As a closed society heavily based on its own interpretation of Christianity, the Amish are famous for their use and reuse of names. Previously, we’ve pointed this out for Amish boy names, but the same is true for Amish girls.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at 21 of the most common names for Amish women, complete with the backgrounds and stories behind them.
Almost all of these names are taken from the Bible, and you can find them in every generation of Amish women spanning over hundreds of years.
These names aren’t in any particular order but some are more frequent than others.
With all of that said, let’s discuss perhaps the most popular name for Amish women.
1. Sarah
Sarah is possibly the most popular name for Amish women. It’s taken straight from the Bible where the original Sarah is the wife of Abraham.
Since Abraham is considered the father of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity — which is why they’re collectively called Abrahamic religions — Sarah could be considered their mother.
Sarah can also be translated as “princess” or “noblewoman” from Hebrew. However, this is unlikely to be the inspiration for the use of the name in Amish groups.
This is because the Amish are famously opposed to the concept of pride in their everyday lives. Pride is considered the sin from which all others come, so they actively suppress their feelings of pride — at least ideologically.
As a result, it makes much more sense to understand the use of the name Sarah as it’s inspired by the biblical character Sarah, as opposed to an indicator of regality.
2. Linda
Linda is one of the few non-biblical names encountered in Amish circles. The origins of this name aren’t exactly clear because it could be traced back to several individual origin points, including Spanish, German, and more.
The most likely way that the name Linda entered Amish cultures is that it was inspired by a Teutonic (Old German) word meaning “soft.” It’s also possible that the name harkens back to the German word for lime trees, which may have popular inspirations for names in the first Amish communities.
Regardless of its origins, Linda is still a famously popular Amish name today, even in the face of its waning popularity among non-Amish.
3. Mary
The name Mary takes us back to biblically-inspired names, as Mary is most famously the mother of Jesus.
This homage to the Virgin Mary is commonly found in every Christian denomination, and the Amish are no exception. It’s popular because it’s powerful, and as long as the Amish are Christians, it will always be an impactful name.
4. Elizabeth
Elizabeth is another biblical name. Multiple Elizabeths can be found in the Bible, including the wife and mother of John The Baptist.
Given its history, Elizabeth is a powerful name like Mary. John the Baptist in particular played a major role in the trajectory of Jesus’ life — as his cousin and baptizer — and Aaron was the brother of Moses, who founded the Israelite priesthood.
Although Elizabeth is a significant figure in biblical history, it’s still a bit quieter than the men that the Bible focuses on in greater detail.
While her identity only existed in the context of her husband or children, Elizabeth is a powerful modern name that the Amish frequently use.
Aside from this, the name Elizabeth is also taken from the Hebrew words for “oath” and “God,”
5. Emma
Emma is a non-biblical name that traces its roots back to German origins, similar to Linda.
Emma comes from the German word ermen, which means “whole” or “universal.” It was also a popular nickname for German women whose names included the word ermen.
As a result, it’s easy to see the connection between the German-borne Amish and the name Emma. It’s simply a popular name from Amish cultural origins that’s stayed relevant century after century.
6. Rebecca
Rebecca is a biblical name that has a few different translations, including a word meaning “to tie firmly,” “to bind,” “to captivate,” “noose,” and “moderator.”
These translations derive from the original Hebrew. The name Rebecca can also be used to refer to a particular person in biblical history.
That person, in particular, is the wife of Isaac — perhaps the most important son of Abraham.
The famous mother of the Bible’s history, Rebecca was also the same Rebecca. She had two children — twin boys named Jacob and Esau — who wound up founding entire nations. Jacob, despite being the youngest child, changed his name to Israel and the whole nation of Israel keeps his name until today.
Rebecca is also praised for being a faithful wife. This is despite the fact that times have changed dramatically.
Her legacy is still the mother of Israel today.
7. Arleta
Arleta is a surprising addition to the repertoire of Amish name for women since it has nothing to do with Germany or the Bible.
Instead, Arleta is an Irish-Gaelic name meaning “oath,” similar to the name Elizabeth. The name’s Irish origins are an interesting twist.
After all, if the Amish came from a homogenous, ethnoreligious background with very few new families added to the culture, then how did an Irish name infiltrate it?
It’s a good question — and it may have to do with the fact that redheads are also present in some Amish communities.
Irish-Gaelic heritage has a distinctive feature: red hair. So if there are redheads in some Amish communities, it’s not such a stretch to imagine that an Irish-Gaelic name became popular as well.
8. Hannah
Hannah is another biblical name that comes from the Book of Samuel. Hannah Hannah is described as the mother to Samuel, a revered prophet.
