Saintly Sunday

Since I have been behind in my posts, I thought my readers deserved an extra feature this weekend. Saints names. Sure, we are all familiar with Bernadette, Margaret Mary, Theresa, Peter and Luke, but the Catholic Church’s Calender of Saints offers us a huge variety of unique names, whether you are Catholic, Orthodox or just looking for an interesting name to bestow upon your child, the below list offers a wide range of unique yet very legitimate names.

Each name of the saint is divided by nationality (m) stand for Male while (f) stands for Female.

Some interesting Saint’s name that might be of interest to the expectant parent:

Armenian

  • Arsen (m)
  • Barak (m)
  • Beemen (m)
  • Khoren (m)
  • Mamwell (m)
  • Mesrob (m)
  • Narek (m)
  • Nouneh/Nune (f)
  • Pakos (m)
  • Yeprem (m)

Breton

  • Azenor (f)
  • Canna (f)
  • Clervie (f)
  • Derrien (m)
  • Enora (f)
  • Fragan (m)
  • Gobrien (m)
  • Gwenfrewi (f)
  • Kirio (m)
  • Koupaïa (f)
  • Maclou (m)
  • Mael (m)
  • Malo (m)
  • Milio (m)
  • Morwenna (f)
  • Noyala/Noyale (f)
  • Nolwenn (f)
  • Onenne (f)
  • Peran (m)
  • Rittan (m)
  • Samzun (m)
  • Trillo (m)
  • Urielle (f)

Bulgarian

  • Astion (m)
  • Boyan (m)
  • Kamen (m)
  • Kiril (m)
  • Naum (m)
  • Raiko (m)

Catalan

  • Eulàlia (f)
  • Just (m)
  • Ot (m) (might make a cool one syllable middle name)
  • Pacian (m)
  • Sever (m)

Cornish

  • Austell (m)
  • Brychan (m)
  • Burian (f)
  • Croidan (m)
  • Endellion (f)
  • Keyne (f)
  • Kigwe (f) KIG-wee
  • Levin (m)
  • Mabyn (f)
  • Marwenna (f)
  • Minver (f)
  • Newlina (f)
  • Salom (m)

Croatian

  • Kvirin (m)

Danish

  • Ansgar (m)
  • Thøger (m)

Dutch

  • Aleydis (f)
  • Alina (f)
  • Falco (m)
  • Godelieve (f)

Egyptian

  • Abanoub (m)
  • Abraam (m)
  • Ashraf (m)
  • Bishoi (m)
  • Demiana (f)
  • Lot (m)
  • Paisi (f)
  • Pamin (m)
  • Piama/Piamun (f)
  • Potamina (f)
  • Maysoon (f)
  • Samia (f)
  • Talida (f)

English

  • Alban (m)
  • Anselm (m)
  • Averil (f)
  • Bede (m)
  • Billfrith (m)
  • Birin (m)
  • Boswell (m)
  • Britwin (m)
  • Caedmon (m)
  • Credan (m)
  • Day (m)
  • Dotto (m)
  • Dunstan (m)
  • Ebba (f)
  • Elstan (m)
  • Enswith (f)
  • Eskil (m)
  • Fursey (m)
  • Ina (f)
  • Ivo (m)
  • Lewina (f)
  • Merwinna (f)
  • Modwen (f)
  • Odo (m)
  • Osana (f)
  • Rumon (m)
  • Sanctan (m)
  • Sebbi (m)
  • Swithun (m)
  • Sythe (f)
  • Tanco (m)
  • Tetta (f)
  • Tibba (f)

French

  • Bond (m)
  • Céronne (f)
  • Césarie (f)
  • Cloud (m)
  • Dreux (m)
  • Emérance (f)
  • Evronie (f)
  • Fare (f)
  • Faustine (f)
  • Fingen (m)
  • Gauthier (m)
  • Gibrien (m)
  • Grimonie (f)
  • Harvey (m)
  • Ismérie (f)
  • Julienne (f)
  • Meldon (m)
  • Namadie (f)
  • Néomaye (f) ney-oh-may
  • Noémoise (f) no-ey-mwahz
  • Pepin (m)
  • Quitterie (f) pronounced keet-teh-hree
  • Reine (f)
  • Ségolène (f)
  • Solange (f)
  • Soline (f)
  • Tressan (m)
  • Vigor (m)
  • Vitaline (f)
  • Wivine (f)

Galician

  • Aldara (f)
  • Gonzalo (m)
  • Paio (m)

German

  • Afra (f)
  • Alto (m)
  • Ambet (f)
  • Anno (m)
  • Attalia (f)
  • Bardo (m)
  • Benno (m)
  • Brito (m)
  • Coloman (m)
  • Cordula (f)
  • Hazeka (f)
  • Odilia (f)
  • Oranna (f)
  • Roswitha (f)
  • Sturm (m)

Greek

  • Anastasia (f)
  • Anthusa (f)
  • Anysia (f)
  • Apollos (m)
  • Basilissa (f)
  • Calliope (f)
  • Cleopatra (f)
  • Emmelia (f)
  • Ephraim (m)
  • Jerome (m)
  • Lybe (f)
  • Menodora (f)
  • Myrope (f)
  • Nicon (m)
  • Orestes (m)
  • Photine (f)
  • Philemon (m)
  • Philo (m)
  • Philothea (f)
  • Theone (f)
  • Timon (m)

