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ArchivesRe: Looking for the meaning of "Bocephus" or "Bocephas"
in reply to a message by Marti
Are You Ready For Some Onomastics!!!
Actually, I'm not sure of the meaning. Undoubtedly you know that this name's principal association is as a nickname (since boyhood) for Hank Williams, Jr.
The name was bestowed on him by his dad and taken from the name of a ventriloquist's dummy used by another performer at the Grand Ole Opry.
Some people confuse or attribute the name to Alexander the Great's horse but that was Bucephalus (Oxhead) and unrelated unless this was some kind of redneck corruption thereof. Not impossible.
Other people use the name as a first name but tend (suspiciously) to be in the music business or just wishful-thinking good ole boys. In any case, all seem to be considerably younger than Mr. Williams, who's 40+, so its use is probably derivative.
If there is any legit meaning to it, our own Mr. Lovs, an eminent Greek etymologist and Athenian eccentric, will undoubtedly share his insight with us soon.
Actually, I'm not sure of the meaning. Undoubtedly you know that this name's principal association is as a nickname (since boyhood) for Hank Williams, Jr.
The name was bestowed on him by his dad and taken from the name of a ventriloquist's dummy used by another performer at the Grand Ole Opry.
Some people confuse or attribute the name to Alexander the Great's horse but that was Bucephalus (Oxhead) and unrelated unless this was some kind of redneck corruption thereof. Not impossible.
Other people use the name as a first name but tend (suspiciously) to be in the music business or just wishful-thinking good ole boys. In any case, all seem to be considerably younger than Mr. Williams, who's 40+, so its use is probably derivative.
If there is any legit meaning to it, our own Mr. Lovs, an eminent Greek etymologist and Athenian eccentric, will undoubtedly share his insight with us soon.
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Replies
I wonder if it is an alternate spelling of Beau Cephas. Beau is French for beautiful, Cephas is Aramaic for
rock, or Petros in Greek, from which we get Peter.
rock, or Petros in Greek, from which we get Peter.
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Gotta agree with the redneck corruption theory!
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I'd like to know the meaning of Bocephus myself im actually named that my mother heard Hank SR. call Hank Jr. that and said if she ever had a little boy she would name him Bocephus so sure enough she did. I recently heard that it was a type of trouble causing demon or something, im not sure how much truth there is to that so im searching the internet to see what I can find it anyone finds out anything new i'd like to know i'll be checking this place more often now. Anyway back to searching..
Bo
Bo
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I am about to have a son and I plan on naming him Bocephus. My wife is a little put off that we can not find a solid meaning.
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I curious about this one, too. When I was a kid, we had a basset hound named Sam, and my father took to calling him Sam Bocephus or just Bocephus. This would've been in the early 1970s.
I don't know where my father got Bocephus. For ages, I thought it must be a name from the bible. My dad was a fan of country music, but I doubt he was aware in the early 1970s of Hank Williams, Jr.'s nickname. He may have gotten it from the name of Rod Brasfield's ventriloquist dummy (as mentioned earlier); maybe he heard Brasfield's performances on the Grand Old Opry. I like to think he got it from the folk song thegriffon mentioned, about the boy Bocephus and the bear named Horatio.
I don't know where my father got Bocephus. For ages, I thought it must be a name from the bible. My dad was a fan of country music, but I doubt he was aware in the early 1970s of Hank Williams, Jr.'s nickname. He may have gotten it from the name of Rod Brasfield's ventriloquist dummy (as mentioned earlier); maybe he heard Brasfield's performances on the Grand Old Opry. I like to think he got it from the folk song thegriffon mentioned, about the boy Bocephus and the bear named Horatio.
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Sorry to break it to you, but hanks song titled "my name is bocephus" came out in 68'.... im almost certain that hank is wxactly where he got the name from... 2021 was the only year that topped 1968-1975 for having children born with that name
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