ⲣⲁⲛ
Names given to children today whose roots are Egyptian-Coptic or Greek-Egyptian. We show the documented meaning and our confidence level — some popular folk etymologies have no scholarly basis.
16 names
Ⲙⲏⲛⲁⲥ
/Mēnas/
Given in honor of Saint Menas; the name's deeper origin (Egyptian or Greek) is left open by scholars.
Saint Menas of Mareotis, martyred around the turn of the fourth century, became one of Egypt's most venerated saints; his pilgrimage center near Alexandria drew travelers from across the Mediterranean.
venerated from the 4th century onward
Ⲁⲃⲁⲛⲟⲩⲃ
/Abanoub/
'Father of gold' — from aba- 'father of' + noub 'gold'; a formation of clearly native Coptic material.
Saint Abanoub of Nehisa, a young martyr of the Diocletianic persecution, is among the most beloved child saints of the Coptic Church.
early 4th century (traditional)
Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ
/Petros/
From Greek Petros, 'rock' — the apostle Peter. Entered Coptic directly and remains extremely common.
Ⲧⲁⲇⲣⲟⲥ
/Tadros/
Coptic pronunciation of Greek Theōdoros, 'gift of God'.
Borne by several warrior-saints of the Coptic calendar, including Theodore the Oriental (Tadros al-Mishriqi).
Ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ
/Geōrgios/
From Greek Geōrgios, 'farmer' (from gē 'earth' + ergon 'work').
Saint George the Dragon-Slayer, whose cult became immensely popular in Egypt; countless churches and personal names carry it.
Ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ
/Michaēl/
Hebrew mi-ka-El, 'who is like God?' — the archangel's name, ubiquitous among Copts.
Ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ
/Iōhannēs/
Via Greek Iōannēs from Hebrew Yohanan, 'God is gracious'.
Ⲓⲟⲥⲏⲫ
/Iosēph/
Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add' — borne by the patriarch Joseph and the earthly father of Jesus.
Ⲁⲡⲓϣⲟⲓ
/Apishoi/
Commonly analyzed as pi-shoi, 'the elevated one', though the root's exact sense is not fully settled.
Saint Bishoy of Scetis, called 'the beloved of Christ', one of the founding monks of Wadi al-Natrun.
c. 320 – 417 CE (traditional)
Ϣⲉⲛⲟⲩϯ
/Shenouti/
An ancient Egyptian personal name; the popular reading 'son of God' has no firm linguistic basis and should be treated as folklore.
The great abbot of the White Monastery (see People), Egypt's most important ancient author in any language.
c. 348 – 465 CE
Ⲡⲁϧⲱⲙ
/Pakhōm/
A native Egyptian formation beginning with pa-, 'the one of…'; the second element's meaning remains uncertain.
Founder of communal monasticism at Tabennisi (see People).
c. 292 – 346 CE
Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲙⲏⲛⲁ
/Marimēna/
Ultimately from Latin marinus, 'of the sea', through Greek; Copts often use the fuller Marimina after the saint-monk Marina.
Saint Marina (Marimena), who lived disguised as a monk in her father's monastery, is among the most beloved female saints; her monastery in the Delta bears her name.
Ⲇⲏⲙⲓⲁⲛⲁ
/Dēmiana/
Form uncertain; possibly related to the Greek name family of Damianos/Damia, but no derivation can be stated firmly.
Saint Demiana, virgin martyr of the northern Delta (see People), whose convent remains a major pilgrimage site.
late 3rd – early 4th century (traditional)
—
The everyday honorific Mari- ('my lord') placed before a saint's name; used for both men and women in modern naming practice. The prefix's deeper etymology is discussed among scholars but not settled.
Ⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁ
/Sophia/
Greek sophia, 'wisdom'.
Ⲭⲣⲏⲥⲧⲓⲛⲏ
/Khrēstinē/
From Greek christianos, 'Christian' — literally 'the Christian woman'.
