Since it seemed to interest several people... :)
First there is a difference in names of 'traditional' Jews (the people and the High Priests), and 'Romanized' Jews (
Herod's family...).
TRADITIONAL NAMES
Traditionally, for Jews (even today), a name can't be chosen just because you like it. The meaning, connotations and symbols are very important. Moreover there's a link (like reincarnation) between the person you are named for and yourself. That's why Jews are named for family members or people like
Moses,
Abraham... Aramaic nns are common, like
AKIVA for YAAKOV.
These names were probably very common:
SARAHLEARAHELRIVKAMIRIAMHANNAHYEHUDIT
MOSHEAVRAHAMAHARONYAAKOV
SHIMONYEHUDAHYOSEF
*
An exception here: Cohanic, Levitic or rabbinical families may chose names praising G-d instead of the above classics. Aristocratic families (Davidic lineage) may have several names, or very rare ones.
Examples:
ATARAH ("crown")
LILIA ("what is mine is G-d's")
ATERET (from "Ateret ha Cohanim", the crown of the Cohens)
MESHULLEMET ("perfect")
MALKA BATYAHADARADEVIRA ("holy, saint")
KADISHA ("sacred")
CHASIDA ("righteous")
ELIOENAI ("my eyes are towars G-d")
MESHULLAM ("perfect")
AVIMELECH ("my father is king")
ELIMELECH ("my G-d is king [of the world])
SAREL ("G-d's prince")
LEVIGEDALIA ("G-d is great")
ROMANIZED JEWS:
Any Greek or
Roman name, sometimes coupled with a Hebrew name. In that case, that name may be random (
Berenice Haggit), or a translation (
Lucius Uri).
MIRIAM ALEXANDRA BERENICE HAGGIT
DORIS ALEXANDRASTELLA ESTHERCLAUDIA ASTER
TAMAR TAMIAKORENIA
KEREN
HERODES
ALEXANDERLUCIUS PUBLIUS
Now, you maybe be interested in the Hebrew names of the people of the New Testament.
Jesus: YEHOSHUA
Paul: SHAUL
James: YAAKOV
John:
YOCHANANJudas Iscariot:
YEHUDAH ISH KRIOT (Yehuda from Kriot)
Lazarus:
ELEAZARMary Magdalene:
MIRIAM MI MAGDALA (
Miriam from Magdala)
High Priest
Annas (or something):
HANAN HA DAVIDI (
Hanan the descendent of
King David)
High Priest Caiphas (or something): YEHOSEF BAR QAFA (Yehosef son of Qafa. Yehosef would be the posh form of
Yosef).
Hanan's daughter
AYALA HA DAVIDI was the wife of Yehosef. Their son was
YOSEF HA DAVIDI.
Claire
This message was edited 1/28/2005, 4:04 PM