When you choose a baby name, meaning is one important aspect to consider. Since the beginning of naming traditions
in ancient times, meanings of words - derived from their etymology or root origins - were modified to become names
according to what was important in that particular culture. Different religious and cultural beliefs are reflected
in baby name meanings today. Take a look.
Europe
Europe, like many Christian cultures, utilize an abundance of variations on Biblical names, specifically names of
the saints in Catholic tradition. Old Testament names come from the Hebrew and were not used until relatively
recently. New Testament names come from the Greek. Translated into different languages over time, spellings and
pronunciations changed. Their etymology can usually be traced back to one of the Germanic languages, Celtic, Slavic,
Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. Some of those baby names and their meanings include:
- Simon – baby name meaning ‘he who hears’
- Luke – baby name meaning ‘bringer of light’
- Patrick – baby name meaning ‘noble one’
- Barbara – baby name meaning ‘foreign, exotic, mysterious’
- Katherine – baby name meaning ‘pure’
- Mary – baby name meaning ‘bitter’
Middle East
Just as Christianity heavily influenced European baby names because of their religious meaning, so did Islam
influence baby name meanings in the Middle East. Derived from Arabic, the name Muhammad, the names of Muhammad’s
family members, and the names of Muhammad’s military generals - and their various incarnations and forms - are well
liked. Many choose their baby names straight from the Quran. Some of those names include:
- Tariq – baby name meaning ‘star, path’
- Amir – baby name meaning ‘prince’
- Ibrahim – baby name meaning ‘father of a multitude’
- Mariam – baby name meaning ‘wife of Herod’
India
Hinduism gave baby names meaning in India, deriving their etymology from Sanskrit. The sacred texts of Hinduism were
originally penned in Sanskrit and are a major source of names as the Bible and Quran are in Europe and the Middle
East, respectively. Indian children are given three names at birth – one of them usually the name of a Hindu god or
goddess. A few Indian names include:
- Gita – baby name meaning ‘song’
- Anand – baby name meaning ‘happiness’
- Shiva – baby name after a Hindu god
- Sita – baby name after a Hindu goddess
Africa
Africa is a mélange of cultures and religions, tribes, races, and languages. The ethnic groups number in the high
hundreds. For brevity, we’ll discuss traditional African names only. Baby name meanings describe the circumstance
under which the child was born. There are days of the week names, season names, birth order – even the mother’s mood
when the baby was born! (What’s the African word for ‘pain’?) Some of the names include:
- Khamisi – baby name meaning ‘Thursday’
- Wekesa – baby name meaning ‘harvest’
- Kunto – baby name meaning ‘third born’
- Ife – baby name meaning ‘love’
North Africa is heavily populated by Muslims and so tend to go by names derived from Arabic. Central and South
Africa were colonized centuries ago by Europeans and thus often use French, Portuguese, and English names.
Asia
Just as Africa is heavily populated by a variety of countries and cultures, so too is East and West Asia. China
alone has hundreds of dialects and rural cultures. We will showcase just a couple countries and only the most
prevalent naming traditions.
China – The Chinese offer their children one name at birth as opposed to the two that Europeans bestow upon their
children. This name is made up of two syllables, a combination chosen from thousands of Chinese characters, which
are often translated into three syllables when spelled in English letters. Part of the first character is the
surname, which comes before the birth name (also opposite of Western culture). Two common characters are used
often:
- Mei – baby name meaning ‘beautiful’ (female)
- Wu – baby name meaning ‘martial’ (male)
Japan - Like the Chinese, the Japanese name their children using one or two Chinese characters. Also like the
Chinese, there are no middle names given and the surname comes before the given name. Some popular names include:
- Ichiro – baby name meaning ‘first son’
- ko – final syllable of a female baby name meaning ‘child’ (ex. Yoshiko)