Name of the Day: Mordecai

I know I shouldn't state my opinion, but I have to say Mordecai could possibly be my favorite Biblical name. Here's why...

Etymology

The Hebrew name מָרְדֳּכַי (rendered as Mordekhay), which was trascribed into the English language as Mordecai, or sometimes Mordikai, is of Persian origins. It means "servant of Marduk", which in turn is of unknown meaning. Marduk was the chief god of Babylonian mythology. He presided over the sky, the heavens, battle, light, and fertility. He killed the dragon Tiamat, the enemy of the gods, and created the earth and sky from the body of the dragon. 

The first recorded use of Mordecai was in the Book of Esther in the Bible. Some translations state that he was Esther's cousin, others say he was a relative. As a son of Jair, Mordecai was a Benjaminite, meaning he came from the Tribe of Benjamin, descended from Jacob's youngest son Benjamin. He adopted Esther as his daughter, who becomes the queen of Persia. Mordecai is hated by Haman, a vizier in the Persian Empire under King Ahasuerus, who is commonly identified as Xerxes I. Haman convinces the king to decree to destroy all Jews in the Persian empire. Mordecai hears of this and informs Esther. Through Esther's intervention, the king repeals the edict of the mass murder of the Jews. In memory of this event, the Jewish people continue to celebrite Purim. It is a feast day of rejoice for God's deliverence. 

Namesakes

Other famous bearers of this name include Mordecai Richler, Canadian author most notable for the novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Mordecai Lincoln, uncle of 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, American Major League baseball pitcher and Hall of Famer of the early twentieth century. 

In the US, the name has never even ranked in Top 1000 in the past century or so. Neither was it popular in other Anglophone countries, like the UK and Canada. 

International variants of Mordecai: Mordechaj (Czech), Mordechai (Dutch), Mardochai (German), Mardochée (French), Madoche (Haitian Creole), Mardocheo (Italian), Mordekai (Icelandic), Mardoqueu (Portuguese), Mardoheu (Romanian), Mardoqueo (Spanish), Mordokai (Swedish)

Nickname Options:

Cai, a name of its own in Latin and Hawaiian, popularly used in Wales (as of 2012, #56) and a character in King Arthur. The Latin name Cai is derived from Caius, sometimes transcribed as Gaius. Gauis is commonly seen in many Roman emperors names, as in Gaius Julius Caesar, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus usely called Caligula, and Gaius Julius Caesar Octavius usually known as Augustus Caesar. The name Cai means "to rejoice". Cai, or Kai, is a Hawaiian name meaning "sea", only recently being discovered. Other variants of this include Caio, Cay, and Keys.

Mordy, once considered an old man nickname along the lines of Morty and Monty. Mortimer and Montgomery, the longer forms of both nicknames, have yet to be revived. As Morty and Monty are seen as outdated, could Mordy possibly revive them? 

Other options include Morty or Morrie.

People who like Mordecai also like...

Melchior, Abraham, Leonidas, Ignatius, Bernice, Gertrude, Hepzibah, Jerusha

Whether you're looking for a religious name to honor your Judeo-Chritian heritage, a name with a rich history, or just a quirky name with some interesting nickname choices, Mordecai is one to keep in mind.