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Arabic names, Aramaic names, Biblical names, created names, english names, fictional namesakes, French names, Greek names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, nicknames, popular names, saints names, surname names, unisex names
Each year, the Bonds underwear label has run a huge annual campaign to find the perfect babies to model for them. Although the prizes aren’t lavish, $250 worth of Bonds merchandise and a free photo, the fame and prestige must be enough of a drawcard, because it is the biggest baby contest in the country, attracting thousands of entrants. Bonds are careful not to identify it as a “cute baby contest”, and say any baby can win, as long as they fit into Bonds baby sizes and interact well with the camera.
I thought we’d look at the names of the winning babies, as an indication of names used recently.
Phoenix Nate
Isabelle
Xanden
Zia
Thomas James (People’s Choice)
Waltzing More Than Matilda 
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If I remember my New Testament theology and non-canonical gospels classes correctly, it’s implied more than once that (Didymus) Thomas (Judas) is Jesus’ twin. Usually in sources that aren’t part of the canon, go figure 🙂
When I read the Gnostic “Gospel of Thomas”, Jesus says to Thomas, “They say you are my twin …”
Unless Jesus was so absent-minded that he needed constant reminders that he possessed a twin brother, this can only mean that either people thought Jesus and Judas Thomas looked identical, or they went about all the time as best friends so that people called them “Jesus and his Twin” as if they were inseparable companions, or maybe even that they had very similar personalities, or were thought of as “twin souls”. Jesus only says this is what other people say, as if this isn’t even his own opinion, although he might have been having a teasing joke I suppose.
So even if we now know (?) that Thomas was the twin of Jesus, we still don’t know what that meant. Apparently, non-canonical sources are just as hopeless at explaining things as canonical ones, and just as open to multiple interpretations!
Phoenix is one of my favourites as well. As it’s now Top 100 here, I think it can safely be regarded as a “normal” name now.
Phoenix is one of my favourite names. It’s getting more used and better known all the time, though. Like the lovely Willow, it will soon pass into ‘normal name land’, I fear!