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Author Topic: Naming children after the gods  (Read 3675 times)

Stefani

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Naming children after the gods
« on: September 19, 2018, 03:13:27 pm »
Hi all!  :)

I am new to the forum. One of the reasons I joined is that considering that pagan traditions are often very low on rules (I doubt we even have one that is accepted by all), there are many topics which can be confusing. One of the most liberating things about paganism is that we get to decide many things for ourselves - but that is also daunting.

I was wondering what your opinion is on naming children after the gods. Some names are actually quite popular - like Diana, Athena, or Venus, for example. What is your opinion on that? Do you think it is an acceptable practice? I remember I once read a myth about two mortals (I forget the names) who chose to call themselves Zeus and Hera and were eventually killed by Zeus for this. This myth has stuck in my head.

Anyways, long story short, what is your opinion on using the names of gods and goddesses as baby names?

Jainarayan

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2018, 03:41:42 pm »

Anyways, long story short, what is your opinion on using the names of gods and goddesses as baby names?

In Hinduism it's extremely common to name a child with a god's or goddess's name. Names like Krishna; Ramakrishna; Rama; Narayana and Srinivasa (names of Vishnu); Ganesha; Lakshmi; Vasudeva, Govinda and Gopala (names for Krishna); Sita, Radha (names of Lakshmi's incarnations); and others. However, I have yet to see any names like Shiva (except Ashutosh, a name of Shiva that means 'easy to please'); Kali; Durga; Narasimha... these are deities who have ugra (fierce) forms, though normally they are benevolent and calm. Hmm... I'll have to ask some Indian friends.

Btw, my own internet name is a Hindi pronunciation (sort of like jeh-nah-rah-yun) of the male name Jayanarayana, "victory to God" (my real name is Frank Jason Xxxxx). Funny story (to me anyway) is that a young Tamil (or is he Telugu?) priest at my temple cannot seem to get his head wrapped around 'Frank'. So I told him "just call me Jay or Jainarayan, my middle name is Jason". He got that. lol

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2018, 09:55:20 pm »
Anyways, long story short, what is your opinion on using the names of gods and goddesses as baby names?

There are more Hindus who are named after Gods and Goddesses than there are with other sorts of names. It's pretty much accepted practice in my religion, and has been since at least classical antiquity.
"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2018, 09:56:56 pm »
However, I have yet to see any names like Shiva (except Ashutosh, a name of Shiva that means 'easy to please'); Kali; Durga; Narasimha... these are deities who have ugra (fierce) forms, though normally they are benevolent and calm. Hmm... I'll have to ask some Indian friends.

I know a Nepali woman named Kali, and I think I recall someone names Shiva, but I can't put my finger on whom it might have been.
"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

Dynes Hysbys

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2018, 04:44:14 am »


Anyways, long story short, what is your opinion on using the names of gods and goddesses as baby names?

It's not something I would want to do - Names have power and many of my deities are flawed and/or had significant challenges to overcome. I would not want my children to take on those attributes.

I know several dogs called  Loki - all have been virtually untrainable, even the usually quite biddable breeds!

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2018, 07:54:41 am »
Anyways, long story short, what is your opinion on using the names of gods and goddesses as baby names?

It would seem to be OK in Northern European tradition; Icelanders have largely left their pagan roots behind, but there are still plenty of guys named Thor.

Personally, I have no problem with it. I might steer clear of certain names, however--to avoid freighting someone with too much awkward baggage.
The first song sets the wheel in motion / The second is a song of love / The third song tells of Her devotion / The fourth cries joy from the sky above
The fifth song binds our fate to silence / and bids us live each moment well / The sixth unleashes rage and violence / The seventh song has truth to tell
The last song echoes through the ages / to ask its question all night long / And close the circle on these pages / These, the metamythos songs

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2018, 09:07:11 am »
I was wondering what your opinion is on naming children after the gods. Some names are actually quite popular - like Diana, Athena, or Venus, for example. What is your opinion on that? Do you think it is an acceptable practice? I remember I once read a myth about two mortals (I forget the names) who chose to call themselves Zeus and Hera and were eventually killed by Zeus for this. This myth has stuck in my head.

Anyways, long story short, what is your opinion on using the names of gods and goddesses as baby names?

I think my only reservation with naming children after gods is that other children are MEAN. If the name can be shortened to something that elementary children will have a hard time making fun of, I say go for it. No one needs a name that can be made fun of, it just makes them a target.

That being said, I plan on naming my future child Prudence Diane if it turns out to be a girl. So what is considered strange and make-fun-of-able definitely will change depending on where you live and what is average for that area.