The name also has a Hebrew origin, meaning “favor” and / or “grace.”
As a result, Hannah is quite literally the translation of the name Grace, but with a stronger reference to the Bible.
This makes it a natural choice for any Amish community.
9. Rachel (Rachael)
Rachel is a famous name from the Bible, and it’s one of the only female namesakes for a full book of the Bible.
Rachel herself was one of two wives married to Jacob, whom we’ve previously mentioned is the progenitor of the entire Nation of Israel.
Rachel has a Hebrew name, just like many other Old Testament names. In this case, it means “ewe” — a female sheep.
It may not sound very respectful to name a female sheep after an animal. However, this name could be derived from the social context of livestock in general. A female sheep could have been considered highly valuable for its ability to give the owner wool and, more importantly, additional sheep.
Today, the name Rachel is more recognized simply as a name — and it’s lost the social connotation of livestock many centuries ago.
10. Leah
Leah is next on our list because she was the sister of Rachel — at least in the Bible.
Leah Leah, Rachel and Jacob were both married to Jacob. Leah was thought to have been the less-loved spouse. This caused a rivalry between the two sisters that included bartering for time with Jacob, among other marital practices that would be considered strange today.
Despite the popularity of Leah’s name in the Amish culture, the practice of polygamy is non-existent in Amish circles today.
Leah’s legacy as a patient, active and hardworking woman is still very much alive.
11. Ruth
Ruth is a character in the Bible who is from the land of Moab. It is quite insignificant, but she marries a Israelite and becomes part of the Israeli culture.
Her husband then dies after she marries and is incorporated into the Nation of Israel. Then her father-inlaw dies. Naomi’s father-in-law dies. Naomi is left to take care. She travels to Bethlehem in search of some protection.
Ruth is also a member the lineage Christi, which means that she played some part in the perpetuation of the family that would lead to Jesus. This is noteworthy because of the 41 names listed in that lineage, only five are women — and Ruth is one of them.
(The gospel book may vary the exact lineage.
Following these concepts of duty, perseverance, success, and holiness, Ruth earned a presence as a name int he Amish community.
12. Miriam
Miriam doesn’t have an exact representation in the Bible, but is still considered to be biblical.
In Hebrew, it means something along the lines of “salt of the sea.”
In the Bible, however, the name Miriam is not explicitly stated. That’s because the name didn’t exist.
Maryam was the alternative name.
Maryam was often the full name of Mary.
As a result, it’s implied — though not known for truth — that Mary, Mary Magdalene, and other biblical women named Mary were actually named Maryam but only referred to in nickname.
It’d be like if everyone you know named Jonathan were recorded on their birth certificates as Jon. Jon would likely be more well-known after 2000 years.
13. Mildred
Mildred is a non-biblical name that comes from the Anglo-Saxons — essentially the ancient British.
It’s not completely clear how this name made its way into the Amish nomenclature since the Amish are almost exclusively German and heavily religious.
However, the name Mildred essentially means “gentle strength.”
And if there’s a term that better describes the patience, wisdom, and physical power that’s required of Amish women throughout there lifetimes, we haven’t heard it.
14. Delilah
Delilah is a biblical name that’s admittedly less common than many others on this list.
Delilah, the wife of Samson, is described in the Bible as the one who convinces him to chop his hair. This robs him of his strength.
The connotation of Delilah’s name is somewhat negative, considering it’s still in use today.
Delilah was neither a faithful convict or a loving wife, at least not as she was depicted.
You could argue that Delilah was, at least in part, reserving her religious heritage and helping the Philistines who are the current religious leaders within her culture.
But today, history doesn’t look fondly on her.
But, it is possible that Delilah was the mother of Micah. Micah is a relatively minor biblical character, but he left some legacy.
As a result, it’s possible that this connection made Delilah’s name popular.
15. Magdalena (Magdalene)
Magdalena is a biblical name with a clear reference right away — it’s derived from the name of Mary Magdalene, the woman who followed Jesus throughout his life and was present for his crucifixion.
The nature of Mary Magdalene’s relationship with Christ is never fully fleshed out in the Bible, but speculative fiction — including the Da Vinci Code — takes creative liberties in creating a romantic relationship between the two of them.
While that’s possible — more than a decade of Jesus’ life is missing from the Bible, after all — it’s not fully endorsed by any religious organization, and it has no well-known evidence to back it as a legitimate claim.
However, the honor of naming a girl Magdalene after Mary Magdalene has been highly praised and Magdalena is a well-respected name.
16. Barbara
Barbara is a name of Greek origin that means “strange” or “foreign.”
