Quirky Saint Names to Spice Up Your List

Quirky Saint Names to Spice Up Your List

These rare saint names go way beyond classic saintly names like James and Lucy, or even on-trend ones like Felix and Gemma.

Here, we’re talking the most obscure saints’ names, plucked from the depths of history and legend. Many are preserved only in the names of churches and towns, and have been whispered down the alley until they sound unusual, even eccentric, to modern ears.

Some of these would be quirky choices perfect for bold namers who love names with ancient, spiritual roots. Others might be too daring even to consider as middle names!

Quirky But Usable Saint Names

These names are unusual, but hear us out, and you might end up adding some to your list.

Dymphna

This Irish saint is the patron of people with mental illness, and mental health practitioners. The story goes that she fled from her delusional father, and escaped to Geel, Belgium, where her shrine became a place of pioneering psychiatric care. Pronounced DIMP-na or DIMF-na, this could be a meaningful Irish heritage choice.

Emerentiana

Ok, six syllables is a lot. But if you love rare long names with popular nicknames, Emerentiana is rich in possibilities: Emmy, Ren, Tiana… The real St Emerentiana was a Roman martyr, thought to have been the foster sister of St Agnes.

Endellion

Beautiful and mysterious — its etymology is unknown — this name survives only in the town of St Endellion in Cornwall, England. It would be a great alternative to fast-rising Cornish name Elowen.

Junian

St Junian was a sixth-century hermit in France, who gave his name to the town of Saint-Junien. “June” names are popular for girls, and this is a rare example of a masculine equivalent — and an uncommon alternative to Julian.

Malo

Another French town, Saint-Malo in Brittany, takes its name from a sixth-century saint originally from Wales. Malo is in the Top 50 boy names in France currently, and would make an interesting international alternative to Milo.

Piran

St Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall, and of tin-miners. He is believed to be an Irish missionary — his name is the Cornish equivalent of Cíarán — and according to legend, his fist disciples were a badger, a fox, and a bear. Piran would be a great way to honor Cornish heritage.

Quiteria

St Quiteria was a semi-legendary martyr from modern-day Portugal, who — in classic saintly style — refused to marry and renounce her faith. Her name is still used in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries, but is a quirky rarity in the anglo world. There is also a charming French version, Quitterie.

Rasso

St Rasso of Anduchs was a military leader in Bavaria, Germany, who in later life went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and founded a monastery. His name has the same strong Germanic coolness as Otto and Ivo: we could see this one working on a modern boy.

Scholastica

Born in the fifth century in modern-day Italy, St Scholastica was the sister of St Benedict (of Benedictine Rule fame). As her name suggests, she is the patron saint of education, and is invoked against storms. Her studious name feels like a heavy weight to bear, at any rate in the US: it has only been used enough to appear on the charts once, in 1914. But for all it looks long and consonant-ful, it’s only four syllables like Olivia and Elizabeth, so it doesn’t feel off-limits.

Tropez

This name honors the glamorous French town of San Tropez, but who was that saint? Tropez is the French form of Torpes, the Pisa-born martyr whose headless body was set afloat with a rooster and a dog. According to legend, the saint's body washed up intact in southern France. Saint Torpes or Tropez is the patron saint of sailors.

Here are more rare yet usable saints' names:

Unusual Saint Names To Use With Extreme Caution

Here are saintly names that haven't stood the test of time so well. Yes, they're deep-rooted and delighful, but they're definitely at the more eccentric end of the name taste spectrum.

Dogmael

As with so many fifth- and sixth- century Celtic saints, little is known about the real St Dogmael, but he left his name behind on several churches and villages in southwest Wales. The mael in his name means “prince, chief”, but the first part is a mystery — and unfortunately sounds rather comical in English.

Dwynwen

Dwynwen (DOO-een-wen), the Welsh patron saint of lovers, lived around the fifth century. To escape a marriage that was not to be, she fled to a tidal island and lived as a hermit. Her church and well there became an important pilgrimage site through the middle ages. Her feast day on 25th January is celebrated almost as much as Valentine’s Day in Wales, and the name Dwynwen was registered for four girls there in 2023. However, outside Wales it’s far from familiar, or intuitive to spell and pronounce.

Frideswide

This is the usual modern form of Frithuswith, an Anglo-Saxon princess and abbess who became the patron saint of Oxford, England. In the Inspector Morse TV series, a character named Friday reveals that her full name is Frideswide, but apart from that, parents have given it a wide berth.

Gorgonia

St Gorgonia was a pious woman of fourth-century Cappadoccia (in modern-day Turkey), who was miraculously cured of several illnesses and injuries, and is a patron of people afflicted by sickness. Whilst it was fine in her time to use a name derived from the word “gorgon”, as in Medusa — there was also a St Gorgonius — it would be beyond edgy nowadays.

Ia

Is this the shortest saint name of all? Not much is known about St Ia (pronounced “EE-a”), but she is thought to be an early medieval Irish noblewoman, who was active in Cornwall and gave her name to a church there, and to the town of St Ives.

Pancras

St Pancras was a Roman convert to Christianity who was martyred at the age of just 14. His name comes from the Greek Pankratios, meaning “all-powerful”; it is best known today as a London railway station, named after the parish it stands in. It was used occasionally in the middle ages, but not today… the similarity to “pancreas” is rather offputting.

Polycarp

This early Bishop of Smyrna is a venerable church figure, and his name has a great meaning,  “fruitful”. Unfortunately, it just isn’t a good fit for modern English speakers’ tastes. None of the Poly- names are in fashion, and it’s hard to get past that fishy ending.

Veep

Surely one of the most onomatopoeic saintly names. Another early Cornish saint, little is known about St Veep except that the church in the Cornish village of St Veeps is dedicated to her. She may be the same as the Welsh saint Wennapa, or Gwennap, in which case her name derives from the word for “white”.

Winwaloe

This fifth-century saint, commemorated in several churches in Cornwall and Brittany — his native land — is also known as Guénolé in French, and Gwenole in Breton. The name derives from words meaning “white” + “valor”. He founded a monastery, and was invoked for fertility right through the middle ages. Some names beginning with Win- are on the rise, like Winifred, but Winwaloe is far from being used by anyone.

Yaropolk

Yaropolk Iziaslavich was an eleventh-century prince of Rus, in what is now Belorussia, who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is said to have founded churches and monasteries, and made generous donations from his own wealth. His name, from Slavic elements meaning “fierce” + “people”, is rare even in his homeland, and unheard of elsewhere.

More highly quirky saint names:

About the Author

Clare Green

Clare Green

Clare Green has been writing for Nameberry since 2015, covering everything from names peaking right now to feminist baby names, and keeping up-to-date with international baby name rankings. Her work has featured in publications such as The Independent and HuffPost. Clare has a background in linguistics and librarianship, and recently completed an MA dissertation researching names in multilingual families. She lives in England with her husband and son. You can reach her at clare@nameberry.com