Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Dear Bryan,

> The names look Hebrew to me, but I haven't been able to confirm this for
> sure.  If they are Hebrew names, they may be nicknames.  I say this
> because the proposed meanings are "beautiful" and "sparkly" (I think I
> got the info from HALOT).  Such a pair of meanings for midwives seems
> too literary to be true.

HH: Most female names do have a pleasant connotation. Some of my 
female friends are named Grace, Joy, Celeste, Dawn, and Melody. Other 
names include Felicia, Constance, and Desiree. Many names for women 
have positive meanings even if we don't realize it. If you trace the 
etymology, that is what you find. Please breeze through the following 
list and see. I will give the part of the list for the letter A. 
After the name will be its meaning. These are names from all around 
the world, so positive messages are a universal tendency. In this 
list of women's names, I left in those that the source said could 
describe either gender, but I am skeptical about some myself.

> A
>
> Name    Meaning
> A'MARIE Gracious Under Adversity
> AADI    Beginning
> AALIYAH Ascender
> AARALYN With song
> ABBA    Born on Thursday
> ABBIE   Joy of the Father
> ABBY    Joy of the Father
> ABENI   Girl Prayed For
> ABIA    Great
> ABIBA   Child Born After Grandmother Died
> ABIE    Joy of the Father
> ABIGAIL Joy of the Father
> ABRA    Mother of Nations
> ABRIANNA        Mother of Grace
> ABRIENDA        Opening
> ABRIL   April
> ACACIA  Thorny Tree
> ACELINE Noble at Birth
> ADA     Noble, Happy
> ADAH    Ornamental
> ADALIA  God is my Refuge, Noble
> ADAMINA Woman of the Earth
> ADAMMA  Beautiful Girl
> ADARA   Chaste One
> ADDO    King of the Road
> ADE     Crown, Royal
> ADELA   Noble and Serene
> ADELAIDE        Noble, Kind
> ADELIE  Noble, Serene
> ADELINE Noble, Kind
> ADELLE  Noble, Kind
> ADEOLA  Crown has Honor
> ADERES  Protector
> ADERYN  Bird
> ADIA    Gift
> ADIE    Noble, Kind
> ADILA   Just, Fair
> ADIN    Beautiful, Adorned
> ADINA   Beautiful, Adorned
> ADITA   Basket
> ADONIA  Beautiful
> ADONICA From Adam and Monica
> ADONIS  Beautiful
> ADORA   Beloved One
> ADRIA   Of the Adriatic
> ADRIANA Dark, Rich
> ADRIEL  Congregation
> ADRIENNE        Dark, Rich, Adriatic
> ADRINA  Happiness
> ADSILA  Blossom
> ADY     Noble, Kind
> AELWEN  Fair Brow
> AERONA  Berry
> AERYN   Daughter of Eire
> AFFRICA From Africa
> AFIA    Born on Friday
> AFRA    Young Deer
> AFRIC   Pleasant
> AFRICA  Pleasant, from Africa
> AFRODILLE       Daffodil
> AFTON   From the Afton River
> AFYA    Health
> AGALIA  Bright Joy
> AGATHA  Virtuous, Good
> AGGIE   Lamb
> AGLAIA  Brilliance
> AGNES   Pure
> AGRATA  Leader
> AHAVA   Cherished One
> AIDA    Helper
> AIDAN   Fiery
> AIDEEN  Flame
> AIKEN   From the Oak Tree
> AIKO    Little Loved One
> AILANI  High Chief
> AILEEN  Light Bearer
> AILIS   Noble, Kind
> AILISH  Noble, Kind
> AILSA   From Island of Ailsa
> AIM     Direct Toward Target
> AIMEE   Beloved Friend
> AINDREA Manly, Courageous
> AINE    Brightness, Joy
> AINSLEY My Own Meadow
> AINSLIE My Own Meadow
> AIRA    Of the Wind
> AIRELL  Nobelman
> AIRLIA  Ethereal
> AISHA   Life
> AISLIN  Vision, Dream
> AISLING Vision, Dream
> AISLINN Vision, Dream
> AITANA  Glory
> AIZZA   Life
> AJA     Goat
> AKIA    First Born
> AKIVA   Supplanter
> ALABAMA Tribal Town
> ALAINA  Fair one
> ALAMEA   Precious, Whole
> ALAMEDA From the Poplar Tree
> ALANA   Beautiful,
> ALANNA  Beautiful,
> ALANNIS From Atlanta
> ALAQUA  Sweet Gum Tree
> ALARICE Ruler of All
> ALASKA  Great Land
