# How many names \*does\* God have? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 27, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906 "2005-08-27T21:12:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/1 "2005-08-27T21:12:40Z")
Inspired by today’s Weird Earl website, earmarked, “[One of the six million names of God: Roshambo.](http://www.emf.net/~estephen/roshambo/)” I get that the Deity on high doesn’t have exactly six million names, but how many names _does_ the Big Cheese have? Any way of finding out? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/2 "2005-08-27T21:23:57Z")
You don’t want to know. According to Arthur C. Clarke, when we [do](http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=104020)… _“Look,” whispered Chuck, and George lifted his eyes to heaven. (There is always a last time for everything.) Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out._ ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/3 "2005-08-27T21:39:49Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > I get that the Deity on high doesn’t have exactly six million names, but how many names _does_ the Big Cheese have? Any way of finding out? First you have to define G-d strictly. Then, you have to define what does and does not qualify as a name. Are you going with G-d according to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, or something else? Do things like the Lord Of Hosts count as names or are they just titles? You also have to research any supposed names. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not once published a list giving Odin as a name of G-d. I’ve heard a theory that Odin’s title of Allfather was originally associated with an otherwise nameless deity who created the universe. Going by that theory, Allfather was in many ways analogous to the G-d of Judaism/Christianty/Islam and it isn’t too much of a stretch to call Allfather one of the names of G-d. But Odin? No, I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/4 "2005-08-28T01:21:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > You don’t want to know. According to Arthur C. Clarke, when we [do](http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=104020)… > _“Look,” whispered Chuck, and George lifted his eyes to > heaven. (There is always a last time for everything.) > Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out._ My congratulations and extreme jealousness on having gotten this post in ahead of me! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![coop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@coop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coop)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/5 "2005-08-28T03:39:17Z")
Seeing as how no one has done it… [here you go…](http://lucis.net/stuff/clarke/9billion_clarke.html)🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/6 "2005-08-28T03:41:04Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > My congratulations and extreme jealousness on having gotten this post in ahead of me! 🙂 And my jealousness on you beating me on being jealous! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/7 "2005-08-28T03:45:15Z")
> [@coop](#): > > Seeing as how no one has done it… [here you go…](http://lucis.net/stuff/clarke/9billion_clarke.html)🆒 Click the link in the first reply. ---
**Author:** ![coop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@coop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coop)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/8 "2005-08-28T03:50:06Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Click the link in the first reply. I did and couldn’t find the story in there. Found many links to other things, but not the story. Can you tell me which one is the link you are talking about on that site??? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/9 "2005-08-28T04:52:58Z")
I do wonder about a couple things: 1. 9e9 or 9e12? Clarke is British, but he puts the words in an American’s mouth. So who’s billion is he using? 2. Could a (50s era) printer actually print that many (whatever the answer to question 1 is) 9 letter words in only 3 months? Doesn’t seem like a long enough time. Especially when you consider down time to replace worn out parts. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/10 "2005-08-28T16:17:58Z")
Since there is no proof of the existance of a god of any kind, it’s kind of a meaningless question. However, if we assume that a deity of some kind exists and follows the blueprint of superpowers, superknowledge, etc., then I would assume that the answer would be that he/she/it would have as many names as he/she/it wanted. Who’s gonna tell him/her/it differently? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/11 "2005-08-28T16:21:42Z")
**Clothahump** , the story referenced is pretty good, even if you are an atheist (as I am). ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/12 "2005-08-28T17:40:58Z")
By Islamic tradition, ninety-nine. My favorite is “The Subtle One.” That makes me chuckle. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/13 "2005-08-28T17:43:30Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Since there is no proof of the existance of a god of any kind, it’s kind of a meaningless question. Meaningless, perhaps, but not unanswerable. How many kinds of Kryptonite are there? We’ve had several threads which definitively answered that question. If **Kytheria** defines the term more clearly, we can begin to find an answer. ---
**Author:** ![cabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cabdude)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/14 "2005-08-28T17:53:14Z")
But how many names does Og have? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/15 "2005-08-28T18:50:10Z")
> [@cabdude](#): > > But how many names does Og have? So far as I know, just one 😃 To attempt an actual answer to the OP’s question, these are the traditional Christian names used for God that I can think of offhand: [ul][li]God[/li][li]The Lord[/li][li]The Father[/li][li]The Almighty[/li][li]The Creator[/li][li]Yaweh[/li][li]Jehova[/ul][/li] Are we to assume that equivalent names in other languages don’t count? That’s probably the only way you could get six million names, but I say that’s cheating. I’ll let Dopers of other faiths deal with Judaism, Islam, and other religions. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/16 "2005-08-28T19:54:56Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I do wonder about a couple things: > > 1. 9e9 or 9e12? Clarke is British, but he puts the words in an American’s mouth. So who’s [sic] billion is he using? Interestig question. I recall the story but don’t recall where the project was set. > [@](#): > > 1. Could a (50s era) printer actually print that many (whatever the answer to question 1 is) 9 letter words in only 3 months? Doesn’t seem like a long enough time. Especially when you consider down time to replace worn out parts. Wasn’t the story set in the future? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/17 "2005-08-28T19:57:07Z")
Quite funny. I put in the [sic] comment above and now see that I missed my own misspelling! > [@Monty](#): > > Interestig [sic] question. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/18 "2005-08-28T19:57:59Z")
9 billion names you say? NO WAY!! Ya…weh! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/19 "2005-08-28T21:06:05Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Interestig question. I recall the story but don’t recall where the project was set. > Wasn’t the story set in the future? IIRC The company was in New York. However, head lama is the one who says “nine billion”. I don’t remember if there’s a mention of where he learned English. One very minor problem I had with the story, assuming the computer can print up all the names of G-d that quickly (remember that the program was random combinations of characters in an unnamed alphabet. Some combinations, such as any one that used the same character three times in a row were ekiminated and not printed), the narrator says that the lamas take each page of printout and paste it into special books. Assuming a font big enough to be read by a human eye, and assuming pages three feet by four feet or smaller, that’s one heck of a lot of pages. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906/20 "2005-08-28T21:18:19Z")
I think it’s 9 x 10[sup]9[/sup]. The names are all 10 letters long, with the condition that no three letters are repeated. With a 10-letter alphabet, this comes to about 9 billion (American). I don’t think the number of letters in their alphabet is identified. However, it is suggested that the computers would not have to be modified much, aside from the print-out. This seems to indicate that the conversion to (or calculation in) base-10 would not be changed. Back to the OP, I’d assume different languages would have different names as well (though they might mean the same literal thing, e.g. ‘Almighty’). And since we can always synthesize more languages, it does indeed seem limited in some way by the largest alphabet we care to imagine (and computing power, I suppose). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-names-does-god-have/318906.md?page=2)