Hungary

  • Emeric
  • Laszlo

Irish

  • Balin (m)
  • Becan (m)
  • Benen (m)
  • Brogan (m)
  • Caimin (m)
  • Cainder (f)
  • Ciara (f)
  • Coca (f)
  • Colman (m)
  • Conall (m)
  • Cormac (m)
  • Dallan (m)
  • Dymphna (f)
  • Edana (f)
  • Ermina (f)
  • Fedelma (f)
  • Finian (m)
  • Fintan (m)
  • Foila (f)
  • Ita (f)
  • Kenan (m)
  • Kennera (f)
  • Kilian (m)
  • Kinnia (f)
  • Lelia (f)
  • Loman (m)
  • Macallan (m)
  • Macartin (m)
  • Machai (m)
  • Mella (f)
  • Modan (m)
  • Monessa (f)
  • Odran/Odrian (m)
  • Phiala/Piala (f)
  • Scottin (m)
  • Thomian (m)
  • Trea (f)
  • Trien (m)

Italian

  • Aldobrandesca (f)
  • Archanegla (f)
  • Asteria (f)
  • Bacco (m)
  • Caio (m)
  • Carissima (f)
  • Caro (m)
  • Celestina (f)
  • Chiara (f)
  • Dulcissima (f)
  • Fina (f)
  • Fosca (f)
  • Franca (f)
  • Giovina (f)
  • Grata (f)
  • Gaudenzia (f)
  • Gemma (f)
  • Messalina (f)
  • Nereo (m)
  • Nilo (m)
  • Panacea (f)
  • Pierina (f)
  • Oronzo (m)
  • Rocco (m)
  • Romola (f)
  • Sofronia (f)
  • Verdiana (f)
  • Vilana (f)
  • Vincenza (f)
  • Zita (f)

Latin/Roman

  • Asella (f)
  • Caius (m)
  • Cassius (m)
  • Cyra (f)
  • Dafrosa (f)
  • Emiliana (f)
  • Fabiola (f)
  • Flavia (f)
  • Galla (f)
  • Juliana (f)
  • Julitta (f)
  • Lucian (m)
  • Marana (f)
  • Marcellina (f)
  • Martial (m)
  • Maximus (m)
  • Montanus (m)
  • Pastor (m)
  • Prisca (f)
  • Serapia (f)
  • Vissia (f)

Lebanese

  • Appian (m)
  • Charbel (m)
  • Habib (m)
  • Rafka (f)
  • Sabas (m)

Polish

  • Aniela (f)
  • Faustina (f)
  • Michalina (f)
  • Salomea (f)

Portuguese

  • Alexandrina
  • Jacinta

Romanian

  • Calinic (m)
  • Theotim (m)

Scottish

  • Blane (m)
  • Conwall (m)
  • Kennera (f)
  • Kevoca/Quivoca (f)
  • Nathalan (m)
  • Rule (m)
  • Thanea (f)
  • Thaneva (f)

Spanish

  • Amunia (f)
  • Aurea  (f)
  • Casilda (f)
  • Florentina (f)
  • Garcia (m)
  • Inigo (m)
  • Madrona (f)
  • Marciana (f)
  • Millán (m)
  • Oria (f)
  • Orosia (f)
  • Pelayo (m)
  • Soledad (f)
  • Urbicio (m)

Welsh

  • Aled (f)
  • Baglan (m)
  • Brannock (m)
  • Cai (m)
  • Caian (m)
  • Crallo (m)
  • Dwynwen (f)
  • Elined (f)
  • Eiliwedd (f)
  • Kanten (m)
  • Madoc (m)
  • Madrun (f)
  • Maelrhys (m)
  • Melangell (f)
  • Teilo (m)
  • Tysilio (m)

Ugandan

  • Kizito (m)

So, which country offers the coolest selection of saint’s names?

Sources

  1. http://chrsouchon.free.fr/saintsbe.htm
  2. http://www.britannia.com/bios/saints/
  3. http://www.paradoxplace.com/Photo%20Pages/UK/British%20History/English_Saints_&_Kings.htm
  4. http://celticsaints.org/
  5. http://www.skete.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/product_id/1516/index.cfm
  6. http://www.catholic.org/saints/stindex.php
  7. http://www.catholic.org/saints/

4 thoughts on “Saintly Sunday


  1. Such a great list! I’m intrigued by-

    Noyale
    *Nolwenn – a personal favourite!
    Boyan (also spelt Bojan)
    *Eulàlia (also Eulália)
    Austell
    *Mabyn
    Aleydis
    Falco
    Caedmon
    Cloud
    Emérance
    *Quitterie – another favourite (along with Quitéria). Love the nickname Kitty.
    Gonzalo – and Gonçalo, despite being so common in Portugal.
    *Cordula
    *Anastasia
    *Emeric (prefer Emery or Imre)
    Asteria
    Chiara
    *Zita – I have a friend with this name; in Portuguese it’s a smart alternative to the overused Rita.
    *Emiliana
    Pelayo
    *Cai
    Madoc.


  2. Quitterie is a favourite.

    It’s funny for me to see Gemma here though – it’s fairly common to me.


    • I thought about removing Gemma since it was so common in the UK, but in the United States, its not much seen outside the Italian community.


  3. Not sure where your sources got there info from. Kigwe and Brychan aren’t Cornish. Morwenna and Peran aren’t Breton. And I assume by Levin and Salom you mean Levan and Salomon, who were the same person

Leave a Reply