Names in the Book of Mormon

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Names in the Book of Mormon

Summary: Many Book of Mormon names are not found in the Bible, and were unknown to Joseph Smith. Yet, these names have meaning in ancient languages and/or have been found as actual names from ancient history. These "hits" provide additional evidence that the Book of Mormon is indeed an ancient record.


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Many Book of Mormon names are not found in the Bible, and were unknown to Joseph Smith

It is claimed that some Book of Mormon names are used improperly or in an inappropriate context. Examples include:

  • using "Alma" as a man's name, rather than a woman's name
  • using names of Greek origin, such as "Timothy"

Many other examples of authentic ancient names that would have been unknown to Joseph Smith—or anyone else—are discussed below.

Many Book of Mormon names are not found in the Bible, and were unknown to Joseph Smith. Yet, these names have meaning in ancient languages and/or have been found as actual names from ancient history. These "hits" provide additional evidence that the Book of Mormon is indeed an ancient record.

Examples of authentic ancient Book of Mormon names

A

B

C


G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

P

R

S

T

Z

Less well supported examples

Linguistics is a complex subject, and it is all too common for zealous but mistaken defenders of the Church to use parallels in names or language which cannot be sustained. Since most Church members have no training in ancient American languages, evaluating such claims can be difficult.

Mesoamerican scholars consulted by FAIR have recommended that the following sources, while superficially persuasive, should be used with caution (if at all):

  • Bruce W. Warren, "Surviving Jaredite Names in Mesoamerica," Meridian Magazine (26 May 2005)off-site; citing Blaine M. Yorgason, Bruce W. Warren, and Harold Brown. New Evidences of Christ in Ancient America (Stratford Books, Inc. and Book of Mormon Research Foundation: Provo, 1999), 17–22. ISBN 0929753011. Some material in this book is less well supported. Consult: Andrew J. McDonald, "New Evidences for Old?: Buyer Beware (Review of: Evidences of Christ in Ancient America)," FARMS Review of Books 12/2 (2000): 101–118. off-site
  • Bruce W. Warren, "'Kish'—A personal Name" Meridian Magazine (17 February 2005)off-site; citing Blaine M. Yorgason, Bruce W. Warren, and Harold Brown. New Evidences of Christ in Ancient America (Stratford Books, Inc. and Book of Mormon Research Foundation: Provo, 1999), 19–22. ISBN 0929753011. Some material in this book is less well supported. Consult: Andrew J. McDonald, "New Evidences for Old?: Buyer Beware (Review of: Evidences of Christ in Ancient America)," FARMS Review of Books 12/2 (2000): 101–118. off-site

These comments are not intended to disparage the individuals involved, but to encourage rigor and restraint in claims made. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks cautioned, "When attacked by error, truth is better served by silence than by a bad argument."[5]

Learn more about Book of Mormon names:
Key sources
  • Stephen Ricks, "Origin of Book of Mormon Names," Proceedings of the 2010 FAIR Conference (August 2010). link
Wiki links
FAIR links
  • Matthew Bowen, "'Semitic Semiotics: The Symbolic, Prophetic, and Narratological Power of Names in Ancient Scripture'," Proceedings of the 2017 FAIR Conference (August 2017). link
Online
  • John A. Tvedtnes, "What's in a Name? A Look at the Book of Mormon Onomasticon (Review of I Know Thee by Name: Hebrew Roots of Lehi-ite Non-Biblical Names in the Book of Mormon)," FARMS Review of Books 8/2 (1996): 34–42. off-site
  • Gordon C. Thomasson, "'What's in a Name? Book of Mormon Language, Names, and [Metonymic] Naming'," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 3/1 (1994). [1–27] link
  • Stephen D. Ricks and John A. Tvedtnes, "The Hebrew Origin of Some Book of Mormon Place Names," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6/2 (1997). [255–259] link
  • "John A. Tvedtnes, John Gee, Matthew Roper", "Book of Mormon Names Attested in Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/1 (2000). [40–51] link
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "What's in a Name?," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998). [78–] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'And There Wrestled a Man with Him' (Genesis 32:24): Enos's Adaptations of the Onomastic Wordplay of Genesis," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 10/7 (30 May 2014). [151–160] link
  • Kevin L. Barney, "What's in a Name? Playing in the Onomastic Sandbox," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 29/16 (3 August 2018). [251–272] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Alma — Young Man, Hidden Prophet," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 19/13 (22 April 2016). [343–354] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'And the Meek Also Shall Increase': The Verb y?sap in Isaiah 29 and Nephi's Prophetic Allusions to the Name Joseph in 2 Nephi 25–30," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 30/2 (7 September 2018). [5–42] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'And There Wrestled a Man with Him' (Genesis 32:24): Enos's Adaptations of the Onomastic Wordplay of Genesis," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 10/7 (30 May 2014). [151–160] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Becoming Men and Women of Understanding: Wordplay on Benjamin — An Addendum," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 36/12 (24 April 2020). [239–280] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Behold, He Was a Man Like unto Ammon': Mormon's Use of ?mn-related Terminology in Praise of Moroni in Alma 48," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 58/9 (29 September 2023). [223–242] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Coming Down and Bringing Down: Pejorative Onomastic Allusions to the Jaredites in Helaman 6:25, 6:38, and Ether 2:11," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 42/11 (12 February 2021). [397–410] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Father Is a Man: The Remarkable Mention of the Name Abish in Alma 19:16 and Its Narrative Context," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 14/5 (6 February 2015). [77–94] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'God Hath Taken Away His Plainness': Some Notes on Jacob 4:14, Revelation, Canon, Covenant, and Law," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 39/5 (28 August 2020). [81–102] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'He Did Go About Secretly': Additional Thoughts on the Literary Use of Alma's Name," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 27/12 (24 November 2017). [197–212] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'He Is a Good Man': The Fulfillment of Helaman 5:6-7 in Helaman 8:7 and 11:18-19," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 17/9 (6 November 2015). [165–170] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "He Knows My Affliction: The Hill Onidah as Narrative Counterpart to the Rameumptom," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 34/13 (27 December 2019). [195–220] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'I Kneeled Down Before My Maker': Allusions to Esau in the Book of Enos," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 27/2 (22 September 2017). [29–56] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'I of Myself Am a Wicked Man': Some Notes on Allusion and Textual Dependency in Omni 1:1-2," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 40/4 (9 October 2020). [71–88] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'I Will Deliver Thy Sons': An Onomastic Approach to Three Iterations of an Oracle to Mosiah II (Mosiah 28:7; Alma 17:35, 19:23)," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 41/14 (18 December 2020). [241–256] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'If Ye Believe on His Name': Wordplay on the Name Samuel in Helaman 14:2, 12–13 and 3 Nephi 23:9 and the Doctrine of Christ in Samuel's Speech," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 46/4 (2 July 2021). [49–76] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'If Ye Will Hearken': Lehi's Rhetorical Wordplay on Ishmael in 2 Nephi 1:28–29 and Its Implications," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 25/8 (19 May 2017). [157–190] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Jacob's Protector," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 27/16 (15 December 2017). [229–256] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Messengers of the Covenant: Mormon's Doctrinal Use of Malachi 3:1 in Moroni 7:29–32," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 31/5 (1 February 2019). [111–138] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Most Desirable Above All Things': Onomastic Play on Mary and Mormon in the Book of Mormon," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 13/4 (21 November 2014). [27–62] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'My People Are Willing': The Mention of Aminadab in the Narrative Context of Helaman 5-6," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 19/6 (18 March 2016). [109–144] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Nephi's Good Inclusio," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 17/12 (20 November 2015). [181–196] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'O Ye Fair Ones' — Revisited," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 20/11 (23 June 2016). [315–344] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Onomastic Wordplay on Joseph and Benjamin and Gezera Shawa in the Book of Mormon," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 18/14 (19 