Written by: Idea Spektrum
Article source: evangelicalfocus.com
Noah is clearly the most popular name in Germany. For the third year in a row, it was the most chosen by parents for their new-born.
The statistics for 2022 was made public by the German Language Society, which showed that the Hebrew name of the figure in Genesis (chapters 6-9) came at the top in seven of the sixteen federal states. Noah means “rest” or “comfort”.
Second in the list last year was another biblical name, this time from the New Testament: Matthias, but interestingly more often in its Italian form: Mateo or Matheo. Matthew was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ and gives name to one of the four gospels. The name can be translated as “gift from God”.
Still among boys, another very popular name in Germany is Mohammed (in Arabic, “the praised one”), which last year replaced Noah at the top in the capital, Berlin. The name is popular among Muslims as it refers to the founder of Islam.
Biblical names for girls less popular
The biblical names were less popular among new-born girls, last year. The top three were Emilia, Sophia and Emma.
It is not until the fourth spot that we find Mia (a short form of Maria, Mary, meaning “the beloved”). It is the name of Jesus’ mother and frequently appears in the New Testament.
Just after Mia, came Hannah, in the fifth place, also from Hebrew origin. The name appears in 1 Samuel, being the mother of the important Old Testament prophet Samuel.
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Date published: 29/05/2023
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. Artwork from unsplash.com
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