Do you know what your name means? My name, Stephen, means ‘crown’ or ‘garland’. As a noun Stephen first appears in Homer’s Iliad. So the name has been in use for at least 2,800 years. In the Acts of the Apostles, chapters 6-7, Stephen became the first Christian to give his life as a martyr for Jesus. That is very special to me, although I’m not sure that’s why my parents chose the name.

In many cultures, names are significant. They are chosen with care or handed down from father to son, from mother to daughter through the generations. In the West people often have no idea what their name means, more a novelty than necessity. Children’s names are often chosen for the sound or rhythm. Sometimes children are named after famous personalities.

Currently, the most popular boys name is Jack (third year running) followed by Oliver, Harry and Charlie. The most popular girl’s names are Olivia, Ruby and Grace. Olivia has been in the top three for three years also. Oliver and Olivia both in the top three? Is that due to the subliminal influence of adverts for a healthy Mediterranean spread? Or the countries favourite pinup – sorry, chef. There may be some truth in that because Jamie’s latest cookbook, 30-Minute Meals, has sold 735,000 copies in the last two months alone- making it the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time, outselling even the Bible.

Read more here stephensizer.com/2010/12/whats-in-a-name-luke-11-25/