🔼The name Clauda: Summary
- Meaning
- Enclosure, Safe Haven
- Etymology
- From the verb claudo, to shut in.
🔼The name Clauda in the Bible
The name Clauda occurs only once in the Bible. It's the name of a small island south of Crete, under cover of which Paul's ship tried to make way to Italy (Acts 27:16). The failure to reach Italy resulted in the famous shipwreck off the coast of Malta, and Paul's three month stay on the island (Acts 28:1).
🔼Etymology of the name Clauda
The name Clauda appears to be Latin, and if so it's probably related to the following word group:
claudico
The verb claudico means to be limp or waver, or to be in want or deficient.
claudo
There are two verbs claudo. One means the same as claudico and the other means to shut or close (hence our words clause and conclusion).
🔼Clauda meaning
The name Clauda probably has to do with enclosure. It's not clear which of the many little islands near Crete Clauda denotes (some say it's Gozzo, north of Malta, but Paul's ship reached Malta fourteen days after Crete), but perhaps it had a natural harbor after it was named. The name Clauda means Enclosure or Safe Haven.