Why did we name our children the way we did? I’m basically reposting this to our blog – it was a page on our website that we added around the time when our children were born. I came across it when preparing for Hannah and Nathanael’s birthday parties. So here it is!
More than a name…
Nathanael William
Nathanael: (Hebrew) Given by God. This name reminds us that our son truly was given to us by God. Probably the most well known Nathanael is Jesus’ disciple (probably the same man as Bartholomew, Bartholomew being like a last name). A skeptic at first, Nathanael was willing to investigate the truth honestly, and he became a follower of Christ. Jesus described him as “without guile”; he was not a person to use crafty or deceitful manipulation. A native of Cana in Israel, tradition tells us that he became a missionary to the east, possibly to areas such as modern day Yemen and Armenia. It is believed that he was martyred for his faith.
William: (Germanic) The name William comes from the words that mean “desire” and “helmet”, and so William is often interpreted as resolute protector. The name is also reminiscent of Ephesians 6:17, a verse that talks about the helmet of Salvation, pointing to our Ultimate Protector. Isaiah 59 talks about God’s helmet of salvation, and His determination to fight dishonesty and injustice, an interesting blend of the concepts in the names Nathanael and William.
Family… We’re not aware of many relatives using the biblical spelling of Nathanael, although there are some with the alternate spelling, such as Nathanael’s 1st cousin 4 times removed, Nathaniel Winger.
The name William is very much a family name. Nathanael’s grandfather is Robert Edward William Cottrill, and there are at least 4 generations of Cottrill ancestors before that with either the first or second name of William (we have yet to find out how far back). In the previous 5 generations before Nathanael on Jim’s side there are 8 Williams, including William Armour (great great grandfather), William Young (great great grandfather), and William Parkes (great great great grandfather). Nathanael’s great great grandfather William E. Cottrill brought his family from England to Canada in 1910.
Hannah Kadence
Hannah: (Hebrew) Favour or grace. This name speaks of God’s special gifts to us, one being Hannah herself! Hannah was also a woman spoken of in the Bible (see 1Samuel 1 and 2); a woman of prayer, poetry and prophecy who prayed for a son and then gave him completely to God. Our Hannah has been given back to the Lord as well, and we know she’s in good hands.
Note: Hannah is spelled the same backwards and forwards, which is appropriate since she was ‘breech’ and so started life ‘backwards’. (;
Kadence: (Latin) A cadence in music is the rhythmic flow of the song, and also the final two chords which ‘fall’ to resolve the end of the song, such as the final ‘Amen’ in a hymn. Spelling cadence with a ‘k’ is poetic license! Life itself has been called a poem written by God. There is a rhythm to everyone’s life, and we know that God will bring about a completion and resolution to it all. We hope that the ups and downs of life will be seen from the eyes of one who knows the Composer, and so sees meaning in it all.
Family… Originally we thought the name Hannah would be a bit of a tribute to all the many Anns, Annes, and Annies on both sides of the family (knowing that Hannah is equivalent to Ana in Spanish). We discovered later that Hannah’s 8th great grandmother, Hannah Wenger, was the first on that side of the family to come to the “new world” from Switzerland in 1749, along with her two sons. Hannah also has a first cousin, five times removed named Hannah Johnston.
Shari Lynn
Shari: This name has two possible relations. First, to the French name Cherie, which means dear or darling. It is also a form of Sharon, taken from the plain in the land of Palestine. The place was known for it’s beauty. The reference to the “rose of Sharon” in the Song of Solomon 2:1 is most familiar.
Lynn: (Old English) Meaning “stream”. Once again has relation to natural beauty.
Family… Lynn is a common name, so we won’t get into all those. Shari’s 3rd cousin is Shari Lynn Sider. She also has a collection of relatives with similar names – a 2nd cousin (Sherry Lynn Heise), another 3rd cousin (Sharon Lynn Barnhart), and a couple of 4th cousins (Shari Gayle Henry and Sherrie Lynn Cober).
James Robert
James: (Hebrew) From “Jacob”, meaning to take another’s place, especially by underhanded means. There were two apostles named James, one traditionally known as a man of prayer. He was supposedly called ‘old camel knees’ because of the callouses he developed from kneeling in prayer. The nickname “Jim”, has been said to mean “faithful friend”.
Note: James is actually an English corruption of the name Jacob. In almost every language, the name is translated as Jacob (Spanish – Santiago which comes from San Diego or Saint Jacob, Diego being a variant of Jacob.) For a discussion of this see Recovering the Lost Letter of Jacob)
Robert: (French, from old German) Meaning bright and fame.
Family… Robert is, of course, after Jim’s Dad. But Jim also has a 7th great grandfather, 4th great grandfather, 3rd great grandfather and great grandfather with the name. His 4th, Robert Carscadden, was the first of that family to come to Canada from Ireland in 1839. There are also grand uncles and cousins with the name. James is also popular – 2nd cousins (James David Adamthwaite and James Ian Mcphedran), among many others. I know of at least two or three James Robert Cottrills in the States, though we haven’t found a direct connection yet.
Cottrill
Let us not leave out the family name. Cottrill is an English name meaning,”One who lives in a small cottage”, particularly a small rented house. The Cottrills did just that for a thousand years or more in England, and many still do!