February 2016). [233–254] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Possess the Land in Peace': Zeniff's Ironic Wordplay on Shilom," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 28/6 (9 February 2018). [115–120] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Putting Down the Priests: A Note on Royal Evaluations, (w?)hišbît, and Priestly Purges in 2 Kings 23:5 and Mosiah 11:5," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 51/4 (22 April 2022). [105–114] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'See That Ye Are Not Lifted Up': The Name Zoram and Its Paronomastic Pejoration," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 19/5 (18 March 2016). [83–108] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "Shazer: An Etymological Proposal in Narrative Context," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 33/1 (12 July 2019). [1–12] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Swearing by Their Everlasting Maker': Some Notes on Paanchi and Giddianhi," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 28/9 (2 March 2018). [155–170] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'That They Might Come Again unto the Remnant of the House of Jacob': Onomastic Allusions to Joseph in 3 Nephi 26:8–10 and 4 Nephi 1:49," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 55/8 (17 March 2023). [279–296] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'That Which They Most Desired': The Waters of Mormon, Baptism, the Love of God, and the Bitter Fountain," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 39/10 (11 September 2020). [261–298] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'The Lord God Will Proceed': Nephi's Wordplay in 1 Nephi 22:8–12 and the Abrahamic Covenant," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 50/3 (21 January 2022). [51–70] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'The Messiah Will Set Himself Again': Jacob's Use of Isaiah 11:11 in 2 Nephi 6:14 and Jacob 6:2," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 44/8 (16 April 2021). [287–306] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "The Scalp of Your Head: Polysemy in Alma 44:14–18," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 20/4 (27 May 2016). [39–46] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Their Anger Did Increase Against Me': Nephi's Autobiographical Permutation of a Biblical Wordplay on the Name Joseph," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 23/6 (30 December 2016). [115–136] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'They Shall No More Be Confounded': Moroni's Wordplay on Joseph in Ether 13:1-13 and Moroni 10:31," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 30/8 (12 October 2018). [91–104] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'They Were Moved with Compassion' (Alma 27:4; 53:13): Toponymic Wordplay on Zarahemla and Jershon," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 18/15 (19 February 2016). [255–274] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'This Son Shall Comfort Us': An Onomastic Tale of Two Noahs," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 23/11 (3 February 2017). [263–298] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'Upon the Wings of His Spirit': A Note on Hebrew rûa? and 2 Nephi 4:25," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 58/2 (18 August 2023). [19–32] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'We Are a Remnant of the Seed of Joseph': Moroni's Interpretive Use of Joseph's Coat and the Martial n?s-Imagery of Isaiah 11:11–12," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 41/9 (4 December 2020). [169–192] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'We Might Have Enjoyed Our Possessions and the Land of Our Inheritance': Hebrew yrš and 1 Nephi 17:21," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 50/8 (18 February 2022). [123–144] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen, "'What Thank They the Jews'? (2 Nephi 29:4): A Note on the Name 'Judah' and Antisemitism," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 12/6 (26 September 2014). [111–126] link
  • Amanda Colleen Brown-Mather, "Toward a Deeper Understanding: How Onomastic Wordplay Aids Understanding Scripture," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 29/15 (3 August 2018). [247–250] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen and Pedro Olavarria, "Place of Crushing: The Literary Function of Heshlon in Ether 13:25-31," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 14/12 (20 March 2015). [227–240] link
  • Matthew L. Bowen and Loren Blake Spendlove, "'Thou Art the Fruit of My Loins': The Interrelated Symbolism and Meanings of the Names Joseph and Ephraim in Ancient Scripture," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 28/16 (13 April 2018). [273–298] link
  • Lyle H. Hamblin, "Proper Names and Political Claims: Semitic Echoes as Foundations for Claims to the Nephite Throne," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 60/11 (1 March 2024). [409–444] link
  • Paul Y. Hoskisson, "'Rise Up, O Light of the Lord': An Appropriate and Defensible Etymology for Cumorah," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 60/7 (9 February 2024). [239–252] link
  • Stephen D. Ricks, "A Nickname and a Slam Dunk: Notes on the Book of Mormon Names Zeezrom and Jershon," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 8/14 (31 January 2014). [191–194] link
  • Stephen D. Ricks, "Proper Names from the Small Plates: Some Notes on the Personal Names Zoram, Jarom, Omni, and Mosiah," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 41/13 (14 December 2020). [233–240] link
  • Stephen D. Ricks, "Some Notes on Book of Mormon Names," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 4/8 (19 April 2013). [155–160] link
  • Brad Wilcox, Wendy Baker-Smemoe, Bruce L. Brown, and Sharon Black, "Comparing Book of Mormon Names with Those Found in J.R.R. Tolkien's Works: An Exploratory Study," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 30/9 (19 October 2018). [105–124] link}
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Notes

  1. ↑ La Roy Sunderland, “Mormonism,” Zion’s Watchman (New York) 3, no. 6 (10 February 1838). off-site
  2. ↑ La Roy Sunderland, “Mormonism,” Zion’s Watchman (New York) 3, no. 6 (10 February 1838). off-site
  3. ↑ La Roy Sunderland, “Mormonism,” Zion’s Watchman (New York) 3, no. 6 (10 February 1838). off-site
  4. ↑ Origen Bachelor, Mormonism Exposed Internally and Externally (New York: Privately Published, 1838), 10. off-site; La Roy Sunderland, “Mormonism,” Zion’s Watchman (New York) 3, no. 6 (10 February 1838). off-site
  5. ↑ Dallin H. Oaks, "Alternative Voices," Ensign (May 1989): 27.
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