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Theophory is a reference to the naming practice of adding a god's name (or the local equivalent of the generic term for god) to an individual's proper name. Among the names that have developed this way are Elizabeth, which utilized the Sumerian god El's name, Samuel (same derivation), Jonathan, and Theoditus from the Greek common noun for god.
The practice, called in onomastics theophory, refers to this naming convention of adding a god'sname (or the local equivalent of the generic term for god) to an individual's proper name.
Among the Biblical names that have developed this way are Elizabeth, which utilized the Semitic godEl'sname, Samuel (same derivation), or Jonathan, using the name of the Semitic god Yaw (Yaw corrupting to the Jo- prefix) or as an abbreviation of Jeho- (deriving from Yahweh).
Perhaps the quintessential Biblical example of theophory is in the name Jeconiah - the name is con and has theophoric extensions at the start and end; the Bible elsewhere refers to the same person as Coniah (with only the theophoric suffix) and Jehoiahchim (with both Jeho and Iah added as prefixes).
The story of Ahaziah/Jehoahaz of Judah (2 Kings 8:24b-29 and 9:27-29) When Jehoram (king of Judah) dies, his son, named as Ahaziah in Kings and as Jehoahaz in Chronicles (both names are equivalent, they are the same theophory as suffix and prefix respectively), rules over Judah in his place.
Consequently many kings from the region surrounding Israel and Judah would take throne names that were theophory in Hadad (or Ba'al), which has can lead to much confusion in the text, and some difficulty in identifying which people are the same individuals and which are different:
It was common to drop the theophory in ordinary day to day life, so that, for example, Daniel becomes simply Dan.
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