Memphis

Memphis is the name of an ancient Egyptian capital established near the mouth of the Nile River delta circa 3000 B.C. Today the city is uninhabited and only ruins stand in its place reminding visitors of its glory days gone by. As the capital city of Lower Egypt, Memphis is said to have been founded by Pharaoh Menes (who is often credited for the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt) during the period of the Old Kingdom. The city went through various name changes until circa 1500 B.C. when it became known as “Men-nefer” which is Egyptian for “enduring and beautiful”. We get the name Memphis from the Greeks (Μέμφις) which is basically a corruption of the Egyptian name. It was believed that Ptah, the Egyptian god of craftsmanship, watched over Memphis as the city began to thrive under the production and distribution of food and merchandise. The city also flourished in commercial trade given its favorable location and proximity to the Nile River. It became a royal residence and a cultural center of Egypt’s ancient religious traditions. By Late Antiquity (circa 5th century A.D.) Memphis had already lost all of its economic power and cultural significance to Alexandria. By the time the Romans arrived, Memphis was a mere passing memory, abandoned and left in ruins. Today it is nothing more than an open-air archeological museum. Interestingly, when the American city of Memphis, Tennessee was founded along the shores of the mighty Mississippi River in 1819, it was aptly named after Memphis, Egypt which itself was situated along the Nile River. As a given name, Memphis is a 21st invention and generally considered unisex (although it’s not used for baby girls frequently enough to land her a spot on the Top 1000 list). Mainly used in the United States (and occasionally Australia), Memphis is more often considered masculine.