Why are biblical names like John and Paul not commonly used in the region now?

[tribdog]

If names like John and Paul etc are considered biblical names how come no one who lives in that region now has those names?

 

[lisab]

Just a guess...but I think the names have been "Westernized."

 

[arildno]

If names like John and Paul etc are considered biblical names how come no one who lives in that region now has those names?

psst..ooh no, I can't say anything negative about the practitioners of the religion of pieces, can I?
That would be antimulticulturalistic.

 

[tribdog]

So if the names have been westernized how are they still biblical names? Names shouldn't be translated as far as I'm concerned. Ever since I met a girl named Lasagna, I realized it doesn't matter what your name is and however you pronounce your name is the right way.

 

[TVP45]

Are you by chance reading an English translation? Remember you're talking about Jews; look up the names in Hebrew. Paul for example is (I can't do all the accent marks, so this isn't quite right) Sa' ul.

 

[lisab]

So if the names have been westernized how are they still biblical names? Names shouldn't be translated as far as I'm concerned. Ever since I met a girl named Lasagna, I realized it doesn't matter what your name is and however you pronounce your name is the right way.

But if you're trying to sell a religion to a new culture, you want it to seem friendly and comfortable, not foreign. That's partly why early Christianity adopted Pagan holidays (Christmas = soltice, Easter = equinox, Halloween = harvest, etc.).

I doubt people would abandon their religion to follow a new one, if it meant worshiping a goddess named Lasagna... .

 

[mgb_phys]

Are you by chance reading an English translation? Remember you're talking about Jews; look up the names in Hebrew. Paul for example is (I can't do all the accent marks, so this isn't quite right) Sa' ul.

But Saul was his name when he was a bad (=Jewish) person, when he became a good (=Latin) person his name was Paul.
That's how you can tell bad people - they have names that are different!

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

If names like John and Paul etc are considered biblical names how come no one who lives in that region now has those names?

Are you saying that the English equivalent of a Biblical name is not itself a Biblical name? That 's rather pedantic don't you think? Would you say that an English translation of the Bible is not a Bible?

John is the English equivalent of the Biblical name Yochanon which is still in use today, in that region and others.
Paul is a Latin name. I'm not sure if he called himself Paul, or Paulus. Paulus apparently was a Latin family name. It has no equivalent in Biblical Hebrew or Greek, but the Greek Bible transliterates the name. It is still in use today in that region and others.

 

[f95toli]

So if the names have been westernized how are they still biblical names? Names shouldn't be translated as far as I'm concerned. Ever since I met a girl named Lasagna, I realized it doesn't matter what your name is and however you pronounce your name is the right way.

There are many different "versions" of those names. When the bible was translated to new languages they also translated the names.
E.g. John=Johannes in Swedish (including in the Swedish bible)
Paul=Paulus (i.e. from latin)
Mark=Markus
and so on...

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

That's just because the Jewish people have been living all over the planet since they were exiled by the Romans after they're revolt in the 1st century AD. Of course your names are going to be different according to where you migrated, but to be frank they still have Biblical names anyway.

 

[EL]

There are many different "versions" of those names. When the bible was translated to new languages they also translated the names.
E.g. John=Johannes in Swedish (including in the Swedish bible)
Paul=Paulus (i.e. from latin)
Mark=Markus
and so on...

Yeap, and Jesus was translated into Peter Forsberg...

 

[VashtiMaiden]

But Saul was his name when he was a bad (=Jewish) person, when he became a good (=Latin) person his name was Paul.
That's how you can tell bad people - they have names that are different!

I think it is "lost sinner" not "bad people"...

 

[TVP45]

But Saul was his name when he was a bad (=Jewish) person, when he became a good (=Latin) person his name was Paul.
That's how you can tell bad people - they have names that are different!

Strange words from someone whose name was Bugatti55_phys before he Anglicized it.

 

[mgb_phys]

I think it is "lost sinner" not "bad people"...

"lost sinner" / "heretic who must be killed" = ToMAHto / ToMAYto

Strange words from someone whose name was Bugatti55_phys before he Anglicized it

Took me a few seconds - but brilliant!

 

[Art]

Let Google be your friend http://www.behindthename.com/

 

[BobG]

Yeap, and Jesus was translated into Peter Forsberg...

Well, that explains the bumper sticker popular back in the 70's: "Jesus saves! ... but Esposito scores on the rebound!"

Considering Forsberg isn't even a goalie and was probably an infant back then, I'm more impressed he made the first save than with Esposito scoring on the rebound.

 

[arunma]

If names like John and Paul etc are considered biblical names how come no one who lives in that region now has those names?

As per my understanding, they do. A lot of Eastern Christians have Greek names which (I would imagine) are identical to the Biblical versions. I've met Easterners with some pretty crazy names, Athanasios being the most funny one yet. This guy was most likely named after St. Athanasius, who is famous for defending the church from the Arian heresy.

Anyway, Paul is a Roman name, so I doubt you'll find many Pauls today who weren't named from the Bible. But Paul's Hebrew name, Saul, is still used by many Jews. I've also heard of people named Yochanan, which is the Hebrew equivalent of John. So there are people in the area with these names.

 

[mgb_phys]

I think some guy called Yeshu/Yeshua/Yehoshua is also big in the bible (sorry this doesn't seem to render the hebrew fonts)