> ALAULA  Light of Dawn
> ALAURA  From the Laurel Tree
> ALAYNA  Beautiful
> ALBA    from the city of Alba, Italy
> ALBANY  From the city of Alba, Italy
> ALBERTA Noble, bright
> ALBINA  White Skinned
> ALDA    Old, Wise
> ALDIS   From the Old House
> APRIA   From the Apricot
> AQUARIUS        Tthe Water Bearer
> AQUENE   Peace
> ARABELA Beautiful Altar
> ARABELLA        Beautiful Altar
> ARACELY Heavenly Altar
> ARADIA  Goddess of Witches
> ARAWN   King of the Otherworld
> ARDARA  Fort on the Hill
> ARDELIS Industrious
> ARDELLE Warm
> ARDEN   Thrilled and excited
> ARDICE  Flowering Field
> ARDITH  Flowering Field
> ARELLA  Angel
> AREN    Eagle, Ruler, Peace
> ARETHA  Virtuous
> ARETHUSA        Mythological Nymph
> ARI     Lion
> ARIA    Melody
> ARIADNE Holy
> ARIANA  Holy
> ARIANE  Holy
> ARIANNA Holy
> ARIANNE Holy
> ARIEL   Lion of God
> ARIELLA Lion of God
> ARIELLE Lion of God
> ARIEN   Enchanted
> ARIN    Enlightened
> ARION   With Melody
> ARISSA  Best
> ARISTA  Best
> ARIZONA Little Spring
> ARLAIS  From the Temple
> ARLENE  Pledge
> ARLET   East Indian Spice
> ARLINE  Girl
> ARMANI  Faith
> ARMELLE Princess
> ARMINA  Noble
> ARNIA   Strong as an Eagle
> ARNON   Stream, River
> ARTEMIS Goddess of the Moon and Hunt
> ARTEMUS Of the moon
> ARTOIS  From Artois, Netherlands
> ARVA    Fertile
> ARVID   Friend
> ARWAN   All Nationalities
> ARWEN   Muse
> ARYA    Honored, Noble
> ASA     Born at Dawn
> ASABI   One of Select Birth
> ASASIA  Form of Acacia
> ASH     From the Ash Tree
> ASHA    Hope or wish
> ASHANTI African Tribe Name
> ASHBY   Ash Tree Farm
> ASHLEIGH        From the Ash Tree
> ASHLEY   From the Ash Tree
> ASHLING Dream, Vision
> ASHTON  Ash Tree Settlement
> ASIS    Sun
> ASPASIA Lily
> ASPEN   The Aspen Tree
> ASTA    Bright as a Star
> ASTER   Star
> ASTIN   Starlike
> ASTRA   From the Stars
> ASTRID  Unusual beauty and strength
> ATALANTA        Mighty Huntress
> ATALAYA Watch Tower
> ATARA   Crown, Blessed
> ATARET  Crown, Blessed
> ATHALIA God is Exalted
> ATHENA  Goddess of Wisdom & War
> AUBERTA Noble, Bright
> AUBREY   Noble, Bright
> AUBRIANNA       Noble, Strong One
> AUDI    Last Daughter
> AUDREY  Noble Strength
> AUDRIANA        Strong, Rich
> AUGUSTA Venerable
> AULANI  King's Messenger
> AULII   Delicious
> AURA    Glowing Light
> AURE    Soft Air, Breeze
> AURELIA Golden
> AURORA   Goddess of the Dawn
> AURYON  Hunter
> AUSTINE Exalted
> AUTUMN  Fall Season
> AVA     Like a Bird
> AVALBANE        White Orchard
> AVALON  Island
> AVANI   Earth
> AVARI   Of the heavens,from the sky
> AVARIELLA       Small, strong woman
> AVARIELLE       Woman of strength
> AVATARI God's Incarnation
> AVELINE Hazel Nut       F
> AVERY   Nobility
> AVI     Lord of Mine
> AVIAN   Bird-like
> AVINOAM Blessed Father
> AVIVA   Joyful Spring
> AVON    The River
> AVONACO Lean Bear
> AVONGARA        To Tie
> AVRIL   April
> AVYE    Keeper of the Gate
> AWEN    A muse
> AWENA   seer
> AWENTIA Fawn
> AXELLE  Source of all Life
> AXL     Source of life
> AYA     Bird
> AYALA   A female deer - (doe)
> AYAME   Iris
> AYANNA  Beautiful flower
> AYASHA  Little One
> AYITA   First to Dance
> AYLA    The Oak Tree
> AYMAN   Holy, right-hand worker
> AYOKA   One who Causes Joy
> AYSEL   Moonlight
> AYSHA   Life
> AZALIA  God Has Spared
> AZANA   Ultimate
> AZIA    From the East
> AZIZA   Precious
> AZIZE   Highly Valued
> AZIZI   Precious One
> AZRA    Pure
> AZRIEL  God is My Aid
> AZUKA   Past Glory
> AZURA   Sky Blue
> AZURE   Bluish Color

                                Yours,
                                Harold Holmyard