9 entries from the /names/ index. Names with their own individual page link out.
Meaning: Greek "to tame" or possibly Christianized through Saint Damian.
Figure: Saint Damian (with Saint Cosmas); fourth-century martyr-physicians.
Saints Cosmas and Damian are the third- or fourth-century twin physician brothers honored as the unmercenary healers ("anargyroi" in Greek), who treated patients without charging. Patrons of physicians and pharmacists. The Catholic calendar commemorates them on September 26.
Meaning: Hebrew "God is my judge."
Figure: Prophet of the Babylonian exile; book of Daniel.
Daniel is the prophet of the Babylonian exile, the figure of the lions' den (Daniel 6) and of the apocalyptic visions of Daniel 7-12. The name has been continuously in Christian use across the centuries and remains one of the most-used biblical names in modern English-speaking Christian families.
Meaning: Hebrew "beloved."
Figure: King of Israel; psalmist; ancestor of Jesus (1-2 Samuel; 1 Kings 1-2).
David is the second king of Israel, the psalmist of the Hebrew tradition, and the ancestor through whom Jesus is reckoned in both Matthew's and Luke's genealogies. The name has been continuously in Christian use since the early centuries and remains among the most common Christian boys' names in modern English-speaking families.
Meaning: Hebrew "bee."
Figure: Judge and prophetess of Israel (Judges 4-5).
Deborah is one of the judges of Israel and the only woman explicitly named as judge in the book of Judges. The Song of Deborah (Judges 5) is one of the oldest poetic passages in the Hebrew Bible. The name has been in Christian use particularly since the Puritan period in English-speaking Protestant families.
Meaning: Greek "of Demeter" (the Greek goddess of the harvest), Christianized in usage.
Figure: Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki; early-fourth-century Roman soldier and martyr.
Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki is one of the most-honored saints in Orthodox tradition, the martyr-soldier of Thessaloniki whose Byzantine basilica is the principal church of the city. His Orthodox feast on October 26 is a major celebration in Greek and Slavic Orthodox practice. The Russian form Dmitri has been in continuous use.
Meaning: Spanish "sorrows," from Our Lady of Sorrows.
Figure: Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa); the Catholic Marian devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
Dolores is the Spanish Marian name referring to Our Lady of Sorrows (Maria Dolorosa), the Catholic Marian devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The Catholic feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is September 15, the day after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The name has been in continuous Hispanic Catholic use.
Meaning: Latin "belonging to the Lord" (Dominicus, from Dominus, "Lord").
Figure: Saint Dominic de Guzmán; founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) (1170-1221).
Saint Dominic is the early-thirteenth-century Spanish priest who founded the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans), an order that has shaped Catholic intellectual and preaching tradition for eight hundred years. Major Dominicans include Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Siena, Albert the Great, and many others. The Catholic calendar commemorates him on August 8.
Meaning: Greek "gazelle" (the Aramaic Tabitha and the Greek Dorcas both mean the same).
Figure: Disciple in Joppa raised from the dead by Peter (Acts 9:36-42).
Dorcas (called Tabitha in Aramaic) is the disciple in Joppa described as "always doing good and helping the poor" (Acts 9:36) who is raised from the dead by Peter. The name has been in Christian use across the centuries, particularly in Protestant families since the Reformation; the form Tabitha has also come back into modern use.
Meaning: Greek "gift of God" (doron + theos), the same elements as Theodore but in reverse order.
Figure: Saint Dorothy of Caesarea; legendary fourth-century virgin martyr.
Dorothy is the Greek "gift of God," etymologically the feminine equivalent of Theodore but with the same Greek roots arranged in reverse order. The legendary Saint Dorothy of Caesarea (fourth century) is the figure traditionally associated with the name; the Saint Dorothy of Montau (1347-1394) is the historical Catholic mystic carrying the name. The name has been in continuous Christian use; modern English-speaking Christian families use it widely.