Fun Friday Question: Surprisingly biblical and non-biblical-biblical names?

sanctanomina Naming nitty gritty,

What a weird post title, right?

In considering the name Veronica for this family’s consultation, I argued that it would be a great bridge name between their sons’ biblical names and their daughter’s non-biblical name because of the fact that it’s *not* biblical, because it doesn’t appear in the bible, but at the same time it *is*, in a certain sense, biblical, because the person it refers to is in the bible. A non-biblical biblical name! Or Bible-adjacent?

It got me thinking about others, because there are others! Other names that don’t appear in the bible but the people they refer to do, just like Veronica. Like:

Caspar/Casper/Gaspar/Jasper, Melchior, and Balthazar (names traditionally given to the Three Wise Men)

That got me thinking about names that don’t sound biblical (in the sense that their non-biblical associations are so overpowering that their biblical-ness might even be a surprising discovery):

Alexander (Mark 15:21, Acts 4:6, Acts 19:33, 1 Timothy 1:20, 2 Timothy 4:14)

Julia (Romans 16:15)

Nicholas (Acts 6:5)

Do you agree that Alexander, Julia, and Nicholas don’t come across as biblical? Can you think of other names like Veronica and those of the Magi that refer to people in the bible but who aren’t actually named in the bible?

Read all about how to get your own baby name consultation from either Theresa or myself here.

For help with Marian names, my book, Catholic Baby Names for Girls and Boys: Over 250 Ways to Honor Our Lady (Marian Press, 2018), is available to order from ShopMercy.org and Amazon (not affiliate links). It’s perfect for expectant parents, name enthusiasts, and lovers of Our Lady!

13 thoughts on “Fun Friday Question: Surprisingly biblical and non-biblical-biblical names?”

  1. Such an interesting subject!
    Claudia – wife of Pontius Pilate
    Dismas – the “Good Thief”
    And probably Anne and Joachim?
    They aren’t mentioned in the Bible, but they are implied, in the sense that of course Mary had parents.

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  2. The Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 is known by different names: Photini or Fotini or Svetlana, all meaning “light” in Orthodox churches. Claire would be another translation.

    Talitha is used in reference to Jairus’s daughter.

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  5. To me these names sound non-biblical although they are :

    Apollonia
    Bernice
    Junia

    Felix
    Hermes
    Jordan
    Justus
    Linus
    Rufus
    Titus
    Xerxes

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