Naomi

In the Old Testament, Ruth married a man and had sons, all of whom died suddenly. She then followed her mother-in-law to a new land, where she remarried. As many Jews and Christians know, Ruth's mother-in-law had the name of Naomi.

Naomi is a Hebrew name meaning "pleasantness," which coincidentally describes Ruth's relationship with her; following her mother-in-law led to a better life. Because of the Biblical figure, Naomi has long been a popular choice among Jews. As with many Biblical names, though, Naomi has yet to become a common name among English-speaking Christians.

Naomi entered widespread English-speaking use around the Protestant Reformation, which established the Bible as the sole source of authority from God. It appeared in the England top 100 in the early Victorian era, but it dropped out by 1860. Naomi remained a top 200 choice into 1900.

As an American name, Naomi has ranked among the top 400 most years since 1880. It was a top 200 choice between 1893 and 1941 before hitting its low point at #419 in 1969. Naomi has gone through a revival since then. It not only returned to the top 200, but Naomi also made the top 100 for the first time in 2010. This makes Naomi a "J-shaped" revival: a name that came back more popular than before.

Naomi is also popular in Canada along with having ranked among the Australian and New Zealand top 100 in the late twentieth century. Beyond the English-speaking world, Naomi is used in Belgium, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland. Even though it is unknown whether or not Naomi is used in Japan, it also has Japanese origins. This makes Naomi one of the best cross-cultural choices.

Overall, with centuries of use, Naomi makes for a timeless classic that is much more interesting than Elizabeth or Mary. Perhaps this is why Naomi is still on the rise. 

VARIANTS:

Noemi

STYLES:

Biblical, Timeless

SISTERS:

Leah, Delilah, Vivian, Juliet, Susannah, Eve, Abigail, Phoebe

BROTHERS:

Asher, Noah, Elijah, Simeon, Isaac, Reuben, Gabriel, Levi

ALTERNATIVES:

Corinne, Hope, Johanna, Miriam, Naama, Nayeli, Salome, Simone

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Naomi." Names, Behind the Name, 21 Jan. 2022, https://www.behindthename.com/name/naomi-1. 

Sandel, Abby. "Baby Name Naomi: Lovely and Noble." Appellation Mountain, 7 Jun. 2020, https://appellationmountain.net/name-of-the-day-naomi/. 

What do you think about Naomi?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hazel

Image
In the Northern Hemisphere, there is a common broadleaf tree. It produces nuts with a certain shade of brown. The tree and nut have one name in common: Hazel. The nature name, which derives from the Old English hæsel , has been in sparing use as a unisex name between the late 1700s and early 1800s. It became a common feminine name alongside Myrtle and Olive in the late Victorian Era. Hazel was a top 100 American name between 1886 and 1936, peaking in the top 20 in 1897.  Hazel was popular in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand around the same time as its American run. However, it did not enter the British top 100 until 1924. It remained popular in England and Wales until 1954, making it more retro over there.  As Hazel declined in popularity, pop culture reminded the public of its dated sound. A comic strip featuring a troubled housekeeper by the name and Witch Hazel from Looney Tunes did the job.  Hazel dropped out of the American top 1000 in 1976. It began its revival when it reentere
Read more

Biblical Girls' Names

Image
Most people's names come from sources, whether it be ancient mythology, literature, or the most influential book in history: the Bible. There are several names mentioned in the Bible, but only those associated with one prominent character and with complete usability will count. For instance, there are too many Marys in the Bible for the name to count. Place and word names in the Bible, such as Shiloh, will not count either. Here are some Biblical girls' names that will especially appeal to Christians: Abigail Adah Bathsheba Deborah Delilah Dinah Esther Eve Hagar Hannah Jael Jezebel Keturah Leah Magdalene Martha Miriam Naomi Peninnah Rachel Rahab Rebekah Ruth Sarah Tamar Tirzah Zillah What names would you add?
Read more