Mandaean names can include bothbirth names (i.e.,secular names) and baptismal names (i.e.,religious names; also calledmaṣbuta names or zodiacal names), calledmalwasha (ࡌࡀࡋࡅࡀࡔࡀ) inMandaic.
Mandaeanbirth names are secular names that are given at birth and are used by non-Mandaeans to refer to Mandaeans in everyday life.[1]
InMandaeism, a baptismal (zodiacal) ormasbuta name, also known asmalwasha (Classical Mandaic:ࡌࡀࡋࡅࡀࡔࡀ,romanized: malwaša, which can also mean 'zodiac'), is areligious name given by aMandaean priest to a person, as opposed to abirth name.[2]: 81 The baptismal name of a priest reflects his spiritual lineage, with his "spiritual father" being the priest who had initiated him rather than his biological father. Since they are spiritual names that are typically used only within the Mandaean community, Mandaeans may often be reluctant to reveal their baptismal names to non-Mandaeans. As a result, baptismal names are never used aslegal names.[1] Themalwasha is used to protect a Mandaean from their zodiac sign.[2] This is due to thetwelve zodiac constellations being seen as part of the evil spiritRuha's entourage.[3]
A lay Mandaean'smalwasha is linked with the mother's name. For example,Mhattam Yohanna bar Simat (written asMhatam Yuhana br Simatࡌࡄࡀࡕࡀࡌ ࡉࡅࡄࡀࡍࡀ ࡁࡓ ࡎࡉࡌࡀࡕ) means "Mhattam Yohanna son of Simat," his mother. When naming a child, the priest takes the zodiac sign of the birth month and calculates the hour of birth sign from the zodiacal circle. The resulting numerical value has the mother's name value subtracted from it. TheBook of the Zodiac is consulted to find a Mandaeansmalwasha.[2]: 81
For instance, a male child is born at 11 a.m. in Awwal Gita, 1935, on February 4th. His mother's name is Sharat (numerical value 2). The sign for Awwal Gita is Aria. Starting at Aria on the circle but not counting it in, eleven hours gives us Sartana (numerical value 4). Two (for the mother's name) deducted from four, leaves two. The name selected for the child, therefore, is Zahrun, one of the names with a numerical value of two. Thus the infant's full Malwasha is Zahrun bar Sharat, which adds up to four, the number of the Zodiacal sign Sartana.[2]: 81
Thecolophons ofMandaean texts usually refers to scribes by theirmalwasha (baptismal) rather than birth names.[1] For example,GanzibraJabbar Choheili is referred to inMandaean texts by his baptismal nameMhatam Yuhana (Classical Mandaic:ࡌࡄࡀࡕࡀࡌ ࡉࡅࡄࡀࡍࡀ).[4]
Although rare, a few non-Mandaeans have also been given Mandaean baptismal names in recognition of their contributions to Mandaean society. MS.DC 2, which was copied by SheikhNegm in 1933, mentions the Mandaean baptismal name ofE. S. Drower asKlila beth Šušian ("Wreath, daughter of Susan"), as her middle name Stefana means 'wreath' in Greek. MS. DC 26, a manuscript copied by Sheikh Faraj for Drower in 1936, contains twoqmahas (exorcisms). MS. DC 26 is dedicated to Drower's daughter,Margaret ("Peggy"), who is given the Mandaean baptismal nameMarganita beth Klila ("Pearl, daughter of Wreath") in the text.[1]
Below are some auspiciousmalwašia and their associated numerical values as listed in Book 3 of theSfar Malwašia.[5][1]: 345
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Lay Mandaeans historically did not have actual family names or surnames, but were rather referred to by the names of their mothers in theirmalwasha using the prefixbar (written asࡁࡓbr in theMandaic script) for a male andbeth (written asࡐࡕpt in theMandaic script) for a female,[6] such asMhattam Yohanna bar Simat andMahnash beth Simat respectively.[2] Early priests or religious leaders such asAnush bar Danqa andZazai d-Gawazta bar Hawa used matronymic names, as well as the earliest Mandaean scribeShlama beth Qidra.GanzibraJabbar Choheili's matronymicmalwasha isMhatam Yuhana bar Sharat.
Modern priests are an exception and named after their fathers if they were also priests. An example name would beMhatam Zihrun bar Adam ("Mhatam Zihrun, son of Adam"), which is themalwasha baptismal name ofGanzibraDakhil Aidan (his birth name).GanzibraJabbar Choheili's patronymicmalwasha isMhatam Yuhana bar Yahya. Birth or secular names (notmalwasha) are also patronymic. An example isLamia Abbas Amara; Lamia is her given name, while Abbas is her father's name, and Amara is her paternal grandfather's name.[1]
Today, Mandaeans are officially registered with surnames that are derived from the names of their clans, such asChoheili (the Persian pronunciation ofKuhailia, a Mandaean clan or extended family).[1]
Historically, some Mandaeans have also been known asAl-Ṣābi’ (Arabic:الصابئ,lit. 'Sabian'), such asHilal al-Sabi'.
