Religious Place Names

Glennahaglish, Ireland: This place incorporates the Irish word “eaglais” which translates as “church.”

Saqqara, Egypt: This place name reflects the name of the ancient Egyptian hawk-headed god of death, Sokar or Seker. HIs name is believed to be derived from the ancient Egyptian phrase “sy-k-ri,” which means “hurry to me.”

Pihana - a- ka -lani, Hawaii State, United States of America: The Hawaiian word “lani” translates as “heaven,” “sky,” or “king” and “pihana” means “a gathering place.”  Pihana was used as a temple site for the sacrifice of war captives to the king’s Hawaiian deities. It was a “gathering place of the supernatural.”

Braganca, Portugal: Walled settlements began to appear in this area in about 1000 to 700 BCE, Brigantia, “the elevated one,” was a Celtic goddess whose name is believed to have come from the Proto-Indo-European words “bhrg hnti” meaning “high,” “lofty,” or “elevated.”

Luang Prabang, Laos: The Lao words “Phra Bang” translate as “royal Buddha image.” The city-state already existed when it entered history in 698 CE when it was conquered by a Tai prince.

Religious Place Names

Zell am See, Austria: Zell mean "monastic cell" in German, so this id "Cell on the sea."

Mughar an-nasara, Jordan: This is an archeological site near the ancient Nabataean stone carved city of Petra. "Nasara" (a reference to "Nazarene") means "Christians" in Arabic, so this is the "Caves of the Christians."

el-Kab, Egypt: Nekhbet was the ancient Egyptian vulture goddess and the town named for her wss Nekheb. The name survives as el-Kab.

Gaya, Bihar State, India: Gayasura is the Sanskrit name of a Hindu demon.

Vestavia Hills, Alabama State, United States of America: Vesta is the Latin name of the Roman goddess of the hearth.

Place Names of Religious Origin

Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch, Wales:

This 58 letter place name translates into English as “Parish [church] of [St.] Mary (Llanfair) [in] Hollow (pwll) of the White Hazel [township] (gwyn gyll) near (go ger) the rapid whirlpool (y chwyrn drobwll) [and] the parish [church] of [St.] Tysilio (Llantysilio) with a red cave ([a]g ogo[f] goch).” This is the longest place name in Europe but is only the second longest one word place name on Earth. The longest is an 85 letter Maori place name in New Zealand.

Judenberg,Austria: “Juden” in German means “Jews.” This name means “Jewish Mountain.”

Hissop, Alabama, USA: Hysoppus is a flowering plant mentioned in the Bible at Exodus 12: 21-22. It is a member of the mint family used in the Passover rites.

Lis Escop, Cornwall, England: “Escop” is the Cornish word for “bishop,” so this is the “court of the bishop.”

Donaghee, Northern Ireland: The name of this town reflects its origin as the Irish word “donhnach,” which translates in English as “church.”

Place Names of Religious or Mythological Origin

Trollhattan, Sweden: The name of this city in Swedish means “troll’s bonnet” or “troll’s hat.”  The city is named for the nearby Trollhattan Falls. In Norse mythology, trolls were ugly, even grotesque, humanoids who lived under bridges and in caves and some hills. The Old Norse word means “witch,” “monster,” or “ogre.”

Anah, Iraq: The origin of the name of this town is possibly from Anat, a violent virgin Ugaritic war goddess. Anat was the sister of the deity Ba'al.

Setubal Portugal: This city name is possibly of Biblical origin. Tubal was a tribe descended from Japheth, one of Noah’s sons. 

Nebi Samwil, West Bank: The Arabic word “nebi” translates as “prophet’ so this town is “Prophet Samuel.” This is the traditional site of the tomb of the prophet Samuel.

Mauii (Island), Hawaii, USA: Mauii the Trickster was one of the demigods in the Polynesian pantheon.

Place Names with Religious Origins

Mokapu Beach, Maui, Hawaii (USA): The Hawaiian word “kapu” means “forbidden” or “sacred,” the same meaning as the Polynesian word "tabu" or "taboo."  Mokapu beach was forbidden because it was for held for used only by the Hawaiian kings and their servants.

