Biblical and mythological names: two sources that never age

In the biblical text the name says something: Daniel is 'God is my judge', Anna comes from Hannah, 'grace'. Many carry the divine elements El or Yah (Gabriel, Elias, Elizabeth), the so-called theophoric names.

Christianity spread this repertoire across Europe and every language made its own version: the same Yochanan became John, João, Jean and Giovanni. That is why a biblical name usually has an equivalent in nearly any language, a practical advantage for international families.

From Greco-Roman mythology come Diana, Aurora (the goddess of dawn) and Helena; from the Norse, Freja and the names with Thor inside, like Torsten; from the Celtic, Brigid and Finn. These are names with a scene of their own: each carries a story to tell.

One check is worth it: read the myth before registering. Some characters carry heavy stories (Cassandra, the prophet no one believed; Icarus of the fall), and one day the child will read their own story.

The first filter is the family's register: if faith matters, the biblical name carries that weight in its favor; if the fascination is with story and sound, mythology opens a less crowded repertoire.

Then the usual criteria apply: sound with the surname, local or original version (Aurora and Diana are spelled the same in half a dozen languages) and rarity where the family wants it.