Given Name Jasper

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Dutch, Judeo-Christen Legend

Pronounced: Jas-pƏr (English), Yahs-pƏr (Dutch)

Meaning and History:

Means “treasurer” in Persian.  This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus.  It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages.  The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.[1]

Related names:

Casper, Kasper (Dutch), Casper, Gaspar (Judeo-Christian Legend)

Diminutive: Cas (Dutch)

Popularity:

In the United States it’s ranked 209, in England and Wales it has risen to 98.

Jasper’s in my family:

• Jasper JOHNSON; spouse of Sally CLARK
• Jasper Alexander WILBUR; son of Charles Delaittre and Calista Wilton (SCAMMON) WILBUR

[1] www.behindthename.com

 

Given name Nina

Given Name Nina

Nina has many different meanings and histories.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Russian, Italian, English, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, and Serbian.

Pronounced: N^yEE-nƏ (Russian) NEE-na (Italian, German) Nee-nƏ (English), NEE-NA (French), NEE-nah (Finnish), N^yEE-na

Meaning and history: short form of names that end in nina, such as Antonina or Giannina.  It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19^th century.  This name also coincides with the Spanish work niña meaning “little girl”.

Related names (short list): Nena, Ninette, Tajuana, Antonia, Jone, Joanna, Ionna, Johanna, Hanna, Janina, Ivana, Jovana, Hehanne, Juanita, Yana, Siwan

The popularity of the name has dropped to #309 in the United States but in France and Switzerland it’s risen in the past few years with Switzerland being the #7 name.

Nina’s I’m related to:

• Nina BANKS; daughter of Jonas and Naomi (JOHNSON) BANKS.
• Nina Winifred BRYAN; daughter of Lancelotte Harmon and Mary Frances (HILLER) BRYAN
• Nina L. DEVERAUX; daughter of Joseph and Amanda (ABBOT) DEVERAUX.
• Nina E. EVANS; wife to Philip W. JORDAN
• Nina Gladys GOODNOW; daughter of Frank Leslie and Samantha Johnson (MASON) GOODNOW.
• Nina R. JELLISON; daughter of Eugene H. and Florence Fuller (OAKS) JELLISON; wife of William F. Graham.
• Nina Hazel PAGE; daughter of Ralph G. and Linnie V. (ABBOT) PAGE.
• Nina Mae SAWYER; daughter of Asa Samuel and Julianna A. (AMES) SAWYER.
• Nina Rosetta SPRINGER; wife of Harvey E. COLBY.

Elkanah

Gender: masculine

Usage: Biblical, Biblical Hebrew

Pronounced: el-KAYN-Ə

Meaning and History:  means “God has purchased” in Hebrew.  In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Samuel. Exodus 6:24; 1 Samuel 1:1; 1 Corinthians 6:25-26, 9:16, 12:6, 15:23; 2 Corinthians 28:7

Related names: Elkan (Hebrew)

Feminine form: Elke

Famous Elkanah’s

Elkanah Settle (1648-1724) English poet and playwright

Elkanah Billings (1820-1876) Canada’s first paleontologist

Elkanah Watson (1758-1842) American writer, agriculturalist and canal promoter

Elkanah Angwenyi (1983) Kenyan 1500m runner

Elkanah Armitage (1794-1876) British industrialist and Liberal politician

Elkanah Greer (1825-1877) American cotton planter and general

Elkanah Young (1804-1876) Nova Scotia merchant and politician

Elkanah Onyeali (died 2008) Nigerian footballer

Elkanah Tisdale (1768-1835) American engraver and cartoonist

Elkanah Kelsey Dare (1782-1826) American hymn composer

 

Elkanah’s related to me

Elkanah Dyer (1759-1820) private in Captain Joshua Jordan’s Company-Revolutionary War

Elkanah S. Smith (1803-1868) of Maine and Massachusetts

Name of the week: Keturah

Gender: feminine

Usage: Biblical

Pronounced: ki-TOOR-Ə (English), kee-TYOOR-Ə (English) keh-too-rah (Hebrew)

Nicknames: Ketura, Katura, Katie, and Tori

Meanings and history: means “incense” in Hebrew.  In the Old Testament she is Abraham’s wife after Sarah dies. (Genesis 25:1) She bore Abraham six sons.

When looking at baby name lists, this name comes up under Colonial Names for Girls and Unusual Biblical Baby Names.

Some famous Keturah’s

• Keturah ORJI – American triple jumper
• Keturah “Katie” ANDERSON – Canadian hurdler
• Keturah Moss Leitch TAYLOR – American settler in Kentucky, wife of Quartermaster General James Taylor
• Keturah KAMUGASA – Ugandan journalist
• Keturah STRONG – daughter of Selah and Anna Strong

Keturah’s I’m related to:

• Keturah Fairbanks NORRIS born 3 December 1807 in Monmouth, Kennebec, Maine; wife of Ebenezer Coolbroth MILLIKEN.
• Keturah RAWLINS born about 1695 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts; daughter of Benjamin and Eunice (MORSE) RAWLINS; wife of Joseph ALCOCK; mother of Joseph and Benjamin ALCOCK.