New Testament Girls' Names
The same influence found for New Testament boys' names can also be noted for New Testament girls' names. Place names were also a popular source of these names.
What's in a Name
According to baby-name expert Bruce Lansky, the majority of people in the Western hemisphere have names based on biblical ones. And, although the New Testament has been a more popular source of names than the Old Testament, the Bible of the Hebrews is gaining a little ground thanks to the current fashion of using old-fashioned names.
- Anna: Anglicized version of Hannah. Anna was the prophetess who proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah.
- Berenice: It's from Greek and means "bringer of victory." Berenice was the oldest daughter of Herod Agrippa I. The name Bernice is derived from this name.
- Bethany: "House of dates" or "house of figs." Bethany was the village near the Mount of Olives and is associated with Jesus' last days.
- Candace: The meaning of this name is unclear, but it could be from the Latin for "shining" or "bright." Candace owned a eunuch who was an early convert to Christianity.
- Carmel: "Garden." Mount Carmel is in Israel and is often referred to as a paradise.
- Claudia: From the Latin claudus, meaning "lame" or "limping." Claudia was a Christian citizen of Rome.
- Eunice: From the Greek word for "good victory." Eunice was the mother of Timothy.
- Julia: The feminine form of Julius. Julia was a Christian lady who was greeted by Paul in his letter to the Romans.
- Mary: Variously defined as meaning "bitter" in Hebrew or as the Greek version of Miriam ("rebellious"). Mary was the mother of Jesus.
- Rhoda: Greek for "rose." Rhoda was a woman in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, who welcomed the apostle Peter to her home.
- Sapphira: This name from the Aramaic means "beautiful." Sapphira was the wife of Ananias and lost her life due to her lies.
- Susannah: "Lily "or "rose." In the New Testament, Susannah was a woman who ministered to Jesus.
- Tabitha: Another Aramaic name, meaning "gazelle" or "small deer." Tabitha was miraculously brought back to life by Peter.