Eden

Eden is, of course, in reference to the Biblical place known as the Garden of Eden. It is the utopian paradise where God placed the first earthly man and woman He created (i.e., Adam and Eve); that is, until their Eden Country Club membership was rescinded for disobedience. But before Eve (with the first bite) and then Adam (with the second) ate a piece of fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the first two humans dwelled blissfully in the Garden of Eden. If only all of our passports gave us access to this fantastic place of harmony and beauty. Food was bountiful, flowers were always in bloom, and humans and all other animals co-existed peacefully. In the Garden of Eden there was no death or disease, no crime or cruelty, no inequality or oppression, and no labor or hard work. Even nudity and sexual human love was celebrated: “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25). Of course, as we all know, Adam and Eve were eventually expelled from Eden for breaking the one and only rule they were asked to obey: don’t eat the Forbidden Fruit. Not only that, but outside of Eden (as punishment) women would henceforth experience childbirth labor pains and men would have to labor the land to produce food. Eden is translated in Hebrew as the “garden of God” or “place of pleasure, delight.” It is also believed to be derived from ancient Aramaic meaning “fruitful, well-watered”. All of these potential etymologies are perfectly in line with our notion of Eden as a place name. But where exactly is Eden? According to the Book of Ezekiel, the ancient Garden of Eden was located in modern day Lebanon. It is also believed to be near where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet in modern-day Iraq (although no one knows for sure). As a given name, Eden is a modern coinage and used primarily in the United States. It is also considered unisex although it is much, much more popular for baby girls.