Damanhur, Egypt: The ancient Egyptian name of this city was Timenhor (in ancient Egyptian: Dmi-n-Hr, the “city of Horus”), derived from the name of the Egyptian deity, Horus. The Greeks called the city Hermopolis Mikra or Hermopolis Parva (from the Roman god Hermes.)

Izamal, Mexico: Itzamma was the supreme god the ancient Mayans. Most of the buildings in modern Izamal are painted yellow and it is popularly known as the Yellow City.  Settlement of the site predates the 15th century.

Ani, Turkey: The name of the ancient Persian goddess, Anahid or Anahit, survives in the name of the ruins of this medieval Armenian city. Anahit was the mother protector of the Armenian people.  She was the goddess of fertility, healing, wisdom, and water. 

The city is first mentioned in 5th century documents and flourished between 961 and 1045 as the “City of 1001 Churches.” It was sacked by the Mongols in 1236 and further damaged by an earthquake in 1319.

Omkareshwar, India: “Om” is the Sanskrit word which represents the “holy sound” used in Hindu  meditation practices. Omkareshwar is a  temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The temple is on an island in the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh State.

Theophoric Names

Often, we fail to recognize that many personal and family names also have religious origins. Many are easy to see when we actually look. Others require a little effort.

Surnames originating in Western culture are of several types: occupational (example: Baker), relating to a place (example: Lincoln), relating to a particular family trait (example : Jolly), named for historical people (example: Kennedy), sarcastic or silly names (examples: Naaktgeboren (“born naked”), family relationships (example: Harrison), animal names (example: Bird), emotions: (example: Love), vulgar names (example: Mist, translate this name from German to English), and other types of name origins. This post will present a few names of theophoric origin.   

Surnames and personal names in the Far East appear to be based primarily on nature or philosophical concepts.

Chinese surnames http://www.yutopian.net/names/, Japanese surnames http://surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/japanese, and Korean surnames https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_name appear to be primarily based on philosophy or nature.

θεόφορος (theophoros) is a Greek word meaning “God bearing.” The word “theophoric” in English is used of pronames, surnames, and place names which have religious origins. This blog has a recurrent segment profiling religious place names. 

The religious meanings of most of the ancient biblical personal names are known, including those of the foes of the Israelites and early Christians. An example is Tiglath-pileser III, King of Assyria (745 - 727BC).  He is mentioned in 2 Kings 15:19 and 2 Kings 15:29. His Assyrian name is Tukulti-apil-esharra, which translates as "my trust is in the son of Esharra." Esharra is Ashur, the main god of the Assyrian pantheon.

Following is a listing of several theophoric surnames occurring in English language usage. The religious origins of some of the surnames is readily obvious, some are more indirect:  Benjamin, Aaron, Abraham, Isaacson, Bishop, Abbot, Church, Grace, Eglise, Bartolo, Sofer (Hebrew  = "scribe"), Dayyan (Hebrew = "Jewish civil judge"), Abdullah (Arabic = "slave of Allah"), di Moise, di Angelo, Kohen/Cohen (Hebrew = "priest"), Simon, Stephens, Dennis (Latin = "of Dionysus") Godwin/Godwynn, Goodwin, Goodwyn (Old English = "God's friend"), Gotfried/Gottfried, Holiness, Nunmaker, Faith, Kirk (Scottish = "church"), Angel, Theodore (Greek = "gift of God"), Oden  (Swedish form of Odin, the main Norse god), Johnson ("son of John". John is derived from the Hebrew personal name Yohannan, which means "Yahweh is gracious"), Christian, Soul, Monk, St. James, Zacharias, and many others.  

Religious Place Names

Pomona, California State, USA: Named for the ancient Roman goddess of fruit.

Shiloh, Tennessee State, USA: Named for the ancient Israelite religious site, nine miles north of Bethel. The modern site of the ancient Shiloh is a mound of ruins named Khirbet Seilun.

Tewin, England: Named for the ancient Norse god Tyr. The name comes from Tyr plus
"ing" (meadow) or "ingas" (people belonging to)."

