Ananias
an-uh-NYE-əs
A biblical name tied to the idea of being covered or protected by the Lord.
Meaning
The name comes through Greek from a Hebrew form, usually connected with Ananiah/Hananiah. In the excerpts, it is glossed as “grace of the Lord,” and also as “whom the Lord covers” or “cloud of the Lord,” with the sense of being covered or guarded by Yahweh.
Origin
HebrewGreekvaries by culture
Fun fact
One 19th-century source notes that Ananias even turned up as a female name in a Dublin register, showing that historical name use could be surprisingly flexible.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland.