The Name Uriel

In 1793 when our lodge was established, the name Uriel was chosen for the name of Connecticut’s 24th lodge. Hence we get the number 24 but who or what is Uriel and what attributes make it a suitable name for a masonic lodge?

In the ancient Jewish and early Christian writings Uriel was a leading angel and is often referred to as an archangel. Archangels such as Uriel are powerful and have the ability to interact and intercede in human affairs.  Uriel is known as the angel of wisdom, truth, and light, and is considered a powerful and influential angel. He is an angel of wisdom and is known for shedding light on God's truth. He is an angel of presence, associated with lightning and thunder, and is believed to be able to portray an unbelievable world. Uriel is called the Archangel of Salvation in Judeo-Christian books. Uriel is known as the angel of repentance and redemption. He is an angel that delivers God's messages. He was the angel sent to Ezra to answer his specific questions. He is the angel credited with saving John the Baptist and his mother Elizabeth from the massacre of the innocents. He was the angel tasked with informing Noah of the impending flood.

 The name Uriel means "light of God" or "fire of God". It comes from the old Hebrew Uri meaning “light or flame” and El meaning “God”.

When portraying the angel Uriel in art, he usually has fire in the palm of his hand or the disc of the sun near or on him. This would represent him bringing light. He may also have a book or scroll representing knowledge and the bible. Frequently he has a flaming sword representing power and the light he brings.

Our lodge name represents bringing light. Which fits in nicely with Freemasonry.

As a male name, Uriel is a relatively uncommon name, but it’s actually been steadily gaining popularity. In 2019, the name Uriel was ranked as the 690th most popular name for boys in the United States. In 2022, 585 newborn boys were registered as Uriel. For the size of the United States, it’s a very small number.