Weedon Lois, England: From the Old English words "weo" (temple) plus "dun" (hill). "Lois" comes from the local religious figure, Saint Loys.

Nymph, Alabama State, USA: Nymphs were minor nature deities of ancient Latin and Greek mythology. They were depicted as beautiful and amorous young maidens who loved to dance and sing. The word "nymph" has been said to mean "a rosebud" or "a swelling" (as in "pregnant"), connoting fertility.

Religious Place Names

Ibadan, Nigeria: From the Arabic word “ibada,” meaning “divine service.”

Menehune Ditch, Hawaii, USA: The menehune are little fairy-like supernatural people from Hawaiian mythology.

Islamabad, Pakistan: Islam is the Arabic word for “submission (to God).”

Saint-Isidore, Quebec, Canada: From “Isis,” the Greek form of the name of the ancient Egyptian goddess (probably “Aset” in ancient Egyptian), plus the Greek word “doron,” meaning “gift.”

Guwahati, India:  This city has had several names over its history, including Durjaya (Sanskrit = “impregnable”), and Pragyostishpur, from “pragyotish,” the Sanskrit word for “astrology.” The modern name of Guwahati is more mundane.  It comes from two Assamese words; “guwa” (“azeca nut”) and “haat” (“marketplace”).

Religious Place Names

Frascati, Italy: This resort town is named for the Church of St. Mary and Sebastian “in the bushes (frascati) ”

Omdurman, Sudan: Named for Um-Marium (1646-1730),  a Muslim saint.

Lima, Peru:  This city was founded in 1535 by Francisco Pixarro as Ciudad de los Reyes (City of the Kings).  The modern name is derived from the name of an ancient deity, Rimac, and means “he who speaks.”

Munich, Germany: Munich was built on the site of a Benedictine monastery and the name derives from the Old High Germany word “munih,”  meaning “monk.”

Concepcion, Chile:  With a Spanish name meaning “conception,” this city was founded in 1550 on the day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Religious Place Names

Mecca, Saudi Arabia: The name of this city is believed to have derived from the Arabic word “makorab” (“shrine”).

Benghazi, Libya: This modern name of this city is probably from a local Muslim saint,  Marsa ibn Ghazi.

Baku, Azebiajan: There are several possible origins for this name.  One explains the name as being from Iranian “abad” = “town” plus “ku” = “fire,”  a reference to the existence of a fire worship religion.

Asuncion, Paraguay: Asuncion is Spanish for “Assumption.” The city was founded in 1536 on the day of the Feast of the Assumption.

Arkhangelsk, Russia:  The name means “Archangel.”

Religious Place Names

Andaman Islands:  This name is believed to have been derived from the name of the monkey god, Handuman.

Amritsar, India: From the Sanskrit words “amrita saras,” meaning “lake of immortality.”

Munster, Germany:  From the Old High German word “munistri.”  This word was ultimately derived from the Latin word, “monasterium” (“monastery.”)

Montruex, Switzerland:  This name is also from from the Latin word, “monasterium” (“monastery.”)

Kilmanjaro, Tanzania:  The name of this volcano derives from the Swahili words “kilima” = “mountain” plus “njaro” = “god of cold.”

Religious Place Names

Deseret, Utah, USA: In The Book of Mormon, “deseret” means “honeybee.”  The word comes from the book of Ether 2:3 in the Book of Mormon.  Mormons say that is in the language of the Jaredites.  Most historians doubt the existence of the Jaredites.

Grimscote, England:  Old English for “Grim’s Cot.”  Grim was an alternate name for the Norse deity Odin or Woden.

Harrow on the Hill, England: The Old English name of this town was Gumeninga hergae (temple of the Gumeninga tribe).  A “herg” was a “temple.” This word is the derivation of “harrow.”  The suffix “ingas” means “the people belonging to” and “Gumen” was a man’s name.

Weeford, England: The Old English word “weoh” means “holy.”

Kirkharle, England: This name of this town is of Old English origin.  “Kirk” means “church.”  “Harle” has two possible origins: 1. “Herela lea” (Herela’s grove) or 2. “herg leah” (temple grove). 

Religious Place Names

Iosepa, Hawaii, USA: “Iosepa” is the Hawaiian language version of the name “Joseph.”  The town is named for Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons).

Mahabarata, Nepal: Named for the Mahabarata, one of the ancient Sanskrit language holy books of Hinduism.

Tewin, England: Named for the Norse god, Tyr (aka: Tiw) plus “ing,”  “a meadow.”  Tyr was the Norse god of single-handed combat and victory.

Thundersley, England: From the Old English, Thunor’s leah (Sacred grove of Thunor).  Thunor was a variant name of Thor, the Norse god of thunder.

Shiloh, Tennessee, USA: Named for the ancient Ephraimite city of Shiloh, located about 12 miles northeast of Bethel, in the land of Canaan..  Judges 21:19.  The modern name of ancient Shiloh is Khirbet Seilun in the West Bank..  A “khirbet” is a “ruin on a hill.”

Religious Place Names

Many place names have religious origins.  Here are a few of them.

Madras, India: from Arabic word “madrasa,” an Islamic religious school

Peshkopi, Albania: from the Greek word “episkope,”  “the eat of a bjshop”

Kilimanjaro (volcano), Tanzania: from the Swahili word “njaro,” meaning “god of gold.”

Omkareshwar, India: “om” is the Sanskrit word for the “holy sound.”

Saytan Sofrasi, Turkey:  This rock formation is named for Satan. 

Religious Place Names

Boaz, Alabama, USA:  Boaz (Ruth 2:1) lived about 1100 BC/BCE. In Hebrew his name means something like “in him is strength.”

Kilkenny, Ireland: The Irish name of this place is Cill Chainnigh, which means “Church of Cainneach.”

Haryana, India: This name is derived from two Sanskrit words, “aryana” (“home”) and “hari” (Vishnu).  Vishnu is the Hindu god

al-Miqdadiyah, Iraq:  aka. Muqdadiyah. This is Arabic for “given by the Magi.”

Arbil, Iraq:  “Ar” is Hurrian word.  The settlement existed as early as the 23^rd Century BC/BCE.  The Akkadians called it “arba u ilu,”  “four gods.”

Who Am I?

All bloggers who use the Blogger service have statistical tools available to them so that they can track usage of their blog.  The types of information which we can see include the number of times the blog is viewed, the number of times each post is viewed, the type of operating system being used by the viewer, the search engine used to visit the blog, the search keywords, and the country of origin of the search. The statistical information is useful in better responding to the interests of our readers.  Your privacy is 100% preserved because we cannot identify individual visitors to our blogs.

Several persons have searched for me.  One person has asked about my "spiritual credentials."  The answer is that I am not your teacher, I am not your pastor; I am your Christian brother and I feel that this blog is my ministry to you.  This blog is for discussion of doctrinal and theological issues, current news as it relates to Christianity, the incredible diversity present among the ἐκκλησία through the centuries and especially today,  and the true basis of our unity, The Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer.  Most of all, this blog is a challenge to everyone to think, to not just accept the way things are, to wonder why things are the way they are, to challenge those things in our belief systems which are not biblical, and especially, to not accept the answers put forth by our modern relativist culture.

As to me, I am a Medical Technologist with a concentration in Hematology, the study of blood diseases like leukemias, anemias, and clotting disorders.  I work in two local clinical laboratories and have a certification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology .

In 1970, I was one of the three hundred who stood up and left in protest, along with our pastor, Dr. Herbert Gilmore, when The First Baptist Church of Birmingham voted not to admit Winifred Bryant and her daughter, Twila Fortune, who had made a profession of faith.  The reason they were refused membership was because they were black.

Led by Dr. Gilmore, we formed The Baptist Church of the Covenant, which is still active today in downtown Birmingham.  Both Winifred Bryant and Twila Fortune remain as members of the church.

The local church I currently attend has members of all races and nationalities.

In my early twenties, for two years I attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.  During this time, my interest in comparative religion developed.  Over the years I have studied the world's major religions and have discussed and corresponded with adherents of each of them.
I have also been in contact with numerous cultic and occultic groups including Wiccans, Pagans, Spiritualists, the Unity Church, the Unification Church, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Children of God, the Way, the Church of Scientology, and even the Church of Satan.

