Catholic Baby Names (with Meanings and Popularity)

Saint Roch -- pronounced like rock -- is the patron saint of dogs. Roch is definitely one of the coolest saints' names, but many Americans will say it like roach and not rock. You will have to educate them.

Roch

Unfortunately, everyone will hear Crispina, the feminine form of Crispin, as Christina. 

Crispina

Although the saintly Gratia was male -- Blessed Gratia of Kotor -- this name feels quite female today.

Gratia

 have loosened up considerably over the last few decades. At one time, babies were required to have a saints' name for a Catholic baptism, but that is no longer a hard and fast rule.

, and that doesn't mean they have to be old-fashioned or boring. There are lovely Catholic saint names that are classics, like Cecilia and Clement. And lots of 

 fit for a Catholic boy or girl, from Phoebe to Mabyn to Dominica.

It may be, well, kosher for a Catholic baby to stretch the definition of a saints' name to include variations of the opposite gender. Saint Raphael might sanction the name Raphaela, for instance, and Philippa become a Catholic name thanks to Saint Philip.

If you are a parent of the Catholic faith who wants to find a genuinely Catholic name for your baby boy or girl, here is a long list of options.

Catholic baby names for girls and boys, with meanings, origins, and popularity, including saints' names and other names sanctioned by the Catholic Church for babies born in the Catholic Christian faith. (Page 25)