Not long ago, novelist Marilynne Robinson published an article in the New York Times about Biblical references in literature, which got me thinking about Biblically-inspired company names and product names.
Surprisingly, there aren’t that many.
Robinson noted in his article: “Biblical allusions may suggest a degree of seriousness or significance.” They have gravity and resonance and indicate a complex experience, he noted.
I think these points can also be applied when Biblical allusions appear in business names. Due to widespread upbringing in religious faith, Biblically inspired names are often based on a source of familiarity. They have more potential for long-term relevance and recognition than references to movies, songs, and other elements of popular culture.
If you run a secular business, you may want to avoid a religious flavor. However, as you will see in most of the examples below, the Biblical references do not necessarily sound sectarian or devout.
Names derived from the Bible fall into these categories:
1. Characters from the Bible. For example:
* Samsonite – After Samson, the legendary strong man of the Old Testament.
* Lot’s Wife Gourmet Sea Salt: A reference to the woman married to Abraham’s nephew, who was warned not to look back as they fled the fire and brimstone of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, she did and was turned into a pillar of salt.
* Bezalel Coins: In the Book of Exodus, Bezalel was a master craftsman chosen to make the Ark of the Covenant and other sacred objects.
2. Words, phrases or concepts from the Bible, especially from the Book of Proverbs, but also from other parts of the Bible.
* Iron Men: A two-man construction company in Michigan named for Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
* Apples of Gold – An online jewelry company that explicitly mentions a reference to Proverbs 25:11: “A well spoken word is like apples of gold set in silver.”
* Forbidden Fruit – A store in Austin, Texas that sells (ahem) adult toys, named for the scene in the Garden of Eden where the mischievous Eve persuades Adam to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which God forbade them consume.
3. Numbers of chapters or verses. This type of Bible reference surprised me, since most people cannot quote chapters and memory verses for familiar Bible passages. However, when explained, these allusions have resonance.
* Fitness 9:27 – A personal training company whose name points to 1 Corinthians 9:27: “I beat my body and put it in bondage, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified from the prize.”
* Thirty-One: A direct selling company that offers purses, handbags and organizational products, whose mission to celebrate, encourage and reward women parallels the evocation of the Woman of Valor in Proverbs 31.
In North America, Biblical references, especially those from the Old Testament, tend to have an ecumenical flavor and do not necessarily identify you with a particular religion. However, internationally that may be less true.
While discussing company names with a man who intended to establish a Dubai headquarters under an English company name, I asked him about using the name Solomon to evoke wisdom. “No, that would be perceived as Jewish. Islam has the same figure but refers to him as Suleiman.” And naturally, in India or Indonesia, King Solomon may not evoke any associations at all.
