural born comedian/comedienne. 3000 Hams in the 1900 census. (If you love your child, don't make this choice if your surname is Eggs. Please.)

4) Pishon - This isn't a person, but the name of one of the four branches of the river that flowed out of Eden. If you're going to name a child after a river, 'Pishon' is a much better choice than 'Mississippi' in my opinion. But don't get creative and name the kid, 'Pishoff.' That name has its problems. There is one Pishon in the 1910 census.

5) Methusaleh - Methusaleh lived to be 969 years old. There are no Methusalehs in the 1900 census, and there are very few people who are listed in the 1900 census, who are still alive today. Very Few. Coincidence?

These are just my five favorite from the first five chapters. Imagine the names you could find if you read more than that!

1 comment:

Miriam Robbins said...

We had a family tradition growing up of naming the farm animals that we planned to eventually butcher with names of unsavory biblical characters.

We had a very mean rooster named Nebuchadnezzar, and a pig named Jezebel who was an unholy terror!