Dositheus

Etymology

Dositheus is the Latinized form of the Greek name Dositheos (Δωσίθεος). The Greek name is derived from δόσις (δόσις; dosis) meaning "giving" and θεός (θεός; theos) meaning "god". Thus the name means "gift of God" or "given by God", echoing a common theme in theophoric names of ancient Greece.

Notable Bearers

The name Dositheus was borne by several historical figures across different fields. In the first century CE, Dositheos the Samaritan was a Gnostic teacher. In the Roman imperial period, Dositheus Magister (4th century) distinguished himself as a grammarian and jurist. In Byzantine Palestine, Dositheus of Gaza (6th century) was a monk venerated as a saint. In the Eastern Orthodox church, the name appeared repeatedly among patriarchs: Dositheus of Constantinople (also known as Dositheus I of Jerusalem, died after 1191) served as a patriarch, while Dositheos II of Jerusalem (1641–1707) was a notable scholar and theologian. In the Caucasus, Georgian Orthodox tradition remembers Dositheus of Tbilisi (died 1795) as an archbishop. Into modern times, Dositheus (Ivanchenko) (1884–1984) served as a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in Brooklyn.

Related Forms

The name has counterparts in Slavic languages: Dosifey (Russian) and Dositej (Serbian). A semantically related name with reversed order of Greek stems is Theodosius, meaning "given by God".

• Meaning: Gift of God / Given by God
• Origin: Greek (Dositheos), Latinized
• Type: Theophoric masculine personal name
• Usage Regions: Ancient Greece, Roman & Byzantine Empires, Eastern Orthodox world (including Russia, Serbia, Georgia)