Christian Christian Names: Baby Names inspired by the Bible and the Saints. Martin Manser

346 and ultimately bishop of the city. A gentle man by nature, he faced sustained opposition from the supporters of the Arian heresy almost throughout his bishopric. He was forced into exile three times by the advocates of Arianism and in all spent some 16 of his 37 years as bishop absent from his see. In 381 he took part in the Council of Constantinople, which finally brought an end to the Arian heresy and ensured that the final years of his bishopric were relatively peaceful.

      Also Cyril and Methodius, two Slav missionaries (828–809 and c.815–884). Cyril (born Constantine) and Methodius were two brothers born in Salonika who were ordained as priests in Thessalonica and later moved to Constantinople. Around 863 they were sent to Moravia to spread the gospel. Being speakers of the Slavic language they enjoyed great success but also incurred the enmity of rival German missionaries. Cyril died while the brothers were on a visit to Rome in 869. Methodius, meanwhile, was consecrated bishop by the pope, but on his return to Moravia was imprisoned at the will of hostile German bishops. He was released two years later and continued his missionary work until 879, when he was obliged to go to Rome to respond to the criticisms of his enemies. He was confirmed in the post of archbishop of Sirmium (Pannonia) and Moravia and on his return introduced the celebration of the liturgy in the Slavonic language.

      Known as the ‘apostles of the Slavs’, the two brothers are remembered chiefly for compiling an early version of what became the Cyrillic alphabet and using it to translate the Bible, so establishing their claim to be the fathers of Slavonic literature. Today they are honoured, alongside St Benedict, as the patron saints of Europe.

      Cyrus (m)

      [SY-ruhs] from Persian Kurush, meaning ‘sun’ or ‘throne’.

      King Cyrus the Great, a Persian emperor (549–530 BC) who is best known in the Bible for conquering Babylon and allowing the Jewish exiles to return home (Ezra 1:1–4). This latter policy is confirmed by the ‘Cyrus cylinder’, which shows that it was applied to many subject peoples.

      Damaris (f)

      [DAM-uh-ris] probably from Greek, meaning ‘calf’.

      The name of a woman in Athens converted under the ministry of the apostle Paul (Acts 17:34). Since she is mentioned specifically, she may have been a woman of prominence.

      Damian (m)

      [DAME-ee-uhn] ultimately from Greek, meaning ‘to tame’.

      Damian, Syrian martyr (died c.303). Little is known of his life beyond the tradition that he, with his twin brother Cosmas, was martyred for the faith at Cyrrhus in Syria. They became the focus of a cult from the fifth century onwards, the legend being embellished with such details as their performing numerous extraordinary miracles and being nicknamed ‘the Moneyless Ones’ because they never requested payment for their services. Today they are honoured as the patron saints of physicians, surgeons and barbers.

      Also the name of the Belgian missionary Damien de Veuster (1840–89), who left his native Belgium in 1873 after volunteering to work in Hawaii, where an epidemic of leprosy had erupted some eight years before. Sometimes called Damien the Leper, he worked to improve the miserable conditions in which lepers lived in isolation, organising them into groups to do useful work in the community and generally improving facilities in the colony. He went to Hawaii with a sense that he too might die of the disease and in fact he finally contracted leprosy himself after 16 years’ tireless effort of helping lepers.

      Variant: Damien.

      Dan (m)

      [dan] from Hebrew, meaning ‘judge’.

      The name is now considered a diminutive form of Daniel but is sometimes used as a name in its own right. The fifth son of Jacob (Genesis 30:3–6). His mother was Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, and he is the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. When Jacob was dying, Jacob blessed his sons and he said Dan would ‘provide justice for his people’ (Genesis 49:16). One of his descendants was Samson, who was a judge (Judges 13).