Position:Home>History> -serious question- what did/does make a "christian" name?
Question: -serious question- what did/does make a "christian" name!?
at first i used to think a "christian" name was the same thing as a biblical name or a name with a significant meaning to the christian community!. watching all these movies and documentaries and reading books that take place during the medieval to colonial times ive recognized this big craze for "christian" names!. these names were like: Julia, Henry, Catherine, Katelyn, Eric, Ernest; and even though some of these names are pretty i dont see what is neccesarily christian about them!. also there are so many biblical names that were not used such as Zippora, Naomi, Jehosophat, Shadrack
someone please explain to meWww@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Since ancient times, Christians have baptized or "christened" their children soon after birth, giving them their names on the occasion!. Thus their given or first names were also known as Christian names, to differentiate them from their surname or family name!.
The Christian given names were, in most cases, either biblical names, as you said, or names of Christian saints!. In some countries such as Spain, Ireland or Italy, parents were not allowed to name children at Christian baptisms with "strange" or ungodly names!. They had to be saints' names, such as Michael, Gregory, Gabriel, Anne, Finbar, Elizabeth, Rachel and so forth!. There is a vast choice!.
In the 1980s, several saints were removed from the calendar, because there was no real proof they ever existed!. So George, Christopher and some other names fell out of favour!.
In the 1980s, as well, it became acceptable in some Christian churches to name children by other popular names, such as Jason and Kylie!.
Not everyone knows and understands the social meaning of "Christian Name" - as a matter of fact, when filling in forms or answering identifying questions, people are still asked "What is your Christian name!?" this of course is not politically correct, because not all people are Christian!.
I hope this helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
It depends!. I usually use the term "biblical" not "Christian"!. Typically speaking, Christian names were those of previous saints and Popes given or chosen during the first communion!. Nowadays, Christian names are include those from both testaments of the Bible; even though some, like Peter and Paul, were overtly Christian and others, like Simon and Saul, were overtly Jewish!. Really, these names are all just Biblical, not really Christian!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
It's just another way to say "given name", as the name you were given at birth!. I think the term came around because it meant that it was the name that you were baptized with in the church!.Www@QuestionHome@Com