Damaris is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Damaris was a woman living in Athens who became a believer in Jesus Christ after hearing the apostle Paul preach. She appears at the close of the account of Paul’s visit to that city, where he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and God-fearers and also disputed daily in the marketplace with those who happened to be there. Eventually he was brought to the Areopagus, also called Mars Hill, and given the opportunity to address the philosophers and idlers of Athens concerning the “unknown god” they worshiped in ignorance. There Paul proclaimed the one true God, the Creator of all things, who commands all people everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day of judgment through the Man He raised from the dead.
The account records that when the crowd heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said they would hear Paul again on this matter. Yet not all dismissed the message. Acts 17:34 states, “Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” Damaris is thus named among the few in Athens who responded in faith. She is identified simply as “a woman named Damaris,” with no further description of her background, family, or station in life. What Scripture tells us of her is that she heard the preaching of Paul, and she believed, clinging to him and to the gospel he proclaimed.
The Name
The name Damaris is Greek in form, and its meaning is not clearly recoverable. Various suggestions have been offered—some connecting it to a Greek word for a heifer or calf, others proposing other derivations—but none of these is well established, and scholars do not agree on a definite sense. Unlike names such as “Dionysius,” which is plainly tied to Dionysus, or “Paul,” meaning “small” or “humble,” the meaning of Damaris cannot be stated with confidence. It is enough to say that the name is Greek and that its precise significance is uncertain.
A Closing Thought
Damaris stands as a quiet witness that the gospel reaches individuals, not merely crowds. In a city famed for its wisdom, where many mocked and others postponed, she believed. She is named only once, yet her name is preserved in Scripture forever. Her story reminds us that no one is too obscure for God to notice, and that the same message which some dismiss can become, by grace, the ground on which a soul clings to Christ. Faith, not fame, is what secures a place among those who are truly known.
At a Glance
- Gender: Female
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Acts 17:34 — Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.