Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Galilea

Galilaea is the Latin form of Galilee (Hebrew הגליל), a large region in northern Israel which is home to several towns of Biblical significance and therefore an important religious pilgrimage destination. For instance Nazareth, Galilee was the hometown of Jesus Christ and the Galilee region is where He was baptized in the River Jordan, where He built His ministries and where conducted many of His miracles. The name comes from the Hebrew language and means “district of nations”. During the time of King Solomon many centuries before Christ the area was so named because many foreigners (i.e., many nations) had come to settle in the region while many more had been displaced or exiled there. Aside from Galilee’s obvious religious symbolism, on the opposite side of the spectrum, the name carries heavy scientific weight as well. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian astronomer, inventor, mathematician, philosopher and physicist who contributed to the revolution of modern science. In fact, Galileo’s support of Copernicus’s earlier theory that the sun, not the earth, was as at the center of the orbital universe put him in dangerous opposition to the powers of the Roman Catholic Church (he was basically accused of heresy and put under house arrest). The idea that the sun was fixed and the earth moved around the sun (heliocentrism) was in direct contradiction with the Scriptures and so the Church wished to suppress any science that might undermine the word of the Bible. Of course we now all know that Copernicus and (later on) Galileo were correct in their scientific assessments of the celestial bodies in the sky. What’s interesting about the name Galilea is that it could either be a name selection of symbolic importance for deeply religious parents or for the scientific minded. The fact that Galilee’s etymology means “district of nations” gives the name Galilea a very open and broadminded sensibility.

All About the Baby Name – Galilea

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME GALILEA

The number 11 is a Master Number, and embodies heightened traits of the Two. This personality is on a life journey to find spiritual truth. They are extremely idealistic and intuitive. Elevens have a rare and exceptional spiritual energy that brings a sense of obligation to illuminate the world around them. It's a very powerful responsibility, but these people have far more potential than they know. It's important that they surrender to higher ideals. They have the capacity to see the bigger picture, and they possess the skills to inspire others spiritually. Elevens have strong diplomatic skills and can become great peacemakers. Master numbers can be both a blessing and a curse, as they walk the fine line between greatness and the potential for self-destruction.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME GALILEA

While Galilee is an ancient district of Israel, the girl’s name Galilea is much more modern. Likely brought into circulation by creative parents looking for uncommon names with religious significance, Galilea is akin to names like Genesis and Trinity. We think this one is used more for its religious symbolism rather than its scientific one. Galilea is often used as an adjective to describe one “from Galilee” which would be a meaningful definition for any Christian – still one can’t help thinking of the Italian scientist when the name is said aloud. We think of the name as one with a unifying force – a district of nations coming together – the ability for science and religion to co-exist peacefully. Aside from Galilea’s heavy symbolic importance, the name is quite feminine and pretty. Another similar sounding name to consider is Galatea (gal-ә-TAY-a) – this was the name of the beautiful statue sculpted by Pygmalion. The ancient Greek artist fell in love with his creation and prayed to Aphrodite (Roman: Venus) for a love in the “living likeness of [his] ivory girl”. The goddess of love and beauty granted his wish so when Pygmalion kissed the statue, Galatea came to life.

Quick Facts

ON GALILEA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Hebrew

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

4

RANKING POPULARITY:

794

PRONUNCIATION:

gah-lә-LAY-a

SIMPLE MEANING:

District of nations

Characteristics

OF GALILEA

Inspirational

Highly Intuitive

Spiritual Teacher

Extremely Bright

Uplifting

Truth-seeker

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Galilea

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME GALILEA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Galilea

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME GALILEA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Galilea


Popular Songs

ON GALILEA

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Galilea


Famous People

NAMED GALILEA

We cannot find any celebrities or significantly famous people with the first name Galilea.

Children of Famous People

NAMED GALILEA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Galilea

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME GALILEA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Galilea