Christian Pure
Names and Their Biblical Meanings223 articles

Dominic Is Not in the Bible — but It Means “Of the Lord”

Christian Pure Team

·

Published

·

Updated

Summary

  • Dominic is not in the Bible, but it is the Late Latin Dominicus, “of the Lord” — and Dominus is the word Western Bibles use for Lord.
  • It was traditionally given to children born on Sunday, because Sunday in Latin is dies dominica, the Lord’s day. The name and the day are the same word.
  • Several saints carried it, most famously the thirteenth-century founder of the Dominicans, in whose honour it entered England.
  • The phrase “of the Lord” is everywhere in Scripture, and once it is a young woman describing herself: “I am the Lord’s servant” (Luke 1:38) — ecce ancilla Domini.
  • Mary does not claim to understand. She says whose she is.

Dominic is not in the Bible, but it comes closer than almost any name on this site. It is the Late Latin Dominicus, and it means of the Lord. Traditionally it was given to children born on a Sunday — because Sunday, in Latin, is dies dominica, the Lord’s day. The name and the day are the same word. What does the name Dominic mean? Of the Lord. Belonging to him. Dominus is the Latin word our older Bibles use…

Continue reading with a subscription

Get unlimited access to all our premium content and exclusive features.

Subscribe now

Enjoy unlimited access, cancel anytime.

Bibliography (Click to show)

Sources: Behind the Name entry for Dominic (Late Latin Dominicus, “of the Lord”; traditionally given to children born on Sunday; the thirteenth-century founder of the Dominican order); Scripture quotation from the NIV via BibleGateway (Luke 1:38); the Latin dies dominica survives in domenica, domingo and dimanche.

Responses

Leave a Reply

RedditWhatsApp
Share to...
CopyLinkedInMastodonPinterestPrintRedditSMSThreadsWhatsAppBlueskyVK