Black Ghetto Baby Names | Demetrius

• Want the perfect black name?

  If you're looking to name your child, take advantage of Naming With Authority, my free week-long course on matching the perfect black name to a child.

  
  

  To start Naming Your Child With Authority just enter your email and click Submit!

  
  

  In the course you will learn:

  • * Black naming traditions of today
  • * African naming traditions, both ancient and modern.
  • * How to name a child to enhance his/her future success
  • * 72 different black names, 12 with detailed articles showing their context in black America.

• About this Site

  Black Ghetto Baby Names is a website celebrating the paradoxically concurrent history and novelty found in African American names. We will discuss everything having to do with the names, and look forward to having you with us on all or part of our adventure.

Demetrius

Welcome, reader, back to Black Ghetto Baby Names, your eternal font for names found or originated in that small yet significant part of the African Diaspora located in North America. Today we will be discussing the African American name “Demetrius”, a name truly Black in North America, but resonant with the long history of Western civilization.

Demetrius

Like the previous “Jada”, Demetrius is a name that can be used for both a male and female, although most men are named Demetrius with a feminized version for women. In fact, the name is a Roman spelling of the Greek name Demeter and it is derived from the Greek goddess of the same name. Demeter was the goddess of the harvest (grain) and fertility. This derivative of Demeter means simply goddess of the harvest or lover of earth in Greek.

Historically, Demetrius I was king of the eastern part of the Hellenistic world, the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. He was known for conquering numerous territories across Asia and developed the name “Invincible.” There was also a Saint Demetrius, a martyr from the 4th century. Another saint, Saint Demetrius of Alexandria who also reigned as Pope and was the first bishop with a known history from Alexandria, helped to finalize the exact date of the holiday we now know as Easter. As bishop of Alexandria, he was the ruler of the Christian faith on the continent of Africa centered in Cairo, Egypt. 

The name Demetrius is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, and by this time on my site you may have noticed this is one of many themes of naming in our culture There is a reason for that. 

Christian names in Black America

In the time of slavery in America, the majority of slaves were not permitted to practice their own religious beliefs and cultural customs. In order to continue with worship, our ancestors “hid” some of our practices within the commonly accepted Christian customs. Many slave-owners tried to convert their slaves and many in fact did “convert,” as they feared doing so otherwise. These “black” churches were the only places slaves and ex-slaves were able to come together for a meeting place both before and after their emancipation. Historically this is why our culture ties so closely to Christianity. With these strong ties to Christianity, our culture ended up adopting various Christian names (you will also find this to be true in Africa). Thus, the name Demetrius, and its variations has been used for newborn babies, particularly baby boys in America for centuries. Demetrius should be seen as a name with not only emphasis on the love for the earth, but also the dedication, strength and resilience represented by Saint Demetrius the martyr, Demetrius I the conqueror and Saint Demetrius, Patron Saint of Alexandria.

Thank you for your time this evening, and may it all have been for the best =)

DeShawn

(If you liked this article, please check out our list of popular african american names)

Comments