Hebrew names

Hebrew-origin names are mostly Old Testament names that reached Australia via Christianity, English-speaking literary tradition, and centuries of European naming convention. Two theophoric roots are characteristic: *El ("God" — as in Michael "who is like God", Gabriel "man of God", Daniel "God is my judge") and *Yah ("Yahweh" — as in Jeremiah, Isaiah). Some Hebrew names have nature meanings: Rachel ("ewe"), Deborah ("bee"), Jonah ("dove"). Others reflect birth circumstances: Isaac ("he will laugh"), Samuel ("heard by God"). Hebrew-origin names have been a steady part of Australian naming since first settlement — both via direct adoption (Sarah, Rebecca, Adam, David) and via Latinised Christian Bible forms (Maria ← Mariam, Joseph ← Yosef "he adds"). Many overlap with the "biblical" category — we use whatever the Wikipedia source article declares as primary.