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?
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Sancta Nomina 
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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Claudia is so good! I didn’t include Anne and Joachim because their names appear in the bible on other people, but yes of course you’re right!
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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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Photini/Fotini/Svetlana/Claire — awesome!
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I think of Ethan as not-Biblical-sounding, though it is biblical.
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Me too!
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The impénitent thief crucified alongside Jesus : Gestas or Gemas
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I never knew his name!
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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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Great list!
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Longinus is the name given to the unnamed (in scripture) Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus.
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