What’s in a name

If we lived in a world without names, everyday life would feel like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded. We rely on names to anchor our relationships, organise our thoughts, and make sense of the people and places around us. Without them, every interaction would become a guessing game—introductions would be impossible, conversations would be chaotic, and even simple tasks like calling someone across a room would turn into confusion.

Names aren’t just labels; they’re the shorthand that keeps our social world running smoothly, and without them, everything would blur together in a way that makes connection and clarity much harder to hold onto.

The first man is often called Adam, a name linked with the idea of an “earthling man” or “mankind”. Since then, people have been given names, and most names have had a meaning. Today, many first names come from Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or Teutonic languages (Anglo-Saxon sits close to the Teutonic group).

In earlier times, people treated name meanings seriously. Take the Bible character Rina, for example. Her name likely points to “friendship”. This young Moabitess, the daughter-in-law of Noemi, lost her husband in death. When Noemi chose to return to Bethlehem in the territory of Judah, Rina insisted on going with her. When Noemi urged her to stay with her own people, Rina replied,

“Do not plead with me to abandon you, to turn back from accompanying you; for where you go I shall go . . . Your people will be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth, 1, 16).

She lived up to the sense behind her name.

At a child’s birth, parents (or a close relative) usually gave the first name. Later, people often changed that name or added another to reflect a trait more clearly. Noemi, for instance, felt her name no longer matched her life after heavy loss. So she said,

“Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara” (Ruth, 1, 20).

At times, God himself changed a person’s name for a clear reason. When Abren (meaning “father of exaltation”) reached 99 years of age, God changed his name to Abraham (meaning “father of a multitude”). At the same time, He confirmed His promise that Abraham’s offspring would become many.

“When Abram was 99 years old, Jehovah appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty. Walk before me and prove yourself faultless. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you very, very much.’ At this Abram fell facedown. And God continued to speak with him, saying, ‘As for me, look! My covenant is with you, and you will certainly become a father of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram; your name will become Abraham, for I will make you a father of many nations. I will make you very, very fruitful and will make you become nations, and kings will come from you” (Genesis, 17, 1-6).

Use of surnames

As populations grew, it became harder to tell people apart when they shared the same first name. As a result, surnames became common. People also called them nicknames, although not every nickname became a surname. Encyclopædia Britannica groups surnames into five types: names based on appearance, an event or deed, a link to another person (often a father), a place of living, or an occupation.

These names solved real problems. Imagine a village with many people called “Jack”. One Jack might be tall, another short, so neighbours might call them “Big Jack” and “Little Jack”. A third Jack might work with timber, so people could call him “Jack the Joiner”.

Family names

Over time, many surnames became fixed, turning into family names. Many historians believe the Chinese first used true family names. The Romans also used a kind of family name, but that custom weakened as the Roman Empire declined. For a time, single names became normal again.

Around 1200 C.E., family names became common once more. Population growth and the need for clearer records pushed the change. Slowly, surnames settled into lasting forms. Little Jack became Jack Little. Huw, son of Rhodri, became Huw Rhodrison. Jack at the Wood became Jack Atwood, and so on.

At first, though, these names were not inherited automatically. Huw Rhodrison’s son might not be known as Rhodrison. People still labelled him using one of the five patterns above. If he became skilled at woodwork, others might call him Cai Carver.

At the start, the nobility were more likely to pass on family names as a point of family pride. In time, ordinary people adopted the practice too. By the later Middle Ages it had spread across many countries, especially in the Western world, and today it is widely used.

Names today

People of European background usually follow the conventional family name pattern. However, many indigenous groups use different systems. In some regions, if the father is called Peter Mufunga, his son Tawanda may be known as Tawanda Peter, not Tawanda Mufunga. In some cases, unmarried women are known by their father’s first name until marriage. After that, they may be known by their husband’s first name. This can create serious record-keeping problems.

Another practice echoes that of the ancient Hebrews, choosing names that match events, feelings, or circumstances. During a “Victorious Faith” convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1978, a full-time minister’s wife gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The parents quickly named the boy “Victor” and the girl “Faith”.

Reputation and office

When someone hears your name, it calls up an image. That image depends on what sort of person you are. That leads to another meaning of the word ‘name’: a person’s reputation. The Bible says,

“A name is to be chosen rather than great wealth; to be respected is better than silver and gold.” (Proverbs, 22, 1).

Here, ‘name’ refers to standing and character. When people have a good name in the community, others see them as honest and morally sound. You didn’t choose your birth name, but you do shape what it comes to mean.

A name can also refer to an office or authority. Government officials often speak “in the name of” their government, meaning by its authority. In a similar way, Christ Jesus taught his followers to pray using his name. That instruction involves more than saying a word at the end of a prayer. It means recognising his role and authority as God’s representative and High Priest. When we pray in his name, we ask that his authority support our requests so they are acceptable to God.

The greatest name of all

The psalmist writes,

“You, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalm, 83, 18).

Most people value their own name. The Bible also speaks about love for God’s name.

“For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name by ministering and continuing to minister to the holy ones.” (Hebrews, 6, 10).

Love for God’s name means more than knowing it exists. It includes knowing the person the name represents, his purposes, activities, and qualities. That knowledge should show in daily life. Jehovah’s Witnesses are willing to help anyone who wants to understand God’s name in that fuller sense.