What's in a Name?

The other day I was driving down Main Street and it occurred to me that it was indeed, the main street. It got me to thinking that in the old days people named things more practically. Being new to the area and not all that familiar with the town, I began paying attention to street signs. There is in fact a church on Church Street and School Street appears to have a building that looks like an old one-room schoolhouse. I took a side trip down Great Swamp Road in search of the great swamp and was a little disappointed that I was not able to locate it. However, I’m sure there is a great swamp in the vicinity. It’s probably located in the woods behind some houses or just beyond where the road ends. Otherwise why would they have named the road so?

The street signs led me to thinking about people’s names. Have you ever wondered how your parents arrived at naming you? Were you named after someone specific? Did your parents just give you a name because they liked the sound of it? Maybe they made up a name. Or maybe your name has some significant meaning.


In biblical times people’s names were significant and often gave one their identity. Take Moses for example, his name means ‘arrived by water.’ He was found by Pharaoh’s daughter floating down the Nile River, and the woman named him so. She didn’t name him ‘found near tree’ or 'cave man Bob’. Likewise Samuel means ‘asked of God’ or ‘God listens’. Hannah prayed that God would give her a son and He did. I could go on and on listing names and their meanings, but I won’t bore you.

I once asked my dad why I was given my birth name and not something else. He told me that I was named after the Greek goddess, Diana. Diana is the goddess of the hunt. Lately, I’ve been hunting for a job by day and hunting mice by night. So, kudos to mom and dad for having the foresight to name me appropriately.