Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Asa
Asa (אָסָא) is a Hebrew name borne from the Bible; he appears in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible as one of the early kings of Judah. In fact, he was the third king of Judah after the Kingdom of Israel split into two separate kingdoms (Judah and Israel) in the 10th century B.C. Asa was a direct descendent of King David by way of David’s son King Solomon (who was Asa’s great-grandfather), making Asa the fifth king of the House of David. The name means “doctor, healer” in Hebrew; perhaps this has something to do with his role in the Bible. Asa’s reign was marked by a fervent effort to remove that ever pervasive ancient problem of idolatry in Judah, and persuade the people to return to their single God and His laws and commandments (Asa’s forty-one year reign in Judah is detailed in 1 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 14-16). As a result, the Lord God brought peace to the land of Judah for ten years, allowing Asa to destroy all signs of idol worship and to build up Judah’s army. A good thing, too, because the Ethiopians came to fight against Judah shortly thereafter. Asa called upon the Lord for help. Even though Asa had built up a great army, they were still vastly outnumbered by the Ethiopians. God to the rescue once again! The Lord helped Asa and his men defeat their enemy and make off with a good amount of spoils, returning to Jerusalem victorious. God assisted Asa again in victory over the Libyans. Afterwards a prophet appeared before Asa reminding the king not to forsake God or “He will forsake you”. Apparently this was a sign of things to come, because King Baasha of Israel rose against Judah in the 36th year of Asa’s reign. Instead of turning to God (who had already proven His support against the Ethiopians and Libyans), Asa asked the King of Syria for help. Later Asa is chided by another prophet (Hanani) for not turning to the Lord: “You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16:9). This warning infuriates Asa who sends the seer to prison. At the end of his reign, Asa became “diseased in the feet” but turned to the care of physicians instead of seeking help from the Lord (apparently old Asa was a little thick in getting the message). This foot disease ultimately caused his death and Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became the fourth King of Judah. Asa’s reign was marred by his faux pas in asking for the King of Syria’s help against Israel instead of God’s. And also for raging againt the poor prophet who had the audacity to point this out to him. Still, Asa is remembered fondly as an important King (especially in the first part of his reign). As a descendent of David and the third King in the kingdom of Judah, Asa has always been accepted as a common Jewish name. It crossed over to Gentile land when the Puritans adopted the name in the 17th century during the Reformation. We should also mention that Ása is an ancient Scandinavian female name from the Old Norse element “áss” meaning "god" and that the word “asa” means “wing” in Portuguese.
All About the Baby Name – Asa
Personality
OF THE BOY NAME ASA
The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.
Popularity
OF THE BOY NAME ASA
This relatively obscure first name dates back further on the American naming charts than one might think. In fact it goes as far back to the point when the U.S. government first began tracking naming trends (1880), and we suspect it dates back even further in American history (most likely brought over by the early Puritans). The Puritans liked these less familiar Biblical stories(in keeping with their strict and austere customs), especially when they underscored the consequences of forsaking God. In fact, the height of Asa’s popularity in America was in the late 19th century when the name landed a spot on the Top 200 list of most commonly used boy names. As we turned into the 20th century, the name Asa was clearly on a downward trend in terms of usage. In 1950 the name fell off the boy’s chart altogether; no longer on the American radar. The name would remain in obscurity for 25 straight years finally returning in the mid-1970s. It’s unclear what prompted Asa’s return to the charts, but we do know that in 1979 a patriarchic character named Asa Buchanan debuted on the popular soap opera “One Life to Live”. He was a Texas industrialist and father of Clint and Bo Buchanan (his character also stuck around for nearly 30 years, keeping the name Asa fresh in the minds of the daytime drama’s many fans). Today, the name Asa has managed to climb the charts to the higher end of low usage. In other words, this is a pretty uncommon name. Asa has obvious Biblical significance, but his story is obscure enough that most people are unfamiliar with it. Parents with aspirations of their sons becoming "doctors" should consider this name. Who knows. It could be a self-fulfilling prophesy!
Quick Facts
ON ASA
GENDER:
Boy
ORIGIN:
Hebrew
NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:
2
RANKING POPULARITY:
554
PRONUNCIATION:
A-suh (sometimes AH-sah)
SIMPLE MEANING:
Doctor, healer
Characteristics
OF ASA
