Well, let's begin with the fact that Caspar does not mean "a gift from God", contrary to the explanation of Claudia Schiffer's publicist in the German press yesterday. The name meaning "a gift from God" in biblical hebrew is of course Nathaniel. But that name was already taken in the fashion world (top-photographer Nathaniel Goldberg, the husband of Trish Goff), so Claudia had to compromise on "Caspar".

Just kidding. Caspar is one of the three wise men who came bearing gifts for the infant Jesus, guided by the Star of Bethlehem, according to the New Testament. So Claudia was a bit misleaded: Caspar is not a gift from God, he is the one bringing a gift to God. His gift, by the way, was frankincense -- a hint to the drugs surrounding the fashion trade, no doubt. If Claudia liked gold, she would have chosen the second wise man, Melchior. (Don't bother to ask yourself who's the third, I've done all the homework for you: he's Balthazar).

There aren't much famous people called Caspar (apart Claudia's son, of course). We have the nice little cartoon, but alas the ghost is called Gaspard in most of Europe. We have Caspar W. Weinberger, former secretary of state, and Caspar Olevianus, who wrote the Heidelberg Catechism. But the Caspar I really liked is this one -

Bartholin Caspar (b. Feb. 12, 1585, Malme, Den. [now in Sweden]--d. July 13, 1629, Sore, Zealand, Den.), Danish physician and theologian who wrote one of the most widely read Renaissance manuals of anatomy.
A professor at the University of Copenhagen (1613-29), he was first to describe the olfactory nerve (associated with the sense of smell) as the first cranial nerve. He also identified the small lubricating gland--known as Bartholin's gland--located near the vaginal opening in female bodies.