Bauckam on Names in the New Testament

Richard Bauckham presented an interesting paper last Thursday at the Evangelical Theological Society annual meeting entitled, “Naming Practices in Jewish Palestine in the late Second Period and their relevance for the New Testament.” Part of his presentation included a discussion of the variety of ways that people with common names are distinguished from others with the same names in the New Testament. Here is Backham's list.

Patronymic
James son of Zebedee
Levi son of Alphaeus
Bartholomew

Place of origin (used when elsewhere)
Mary of Magdala
Joseph of Arimathea
Jesus of Nazareth
The Egyptian (Acts 21:38)

Nickname
James the Little [not James the less]
Thomas

Occupation
Joseph the carpenter
Simon the tanner

Nickname used as family name
(Joseph) Caiaphas
Place of origin as family name
Judas Iscariot son of Simon Iscariot

Woman by husband
Mary (wife of) Clopas

Woman by son(s)
Mary mother of Jesus
Mary mother of James the Little and Jose
The mother of the sons of Zebedee