As Christians around the world are already celebrating the birth of Jesus even before Christmas, it’s interesting to me that seldom, in America at least, do you ever hear of a newborn baby being called by that name. It makes sense, I guess, since if you do believe that the child born in Bethlehem twenty or so centuries ago was truly the Son of God, there’s no way a mere mortal is going to compare favorably with Mary’s babe throughout his life.

Theological issues aside, there is definitely something in a name, even more so when the Anno Domini years began. Etymologically speaking (I had to look that one up), it appears that the name Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means, “the Lord saves.”

In this day and age, popular names come and go with the whims of new moms and dads. It is interesting to note that for 2023, at least according to the group called the babycenter (yes, with a small “b”), many of the most popular boys’ names are biblical in nature. Number one on their list is Noah. The Top Ten also include Elijah, Levi, and Ezra. Liam, which had held the top spot for a couple of years, is now runner-up. I wonder if the popularity of that name had anything to do with the future King of England. I know I’m particularly fond of the name William and all its derivations, but that’s personal. Perhaps Diana’s oldest inspired a variety of newborn monikers for the last couple of decades.

Speaking of royal influences, it seems that for girls the name Charlotte is increasing in usage. Last year, it was number nine on the hit parade. For 2023, it climbed to number five. Did the little English princess have anything to do with that? (In case you’re wondering, the number one name for females last year was Olivia.)

Back in Jesus’ day, the names parents gave their children indicated something specific about the children. Today, I think names might be assigned based more on popularity or how they sound. One of my sisters used another method by not naming any of her daughters until a few days after their births because she wanted to determine if the name she had picked out seemed to fit the babies’ newborn personality.

Of course, family traditions can play a huge part in determining a child’s name. Particularly in the south, there are many males and females going through life with first names that used to be last names of ancestors. And in every part of the country, it’s not uncommon to see the suffix Jr., III, or IV added to a formal name. But I think it’s fair to say we don’t usually think too hard about what a name might mean in an historical or original derivation sense.

That may or may not be true in other countries and cultures. When Vlad “the Mad” Putin’s mother was filling out his birth certificate, did she think Vladimir might signify “Run roughshod over your opponents whatever it takes”? Did Chinese Communist Party Chairman Xi Jinping’s dad believe his son’s name stood for “Ruler of the world, and if not that, certainly Taiwan”?

What about North Korea’s Kim Jong Un? His despotism was handed down to him by his dictatorial father and grandfather before him. Does his name really connote “Hey, I got missiles, and I’m gonna fire them at whomever I care to, whenever I want to”?

No doubt a linguist could parse those leaders’ names and fine tune their meanings a little more than I have. You know, if there are special meanings in names, perhaps we should pay more attention to what monikers mean in the U.S. as well. For example, the name Joe Biden might translate into “Run for president in your 80s and no one will notice.” Donald Trump might denote “It doesn’t matter if you’re indicted, millions will still like you.”

Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, and Robert Kennedy all may have interesting derivations. And who knows what delving into the meaning of Vivek Ramaswamy would unearth.

Those of a certain age might remember when the Alou brothers played Major League Baseball. First came the older ones, Matty and Felipe. They were eventually joined by their brother, whose name was Jesus. There weren’t a whole lot of Latin players back then, and broadcasters at the time had no idea how to handle that. So, they called him “Jay.” Today, of course, “Hay-soos” would be the obvious choice.

For Mary and Joseph, though, I’m guessing “Jesus” worked just fine. Plus, if God tells you what to name your child, you’re probably going to go with His suggestion.

©MMXXIII. William J. Lewis, III  – Freelance Writer