Horrible names

Jebadiah is a masculine name with biblical associations, generally considered a variant spelling of Jebediah, which itself is an Americanized form of the Hebrew name Jedidiah. The biblical Jedidiah means 'beloved of Yahweh' and was a name given to Solomon. Jebadiah has an old-fashioned, frontier quality that evokes images of early American settlers and rural life. While never extremely common, the name experienced modest usage in religious communities and has gained some contemporary recognition through fictional characters in literature, television, and video games. The name carries connotations of steadfastness, faith, and traditional values, often associated with rural American culture.

This spelling, which came to the attention of readers of the best-selling Angela's Ashes as the name of author Frank McCourt's father and brother, the latter of whom wrote a bestseller of his own, lends the biblical name a more expansive, almost boisterous image. Malachy is one of the Irish baby names that manages to strike the golden mean between familiarity and distinctiveness.

Malakai puts a South Sea Island spin on the Biblical Malachi, which may be just what It needs to fit in with contemporary trends.

The name is derived from the term commonly used in the Book of Psalms, which has a many Hebrew scholars in confusion over its meaning. Given its context in the Bible, Selah is likely to mean "to praise" or "pause and reflect upon what has just been said." Lauryn Hill used this name for her daughter. It is the last word in Anita Diamant's novel The Red Tent.