My interest in word origins and meanings led to my study of onomastics, the meanings of place names, and resulted in my book, An International Glossary of Place Name Elements .

I believe that I do have something to add to the discussion and I feel led by the Lord to do it.

Religious Place Names

Picket Wire, Arizona, United States: from “purgatoire,” French for “purgatory.”

Kilkeel, Ireland: The Irish name is Cill Chaoil, meaning “church of the narrow place.”

Omagh, Northern Ireland:  The Irish name is Ar Omaigh, meaning “the sacred (or virgin) plain.”

Pernik, Bulgaria:  Perun (an ancient Slavic deity) plus “nik,” a place name suffix.

Wodensborough, Kent, England:  From Odin, the Norse father god, plus Old English “bury/burh,” meaning “fort.”

Recurrent Segments in This Blog

From time to time I add new features to this blog.  I will always keep you updated as I do. Currently there are fifteen recurrent segments.  You can search for them on the Labels list at the bottom of the current page.  I welcome suggestions for new recurrent subjects.

Bible Printer's Errors: You have to proofread "vewwy vewwy cahrfuwwy" or you may say something you didn't intend.
Book Comments: Comments on books about Christianity, religion, philosophy, ethics, history, scholarship, Bible study, Christian writing, children's books, publishing, pastoring, etc.
Christian Heresies:  An ongoing listing of the historical heretical doctrines and a few modern ones.
Christians: Mini biographical listings of persons from any period of history who have, at some time in their lives, been identified as Christians. You may be surprised to see some of these people listed here.
Female Images of God: Obviously, if you think about it, God is not male or female. He is both and more. The gender identification of God was given to us so we would have a point of reference from which to understand Him as a Person (He is obviously not an "it.") It may surprise you that the Bible often presents God with female imagery.
Film Comments: Many films address issues of religious and/or philosophical import. Some may provide insights for Christians which were possibly not part of the original intent of the film's director.
Interesting Websites: Websites which present interesting or eccentric points of view; websites of Christian oriented groups; etc.
Lost Books of the Bible: There are books mentioned in the Bible which are otherwise unknown. Other books may be fragments of longer books.
Messianic Prophecies from the Bible: Christians believe that manyOld Testament (TANAKH) passages speak about the Messiah Jesus.
Names in the Bible: The names of the persons in the Bible are not just sounds.  Many have known meanings.
Poetry: Some from me, some from other folks.
Religious Humor: Contrary to what many people think, Christians are not without humor. Look up Rev, Grady Nutt.
Religious Place Names: The religious origins of some place names may not be immediately obvious.
Trivia: Obscure facts about Christianity, the Bible, religion, etc. Some really are trivial, some, not so much.
What Does It Mean?: Many passages in the Bible need a little explaining to make sense to modern readers because they must be understood in the historical and religious context in which they were written. Remember that they made perfect sense to their original readers/hearers.

Religious Place Names

Adana, Turkey: Possibly for Adanus, a son of the Roman god, Uranus.

Baku, Azerbaijan: Probably from the Persian words, “bagh” (“God”) and “kuh” (“mount”)

Mashdad, Iran: From the word, “shaheed,” Arabic for “martyr.”

Odense, Denmark: From “Odins vi,” Norse for “Odin’s sanctuary.”

Karbala, Iraq: In Babylonian, this means “nearness of God,” from the Assyrian “karb” (“sacred place”) plus “ali” (“God”).

Religious Place Names

Pernik, Bulgaria: From “Perun,” the name of a Slavic god, plus “nik,” a Slavic suffix carrying the idea of “associated with.”

Kilkeel, Northern Ireland: The Irish name of this town is Cill Chaoil, meaning “church of the narrow place.”

Omagh, Northern Ireland: This is An Omaigh, Irish for “sacred plain.”

Picket Wire, Arizona: This is an English language corruption of “purgatoire,” the French word for Purgatory.

Christmas, Arizona: From the Greek verb, “chriein,” which means “to anoint.”