Discover evocative Phoenician names that capture the spirit of the ancient Mediterranean world and bring authenticity to your characters and stories.
What we know of ancient Phoenician naming practices mostly comes from studying inscriptions, so we have a limited idea of how names might have been used in a day-to-day context. The written Phoenician alphabet also originally included just the consonants, so academics have had to make educated guesses about vowel usage and pronunciation.
What we know is that composite names were common. These included multiple elements chosen to create a name with a particular meaning.
Names could also be theophoric. This means they referenced a god, either by name or with a reference to them. It’s thought that this could be to show devotion, to show that person had that god’s favor, and/or to evoke that god’s protection.
Here are examples inspired by known historical, linguistic, and cultural patterns of ancient Phoenicia:
Hiram Abdeshmun
Astarte Hanniba‘al
Paltibaal Mattan
Elissa Batnoam
Abdmelqart Bodashtart
Yehomilk Tabnit
Amlaqtu Adoniram
Sapanbaal Yatonmilk
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