Names with Goddess origins
One may think that the name Elizabeth is the most English and Western name one could think of. And yet my modest background in Linguistics and instincts whisper that this name has very Arabic and pre-Islamic roots stemming from the goddess Al-Uzza. Goddess Al-Uzza was one of the three goddesses worshiped in pre-Islamic times the other two being Al-Lat and Manat. ‘Beth’ in its turn could be a later addition. In Arabic ‘beit’ means ‘house’ and so House/Home of Al-Uzza could be the origin of today’s Elizabeth (al-Uzza-beit).
Another name Cybil/Seville or Sybil more common in the Orient, as well as the word ‘civil’ all could stem from the Goddess Kybele of Phrygia- Great Mother associated with motherhood, nature, fertility, and agriculture, which later travelled to Greece and Rome as Cybele. The Phrygian version of this name would be Kubileya or Kubeleya, and interestingly enough in today’s Turkey (where Phrygia once was) this name is still used, although mainly for men — Kubilay. The name for the Jewish esoteric teachings ‘Kabbalah’ might as well be related.
Speaking of Kabbalah, in its traditions there is another name — Shekinah, which is the manifestation of the Wisdom Goddess, and the transformed version of which is still used in some parts of the world, as in Armenian feminine name — Shake(h). In Armenian there is another female name Anahit/d, also Goddess name as in Anat, Anahita, which as I’ve learned recently, might be transformed in the ancient Greek-Roman world to Diana (reversed Anahit). Not sure though.
Kore — the other name or title of Greek goddess Persephone, might as well have its roots in more ancient region called Caria/Karia that was east to Phrygia. Whether so or not, yet the roots of the name of Islamic holy book ‘Koran’, as well as the name of Arab tribe ‘Quraysh’, venerating goddess al-Lat, are suggested to be stemming from the same name Kore.
Name Al-Lat itself could be the source for another popular female name — Lilit. Other versions of Al-Lat are Allatu and Alilat, the latter being at the source of the name ‘Lilit’. Biblical teachings mention Lilit as the first wife of Adam, who was placing herself as equal and not subordinate to Adam. That’s why she was replaced by Eve. Interestingly in Taif where Al-Lat was worshiped, she was called ar-Rabba (“The Lady”), which could as well be the origin for Jewish religious teacher Rabbi.
In Arabic there is a word for death that has ‘mot’ in its root. No surprise, in ancient Canaan (today’s Lebanon, Palestine, part of Syria) there was such a deity — ‘Mot’, the ancient Canaanite god of death and the underworld. Some see connection between Mot and Egyptian Goddess Ma’at, who was not the god of death, but rather justice and truth. Yet, Arabic Goddess Manat could be related, as she is know to be the Goddess of time, fate and death.