This is appropriate considering that its origin makes the name Barbara foreign itself in roster of Amish women’s names.
But, her father martyred a saint Barbara from Catholic tradition. Her father was then struck with lightning and killed in a Zeus-esque way of punishment.
Barbara was later made a saint and her legacy is still preserved in the Catholic Church.
So why is this important to the Amish?
Saint Barbara’s sainthood predates the creation of the Amish by something like 900-1400 years, depending on the dates that you accept as Saint Barbara’s life.
So it’s completely possible that the name Barbara proliferated the Christian tradition prior to the creation of the Amish.
This would mean that would-be Amish families had women named Barbara in them already, ensuring they continued to carry the name through to the modern day.
17. Abigail
Abigail was a woman in the Bible who was the wife of King David, one of the most important characters in the chronology of the Old Testament.
Abigail’s name literally translates to “my father’s joy” in Hebrew, which makes it a natural choice for any father who’s exceptionally proud to have a daughter.
Like many other women on this list, Abigail is remembered for her loyalty to her husband and her physical beauty.
Unlike the other women on this list, Abigail is also noted for her incredible intelligence.
This makes Abigail a fairly complex name when it comes to Amish naming conventions.
On the one hand, the Amish are dedicated followers and supporters of antiquated gender norms. Naming a woman after someone who was a loyal wife is, in Amish culture, an enormous compliment that can hardly be exceeded.
However, the cultural connotation of intelligence is in contradiction to that.
The Amish are not large supporters of education, intellectualism, or other forms of mental growth. They stop school after eighth grade, and life’s work starts after that.
So to name a woman Abigail — aware of its implication of intelligence — doesn’t quite add up, at least from an outsider’s perspective.
The catch is that the interpretation of “intelligence” is completely subjective. So while intelligence may mean that a woman is observant, clever, eloquent, etc., in Amish culture it could only mean that she’s smart enough to be a dutiful wife.
Abigail is a complex name because of this. But its origins make it a clear choice for any Amish family.
18. Esther
Esther is a biblical woman who was the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. Literally translated from Persian, Esther means “star.”
Esther is memorable because of her decision to risk her life (and probably more) to save her people from complete annihilation.
In this regard, Esther could be seen as a mild form of a savior — though not in a Messianic sense — that allowed the Nation of Israel to persist through one of its greatest trials.
Esther’s story is still celebrated by Jews today during Purim, but this is not a holiday that the Amish observe.
However, the self-sacrifice that Esther shows is a noble quality in Amish communities. This, among other reasons, could by why it’s still popular today.
19. Joanna (Joanne)
Joanna is the French form of the feminized name John. It comes from the name Johanna, which means “God is gracious” in Hebrew.
While it’s strange that a French name shows up in Amish nomenclature, it’s not entirely inexplicable.
When the Amish were started, they were all but exiled from their native home in Switzerland. They traveled to Alsace in France, a region that is mountainous between Germany and France.
After many wars, Alsace has been in both France and Germany several times. At the time the Amish inhabited it, it was under control of King Louis XIV, who eventually exiled them.
After that time, the Amish fled to the New World to escape religious persecution.
It’s conceivable that, in the time the Amish spent in Alsace, some form of French culture established itself in their own way of life.
This would explain why the French variant of Johanna started to be used by the Amish, while its meaning explains why it remains popular today.
20. Karen
Karen is a non-biblical name that traces its origins back to England and, even further, Denmark.
Denmark is important to note here because it’s geographically close to Holland, which is the birthplace of Menno Simons.
Menno Simons is important to note because he founded the Mennonites, from which the Amish would eventually split.
So how could Karen have made it to the vernacular of the Amish?
It’s a long trail to trace, but it could have happened like this:
- The name Karen is used for someone in Denmark
- That person encounters someone from Holland
- The person from Holland either encounters a Mennonite or names children who encounter Mennonites
- They go on to use the name in the Mennonite denomination
- The Amish split from the Mennonites
- The Amish continue to use the name Karen
Is this probable? Who can honestly say — but it’s one possibility.
The name’s popularity and meaning most likely continue to make it a solid choice for Amish families. Considering it derives from the word “pure” in Danish, it would certainly have the support of any religiously-oriented family — like those found in Amish communities.
21. Veronica
Veronica is a minor biblical character who is remembered as the woman who offered Christ her kerchief as he passed her one day.
Afterward, his likeness miraculously appeared on the kerchief, and that led to Veronica’s name being remembered.
Her association with Christ — along with the Greek meaning of “she who brings victory” — make Veronica a powerful religious name that memorializes the first Veronica while offering some level of inspiration and honor to those who follow her.
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