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Etymology •
& Meaning •
Hebrew •
Greek •
Bible •
Names •
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Meaning and etymology of the name Ahithophel
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Ahithophel 
There's only one Ahithophel in the Bible and the name is doubtlessly crafted after the man's reputation. Ahithophel the Gilonite is a counselor of king David, and so appreciated that to the king and his sons, Ahithophel's words are like the Word of God (2 Samuel 16:23). But when Absalom revolts against the king, Ahithopel joins him, and gives him some atrocious ideas concerning his father. When Absolom favours the advice of Hushai the Archite over that of Ahithophel, the latter goes home and commits suicide (2 Samuel 17:23).
The name Ahithophel consists of two elements. The first part comes from the word  (ah), meaning brother or close associate. The post-fixed letter yod creates a possessive: my brother, or brother of.
The second part of the name Ahithophel comes from the root group  (tapal I & II)
The verb (tapal I) is used only once, in 2 Samuel 22:27, where it means to show oneself unsavory (or tasteless, quite literally; in modern Hebrew this word means unsalted). Derivatives of this root are (tapel), an adjective literally meaning tasteless or unseasoned but foolish by implication (Lamentations 2:14 and Job 6:6). The feminine variant  (tipla), occurs in Job 1:22 and 24:12, and Jeremiah 23:13, and again means folly or moral unsavouriness.
The unused and untranslatable root (tpl II) yields the derivation (tapel), meaning whitewash (Ezekiel 13:10-15 and 22:28).
Another word of interest is (tepilla), meaning prayer, from the verb  (palal) meaning to intervene or pray.
For a meaning of the name Ahithophel, Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names and NOBS Study Bible Name List both read Brother Of Folly. BDB Theological Dictionary proposes My Brother Is Folly but adds a question mark.
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