Damaris

A lot of people are unaware of the fact that Damaris is a Biblical name. She appears briefly in the New Testament (Acts of the Apostles 17:34) as a woman who listened to the Apostle Paul give a thundering speech in Athens to the pagan Athenians, preaching Jesus and the Resurrection. While many of the Athenians mocked the resurrection of the dead; others were eager to hear more. Damaris is specifically mentioned as a woman who “joined [Paul] and believed”. What’s noteworthy about the recording of Damaris’s name in the New Testament is that it provides evidence of her high-standing and education (not many women were invited to speeches given at the Areopagus in Athens circa 50 A.D.). Because Daramis is mention in the same verse as Dionysius of Areopagite, Christian tradition has held her to be his wife. This has placed Damaris on an even higher Christian pedestal because Dionysius of Areopagite became the first Bishop of Athens, and it is believed that she helped her husband organize the budding Christian Church there. It was also important for the Church to gain such privileged and influential converts; their impact would have been seen as critical in drawing more followers to the new faith. Not to mention their willingness to turn away from opulence and personal wealth would have served as a powerful example to other Athenians. There is some uncertainty and debate as to the etymological meaning of Damaris. Likely it comes from the Greek “damalis” meaning “calf, heifer”. Others claim it’s a Hellenized alteration of the Celtic Damara (a fertility goddess) since the Gauls did intermingle with the Greeks around the 3rd century B.C. (when the Celtic world extended down into Asia Minor and modern-day Turkey after a series of invasions). Lastly, and this one might be a stretch, but the Greek word “damianos” means “to tame, subdue” suggesting Damaris might be a female name meaning “dominant woman”. Yet others maintain the name means “gentle gift” or “gentle girl” but we could not find any supporting evidence to this (likely) folk etymology. Saint Damaris of Athens is celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church where her Feast Day is October 3. Damaris, like many other fleeting female names in the Bible, was eventually adopted by English-speakers in the 16th century (thanks to the Reformation). The religiously stricter off-shoots of the Roman Catholic Church (most notably the Puritans) combed through the Bible and resurrected many obscure names. Damaris was one such example. This particular name, however, has experienced little popularity overall. Except, randomly, in Chile where it’s a Top 100 favorite. This may have something to do with popular Peruvian folk singer Damaris Mallma Porras known simply as Damaris.