Joakim

Joakim is a male given name of Scandinavian, Macedonian, and Serbian origin, derived from Joachim. Ultimately, it traces back through Joachim to the Biblical Hebrew names Jehoiachin and Jehoiakim, the latter meaning "lifted by Jehovah" (Yahweh raises up). In the Old Testament, Jehoiakim (also spelled Jehojakim) was a king of Judah who ruled from roughly 608 to 598 BCE, a puppet of Egyptian pharaoh Necho II whose reign ended with the Babylonian invasion. The deuterocanonical books also feature a Joakim as the husband of Susanna in Daniel 13 and a high priest in the Book of Judith.

Notable Bearers

The name has been borne by numerous individuals: Joakim Åhlund (born 1970), a Swedish musician and producer; Joakim no Ström (1600s), a Swedish sailor and one of the earliest Swedish colonists in North America; Finnish Finnish Formula One driver Joakim Lehtinen; Serbian footballer Joakim Aleksić; North Macedonian artist Joakim Petrov; and Danish footballer Joakim Mæhle.

Cultural Significance

The name is deeply rooted in the Biblical tradition due to the figure of Saint Joachim — in Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, Joachim is the father of the Virgin Mary, according to the apocryphal Gospel of James. Devotion to Saint Anne (Joachim’s spouse) increased in the Middle Ages; variations like forms peaked in popularity across Europe. The Swedish form Joakim and other local permutations (Finnish Jaakkima, Basque Jokin, Biblical Hebrew Yehoyakin, Portuguese Joaquim) all stem from the same roots. Diminutives include Finnish Kim, Aki, Jooa, and Kimi

Meaning: lifted by Jehovah
Origin: Scandinavian, Macedonian, Serbian (from Hebrew)
Type: Given name
Usage regions: Scandinavia, Estonia, Finland, Macedonia

Meaning & History

Notable Bearers

Cultural Significance

Related Names

Download

Share

Categories