From the Hebrew name זְכַרְיָה (Zekharyah) meaning "YAHWEH remembers". This was the name of many characters in the Old Testament, including the prophet Zechariah, the author of the Book of Zechariah. The name also appears in the New Testament belonging to the father of John the Baptist, who was temporarily made dumb because of his disbelief. In some versions of the New Testament his name is spelled in the Greek form Zacharias. As an English name, it has been in occasional use since the Protestant Reformation.