As examples of Old and New Testament names occurring, in a changed form, among Syrian Christians, the following may be cited:—
- Abraham, Abragam.
- Joshua, Kōshi.
- Peter, Puthrōs, Ittiyerah, Itte.
- Paul, Powlos.
- John, Yohan, Sonanan, Chōna.
- Titus, Tetōs.
- Matthew, Mathai, Māthen.
- Philip, Philippos, Papi, Eippe, Eapen.
- Thomas, Thōma, Thommi, Thommen.
- Joseph, Ouseph.
- Jacob, Yacob, Chāko
- Alexander, Chandi.
- Samuel, Chamuel.
- Mary, Maria, Mariam.
- Sarah, Sāra.
- Susannah, Sosā.
- Rebecca, Rābka, Rācā.
- Elizabeth, Elspeth, Elia, Elachā.
- Rachael, Rāchi, Rāghael, Chācha.
Syrian Christians take the name of their father, their own name, and that of their residence. Whence arise such names as Edazayhikkal Mathoo Philippos, Kunnampuram Thommen Chāndi, and Chandakadayil Joseph Chommi.
I have seen some Syrian Christian men tattooed with a cross on the upper arm, and a cross and their initials on the forearm.
In conclusion, I may, for the sake of comparison, place on record the averages of the more important physical measurements of Northerner and Southerner Syrian Christians and Nāyars.
| 30 Syrian Christians. | 40 Nāyars. | ||
| Northerner. | Southerner. | ||
| Stature | 165.3 | 164.8 | 165.2 |
| Cephalic length | 18.7 | 18.9 | 18.7 |
| Cephalic breadth | 14.3 | 14.1 | 13.9 |
| Cephalic index | 76.3 | 74.8 | 74.4 |
| Nasal height | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| Nasal breadth | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Nasal index | 72.3 | 71.6 | 71.1 |
It may be noted that, in his ‘Letters from Malabar,’ Canter Visscher, in the middle of the eighteenth century, writes that the St. Thomas’ Christians “keep very strict genealogical records, and they will neither marry nor in any way intermingle with the new low-caste Christians, being themselves mostly Castade Naiross, that is, nobility of the Nāyar caste, in token of which they generally carry a sword in the hand, as a mark of dignity.”
It is stated by E. Petersen and F. V. Luschan[85] that “probably a single people originally occupied the greater part of Asia Minor. They are still represented as a compact group by the Armenians. The type resembles the Dissentis type of His and Rütimeyer; the head extremely short and high, stature moderate, skin dark, eyes dark, and hair dark and smooth. It extends through the S. half of Asia Minor, N.E. to the Caucasus, and E. to the Upper Euphrates. The Tachtadschy people, a hill people living without serious mixture with other peoples, give measurements closely like the Armenians.” [The cephalic index of Armenians is given by E. Chantre[86] as 85–86.]
In the following table, the averages of some of the more important measurements of the Syrian Christians and Tachtadschy people are recorded:—
| Stature, cm. | Cephalic length, cm. | Cephalic breadth, cm. | Cephalic, index. | |
| Syrian Christians, Northerner | 165.3 | 18.7 | 14.3 | 76.3 |
| Syrian Christians, Southerner | 164.8 | 18.9 | 14.1 | 74.8 |
| Tachtadschy | 168. | 17.9 | 15.3 | 85.7 |