Words of Worth

The “Naughty” and “Nice” List of Names

December 8, 2014

Christmas awards

Shakespeare once queried, “What’s in a name?” but I don’t think he was thinking about Santa’s nice and naughty list.  However, when School Stickers, an education rewards program for schools all over the world, in a light-hearted way asked the same question, they WERE thinking “naughty” and “nice”.

Approximately 60,000 children at 10,000 schools use School Stickers’ system and when these students received stickers for good behavior they were able to digitally log their stickers on the website. Based on this data, totaling over one million stickers, it was determined which names belonged to children with the most rewards stickers and which name has the lowest.

According to the School Stickers press release, the 2014 results are:.

“Naughtiest Girls”

  1. Bethany
  2. Eleanor
  3. Olivia
  4. Laura
  5. Holly
  6. Courtney
  7. Amber
  8. Caitlin
  9. Jade
  10. Ella

“Nicest Girls”

  1. Amy
  2. Georgia
  3. Emma
  4. Charlotte
  5. Grace
  6. Sophie
  7. Abigail
  8. Hannah
  9. Emily
  10. Alice

“Naughtiest Boys”

  1. Joseph
  2. Cameron
  3. William
  4. Jake
  5. Joshua
  6. Jamie
  7. Lewis
  8. Benjamin
  9. Ethan
  10. Luke

“Nicest Boys”

  1. Jacob
  2. Daniel
  3. Thomas
  4. James
  5. Adam
  6. Harry
  7. Samuel
  8. Jack
  9. Oliver
  10. Ryan

While Jacob, Daniel, Thomas, Amy, Georgia, and Emma can expect Santa to be very generous on Christmas day, Joshua, Cameron, William, Ella, Bethany, and Olivia need to make a huge effort before Santa comes in less than a month’s time.

Interestingly, there is a Joshua in the Bible who would never make the naughtiest boy list, and that is Jesus.

 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21 matthew

Jesus’ Hebrew name is Yeshua which translated into English is Joshua and literally means “God is salvation”. So the angel’s message to Joseph was “You shall call His name ‘God is salvation,’ for He will save His people from their sins.” That name tells us of Jesus’ purpose in God’s plan-that it is through Him that God saves humanity.

God is the greatest gift giver:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

 No need to worry about Santa checking his list twice to see who’s been naughty or nice!   Jesus is a gift. Salvation is a gift. We do not earn it. When we receive Jesus, we receive salvation as we would receive a gift-without earning it!

What’s in a name?  In the name of Jesus is the most indescribable gift-a Savior who gives the gift of salvation!

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15