What’s in a Name?

Friday, September 12, 2025

The Most Holy Name of Mary

Gal 4:4-7; Lk 1:39-47

The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary invites us to live true to the identity our names carry.

Of the several etymological interpretations available, one interpretation holds that the name ‘Mary’ (Mariam) is a combination of the Egyptian word (Mer or Mar – to love) and the Hebrew Divine name (Yam or YHWH) to denote ‘One loving YHWH’ or ‘One beloved by YHWH.’

In my view, both meanings truly reflect who Mary was. 

We must also note that one important biblical theme is name or naming. For instance, in Genesis, we read that God wishes Adam to name animals and birds and that is one of the first jobs that God gives Adam. ‘The Lord God brought all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name’ (Gen 2:19). Similarly, while the name Adam (Gen 2:19) refers to ‘man’ or ‘humanity,’ Adam names his wife Eve (Gen 3:20). 

Thus, a look at Mary’s name and the names of the first people in the Bible reveals that biblically, a name is more than mere identity. Names reveal a purpose. They have meaning. They have power. 

This is why a feast like the celebration of the Holy Name of Mary becomes more significant, because she shows what it is to possess a name and what responsibility it carries. 

1. Mary lived up to her name. She was the beloved of God who sent her the following greetings through His angel Gabriel: ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you’ (Lk 1:28). Hence, loving God and being known as God’s beloved comes with a huge responsibility because our lives should match the weight of the name we carry. 

2. Mary became the hope of her generation. The recognition of hope that Mary’s name carries comes from the mouth of her elderly cousin Elizabeth, who exclaims, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!…Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her’ (Lk 1: 42-45). Mary was not only blessed among women but became a blessing to all. 

3. The name Mary is also the pride of our faith. Since we find in Mary a worthy model of Christian discipleship, we all believe that by following her example, we will reach Jesus. This is why we hold that we go ‘Through Mary to Jesus.’ She not only bore Jesus but also was her first and faithful disciple. Her discipleship is the best example that she lived up to her name. Hence, Mary invites us to imitate her example. 

‘What is in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet’ are famous lines from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This quote is used to argue that a name is merely a label with no inherent value and the intrinsic quality of something is not changed by its name. 

However, looking at Mary’s name and our own names, we know that names are not mere identifiers but have the power to lead us to who we want to be and become and how we would like to be remembered. 

As we know, some names have revolutionized human history. Some of them have shocked us. But there are others that have inspired us. 

The name ‘Mary’ means a lot to Christians thanks to the fact that she became the meaning and message of her name. 

Looking at the name Mary and its relevance to Christian life, we cannot ask, ‘What is in a name?’ There is quite a lot. In fact, the name is everything. 

Let us pray that we may rise up to the name we bear and be truthful about the meaning and the message our names carry. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar