Do the names of persons mentioned in the Bible accord with the style of names otherwise known to be in use during the times described?

Question

For example, in the 42 generations listed in the book of Matthew between David and Joseph, husband of Mary, do the names documented tend to follow the changing style of names one might expect over these ~900 years. Are the names listed in that genealogy anachronistic? As a current example: Mason is the 3rd most popular name for baby boys in 2014, yet it would hardly deserve an asterisk 50 years ago. Names probably evolved more slowly 2000 years ago, yet one must assume some drift over 900 years, given human creativity and external influences. I'm not sure what documents other than the Bible exist from this period and area that mention names, but surely many contracts and other written agreements pressed in clay or other permanent media survive. These might allow a statistical analysis that correlates dates and the distribution of popular names throughout the history of this region.

Answer 1

When dealing with names in the Bible, it is crucial to understand that they are used in many different ways.

First, names are often used to communicate a point the writer is trying to communicate. Hence, the name used may not be the literal name of the person in the story.

Second, The names attributed to people in the text are the names as known or understood by the tradition current to the writer of the book.

Third, because the history, language, and cultures of the writers of the Bible are so diverse, the names used will be just as varied. One can try to trace the use of names for each period throughout scripture as the study of names is important to understanding the story. However, understanding why the author included a name within the story is the most important goal. A name without a story is just a word.