Hariti

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2018, 12:52:00 pm »
I think my only reservation with naming children after gods is that other children are MEAN. If the name can be shortened to something that elementary children will have a hard time making fun of, I say go for it. No one needs a name that can be made fun of, it just makes them a target.

Any name can be made fun of, though, even super traditional Juedo-Christian ones. I have a very common biblical name, and the brats I went to school with still found ways to harass me about it.

I mean, I suppose names that are unusual or exotic might draw extra ire, but in this day and age, I'm not sure. Half the children who go to school with my younger cousins, and some of those cousins themselves, have names that are totally contrived and fantastical, with no basis in tradition at all.

There are also a lot more people using non-western ethnic names; instead of changing their names to English ones, most immigrants are keeping their traditional names.

Some kids are even getting pop culture names these days! Look at how many girls are named Renesmee or Coraline. Those names were made up by modern fiction authors, and now they're mainstream and widely used, and other names are less common, but still seen occasionally, like naming your kid Legolas.

I think, considering the types of names that people are exposed to in modern society, including such ethnics names as Muhammad and Krishna, and such made up names as Corarae or Legolas, naming your kid "Thor" "Mars," "Diana" or even "Zeus" or "Odin" would probably not pose a problem. You might want to steer away from names with antagonistic, evil, or diabolical connotations though. I suspect naming your daughter Hel or your son Hades might cause some drama, even in the current laissez faire naming climate.

"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2018, 03:15:13 pm »
Anyways, long story short, what is your opinion on using the names of gods and goddesses as baby names?

One thing I've witnessed first hand is that children named after gods can sometimes take on traits of those gods. A friend of mine named her son Odin. He had serious eye problems in childhood and had to wear an eyepatch.

So I think that's...definitely something to keep in mind.

I dunno otherwise. My opinion on this has changed a lot over the years.

I mean, SO many names that are considered "normal" (James, John, Christina, etc) in N. American society are derived from the Bible, and mean things relating to the God mentioned in the Bible. My atheist husband has a name that means "gift from God" (and his mom is a witch). My birth name is a form of John, which means "God is gracious."

I don't see that as much different from being named Brighid or Athena, to be honest.

That said, I don't think I will name any future kids after gods, but if I were to do so, it would not be explicit. For example, June instead of Juno, or Dion instead of Dionysos. I would just feel far more comfortable with a bit more abstraction.
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arete

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #9 on: September 24, 2018, 02:44:30 pm »
Anyways, long story short, what is your opinion on using the names of gods and goddesses as baby names?
In Greece this is very common. They view the gods' names as common names. Personaly, I don't like it. Believers of the ancient religion shouldn't use the gods' names for mortals. if they want they should use derivatives only, like Apollodoros, and NOT Apollo.

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2018, 03:02:13 pm »
Believers of the ancient religion shouldn't use the gods' names for mortals. if they want they should use derivatives only, like Apollodoros, and NOT Apollo.

Why not? Many classical pagans used the names of the Gods, even when it was common to believe in them.  The great theosophist and alchemist Hermes Trismegistus, for instance, or the mathematician Dionysius of Cyrene.
"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

arete

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2018, 03:11:39 pm »
Why not? Many classical pagans used the names of the Gods, even when it was common to believe in them.  The great theosophist and alchemist Hermes Trismegistus, for instance, or the mathematician Dionysius of Cyrene.
Dionysius is an epithet. alchemist Hermes Trismegistus, I've no idea who is the alchemist. never heard of him.  :-\

Hariti

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2018, 03:22:09 pm »
Dionysius is an epithet.

So, epithets are fine, but baby names are not? I'm curious why you think that? How is one of those things bad and the other acceptable? Both are giving divine names to mortals, just in different contexts.
"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #13 on: September 24, 2018, 03:26:42 pm »
alchemist Hermes Trismegistus, I've no idea who is the alchemist. never heard of him.  :-\

He's the founder of Hermeticism, the one who supposedly created the emerald tablet. He influenced pagan, Chrisitan, Jewish, and even Islamic metaphysics and science for centuries.

He lived sometime around the third century BC, assuming he really existed (which can sometimes be difficult to ascertain with classical figures) and writings attributed to him were being studied widely as late as the fourteenth century AD. Hermetic societies still exist today, and were quite popular at the turn of the last century.
"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

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Re: Naming children after the gods
« Reply #14 on: September 24, 2018, 04:29:37 pm »
However, I have yet to see any names like Shiva (except Ashutosh, a name of Shiva that means 'easy to please'); Kali; Durga; Narasimha... these are deities who have ugra (fierce) forms, though normally they are benevolent and calm. Hmm... I'll have to ask some Indian friends.

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