Genealogy Chat

Does anyone know who would be most likely to call their son Isaiah in the 1800s, Jews or Christians. Iknow its Hebrew in origin but thats all I know. Thank You.

Have you tried Googling it? There is this website that might help you -

http://www.behindthename.com/name/isaiah

Anyone. Most families only had 1 or 2 books in the home, the main one being the bible, so many OT biblical names would appear in some families.

I have Hannah - Sarah - Eli - and many other OT names in my family and this naming seems to have died out round WW1. And then you get lots of children with names of places fathers either visited or ships they sailed on.

I had an ancestor call Tryphenna, which when I first found her thought it was an unusual name. Yeah Think again, there are loads of them!

In about 100 years people will be asking where the name Kylie came from.

My name is Christine and I am named thus after Christine Archer!!!! Mum & Dad could not decide on a name. One gran wanted Patricia the other Mariah, Mum not keen on either so while this conversation was going the Archers was on and she said I am going to call her Christine after ....... Forgetting that 18months previously my dads cousin called her daughter Christine.

Thank you , mmm food for thought there and for future reference.

I have a Joseph who married Mary!

I know only 1 in 400 marrs is Jewish. Biblical names are not usually rare enough amongst christians to overcome that 1 in 400 ratio. I'll even bet a popular Jewish name like David is more commonly used by christians. Levi is the only male name I'm doubtful about. One would get a different answer if one stepped outside the judeo-christian world, e.g., Ahmed or Vijay. Also if one took a more popular religion than jewish - say RCs in the UK, then there are names that are more likely to be RC than protestant - e.g., Patrick, Bridget .

You only have to look at the number of Isaiahs in the Christenings on familysearch.org.

Ozi

Isaiah, Levi, Josiah, etc. are very common in the Pacific Islands & have been for many years.
We're on the upside down side of the world, thus have a firmer grip on life & we're well used to many biblical names. Have a great grandson Josiah - bit of a shock at first but it's amazing how a person grows to become almost more like their name. Mid 1700's on, we have a number of old biblical names in the background (but not among the French) they were extensively used by the Quakers, Non conformists & so on. Many families liked to carry an old testament name down through the generations so my grandfather told me.
Just another view on the subject.
:-) ;-)

I've a couple of Josiahs, Moses, and Abrahams also a Levi in my family tree, all born in Wales, also a Tryphena!

Many, if not most, names from the 19th century and earlier are actually from the Bible .......... Hannah, Ruth, Isaiah, James, Matthew, Mary, Hepzibah (I had a cousin called Hepzibah)


those are the names that people knew, especially in villages and the countryside ...... they would go to church every Sunday, and hear these names regularly


so, no, you cannot assume that any biblical name is Jewish. It is just as likely to be "christian", in the widest sense of that word.



sylvia

Experience of researching my own and my wife's family trees would confirm that biblical names appear on a regular basis

Aaron, Abraham, David, Elijah, Esther, Hannah, Hepzibah, Isaac, Isiah, Levi, Milcah, Samuel, Zebulon, and more, all with a recorded 'christian' baptism.

I have a Levi in my OH's tree born in Somerset and not a Jewish family.

I don't have a Tryphena but do have a Tryphosa.... they were both in the New Testament.

Tryphena and Tryphosa definition

two female Christians, active workers, whom Paul salutes in his epistle to the Romans (16:12).

We do have a Tryphena as a place here in NZ

The most common first name I think in my tree would be William... there is too many.

Persie

Names chosen by parents here are not always allowed but there is a child called

Number 16 Bus Shelter,

and there are twins called Benson and Hedges...

The revelations came during written findings by Family Court Judge, who ordered a girl be put in court guardianship so her name - Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii - could be changed.

The girl's lawyer told the judge she was so embarrassed by her name she refused to reveal it to friends. They all know her as K.

P

Thank you all so much for your kind advice. :-)