Roman Catholic Inspired Names

Jean

French variation of John

"God is gracious"

One of the most enduring French names, this form of John has been borne by philosophers (Rousseau and Sartre), artists (Millet, Arp) and fashion designers (Gaultier) alike. Often used in a double…

Jerome

Greek

"sacred name"

Jerome has a bespectacled, serious, studious image, just like its namesake saint, who was a brilliant scholar. St. Jerome is the patron saint of students, librarians, and archaeologists. Musical…

Joachim

Hebrew

"Established by God"

Joachim is an undiscovered biblical name with potential, although most modern parents would probably prefer the more lively Spanish version, Joaquin. Like many Old Testament names, it was primarily…

Johnpaul

Johnpaul is a masculine given name formed by combining the traditional names John and Paul. This compound name has Christian roots, as both John and Paul were important apostles in the New Testament.…

Junipero

Spanish form of Juniper

This unusual boys' name ending in O survives thanks to the missionary priest who founded the first of the California missions. With Juniper becoming a more popular name, especially for girls,…

Karl

German and Scandinavian variation of Charles

Manly almost to the point of macho.

Karol

Karol is traditionally a masculine name in many Slavic countries, though it can be used for both genders in different cultures. It's the Eastern European equivalent of Charles, derived from Germanic…

Kaspar

Kaspar is a masculine name with ancient Persian origins, traditionally believed to mean 'treasurer' or 'keeper of the treasure.' It gained prominence in Christian tradition as one of the Three Wise…

Kenan

Hebrew

"possession"

The biblical character Kenan was a great-grandson of Adam and a direct ancestor of Noah. As in Christianity, Kenan is honored in Islam. Kenan can also be considered a variation of Cianan, an Irish…

Klaus

German variation of Claus, diminutive of Nicolas, Greek

"people of victory"

Two drawbacks: some unpleasant World War II associations, and the Santa clause.

Kolbe

Medieval German

"club"

A saintly surname that is used steadily for boys and occasionally for girls, mainly by Catholic parents. The Polish Franciscan priest St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe offered himself in place of another…

Linus

Greek

"flax"

Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be…

Lockwood

Lockwood is an English surname turned first name with Old English roots, derived from 'loc' meaning enclosure and 'wudu' meaning wood, essentially describing someone who lived near an enclosed…

Loman

Irish or Serbo-Croatian

"small bare one or delicate"

Loman is one of those rare names that is at once simple and very unusual, with fewer than five baby boys given the name in the US in the most recent year. But Loman does carry a few less-than-optimal…

Lucius

Latin

"light"

Lucius is an old Roman clan name that has lots of religious and literary resonance, yet is still vital today. It was the name of three popes, appears in several Shakespeare plays, and, like all the…