Christian Meaning of Names

Katherine

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Name pronunciation: KATH-eh-rin or KATH-rin
Origin of name: Greek
Meaning of name: pure, clean, chaste

The Story Behind This Historical Christian Name

There are not actually any characters in the Bible named Katherine. However, the name has a rich Christian historical heritage, and likely originated with the Greek word “katharos”, which was translated as “pure” or “clean” in the New Testament.

Several Catherine’s through the ages have been sainted, including:

Some Scriptures for the Greek Word Katharos

To give you an idea of the way this Greek word was used, here are some examples of its use in the scriptural context:

  • “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8
  • “Now you are clean through the word that I have spoken to you.” – John 15:3
  • “Now to the pure all things are pure…” – Titus 1:15 (partial)
  • “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” – James 1:27
  • “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” – Revelation 19:8
  • “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” – Revelation 22:1

Variations of the Baby Name Katherine

Girl names: Catherine, Kate, Katie, Kathereen, Kathleen, Kathy, Ekaterina, Ekaterin, Cat, Kitty
Boy names: Kata

We hope this baby name information is useful to you. If you like this resource, tell your friends about the Christian Meaning of Names website, or link to us at www.ChristianMeaningOfNames.com!

Esther

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Pronunciation: ESS-ter
Origin of name: Persian
Meaning of name: Star, fortune, felicity

The Story Behind This Biblical Christian Baby Name

Esther was the Persian name taken by the Hebrew girl Hadassah when she was selected as the Persian king’s new queen. The Book of Esther in the Old Testament of the Bible was named after her, the main character of this dramatic piece of Jewish history. See our entry for the name Hadassah to read the bible story behind the name.

Scriptures for the Bible Stories of the Girl Name Esther

  • The Book of Esther (formatted for easy reading of the whole story in a modern language translation)

Variations of the girl name Esther

Girl names: Ishtar, Ettie

We hope this baby name information is useful to you. If you like this resource, tell your friends about the Christian Meaning of Names website, or link to us at www.ChristianMeaningOfNames.com!

Hadassah

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Name pronunciation: hah-DAH-sah
Origin of name: Hebrew
Meaning of name: Myrtle

The Story Behind This Biblical Christian Baby Name

Hadassah was the Hebrew birth name of the woman for whom the book of Esther is named. Hadassah lost her parents at a young age, and was brought up by her cousin Mordecai, who treated her as his own daughter. They both lived in Shushan, the capital city where Ahasuerus reigned as king of Persia and Media.

King Ahasuerus banishes his queen for disobedience and decides to search his kingdom for a new queen. In a story both dramatic and uplifting, Hadassah is chosen as the new queen. She is described as “lovely and beautiful” and the king “loves her above all the other women” that he interviewed for the position. Mordecai advises Hadassah to keep her Jewish heritage hidden from the king, and it seems this is the reason behind changing her name to Esther, which she is called throughout the book.

But the story doesn’t end there. An ambitious politician named Haman notices that Mordecai doesn’t bow before him when he passes by, and an investigation into this offense reveals that it is Mordecai’s Jewish beliefs that prompt him to reserve his homage for the Lord. Haman is so outraged by this that it isn’t enough to punish Mordecai — he petitions the king for permission to wipe out all the Jews in the kingdom. Unaware that his beloved new Queen Esther is a Jew, the king grants Haman’s request.

Esther becomes the heroine of the story when she takes her life in her hands and stands up for her people against Haman’s plan. She uses her influence with the king and the Jews living in the Persian kingdom are saved.

One Night with the King DVD
A beautiful movie re-telling of this bible story called “One Night with the King” was released in 2006. It keeps much of the details true to the bible story while using a little artistic license to make the story satisfying to a modern audience.

See also our entry for the name Esther.

Scriptures for the Bible Stories of the Girl Name Hadassah

  • Esther 2:7 (the only mention of Esther’s true Jewish name)
  • The Book of Esther (formatted for easy reading of the whole story in a modern language translation)

Variations of the girl name Hadassah

Girl names: Hedassah, Hadessah, Myrtle (English)

We hope this baby name information is useful to you. Contact us if you have a request for the Bible stories about a particular name. If you like this resource, tell your friends about the Christian Meaning of Names website, or link to us at www.ChristianMeaningOfNames.com!

Zoe

Filed Under Girl Names, Historical Christian Names | 2 Comments

Name pronunciation: ZOH-ee
Origin of name: Greek
Meaning of name: Life, abundant life

The Story Behind This Historical Christian Name

There are several notable historical Christian women who had the name Zoe, including two empresses in the Byzantine empire and St. Zoe, a Roman noblewoman martyred for her faith during Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of the Christian church.

Scriptures for the Girl Name Zoe

Note the word “life” in each of these scriptures (partial list, not all instances in the New Testament) — that is the Greek word “Zoe”:

Variations of the baby name Zoe

Girl names: Zoey, Zoie, Zowie, Zoya
Boy names: Zoe (pronounced “Zoh”), Zoel, Zooey

We hope this baby name information is useful to you. If you like this resource, tell your friends about the Christian Meaning of Names website, or link to us at www.ChristianMeaningOfNames.com!

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