Roman Catholic Inspired Names

Esperanza

Spanish

"hope, expectation"

Esperanza is a Spanish classic that's found its way onto the national popularity list in recent years. It came into the spotlight not long ago when jazz singer Esperanza Spalding "stole" the Best New…

Ester

Variation of Esther, Hebrew

"star"

This simplified spelling is a bit too polyester, though this is also the authentic Slavic version of an Old Testament name that's being rediscovered.

Eugenia

Feminine variation of Eugene, Greek

"wellborn, noble"

Eugenia, a name scarcely used at all since the 1980's, is another that flourished a century ago and could be due for a revival. Eugenia has some interesting literary references, including the…

Eulalia

Greek

"sweetly speaking"

Eulalia is a melodious name with a southern drawl, thanks to those lilting double L s and similarity to similar Eudora and Eula. Familiar in the US in the early 20th century, it was also a popular…

Euphemia

Greek

"fair speech"

Ancient martyr's name that, though not especially appealing, might still be mildly possible, especially for Anglophiles. It was widely used in early Scotland, but was overtaken by its nickname, Effie.

Evangelina

Greek

"bearer of good news"

Why is Evangeline so popular -- close to Number 200 in the US -- while Evangelina hasn't charted in the Top 1000 since the early 1950s? The stardom of Evangeline Lilly has something to do with the…

Evelia

Evelia is a feminine name with Latin and Spanish origins. It derives from the Latin name Evelius, which may be related to 'aevum' meaning 'age' or 'eternity.' The name is most prevalent in Hispanic…

Fara

Fara is a feminine name with multiple potential origins, giving it a rich cross-cultural significance. In Arabic, Fara can mean "joy" or "happiness," while in Persian it may relate to "glory" or…

Faustina

Latin

"fortunate one"

A name with several distinguished namesakes: the wife of ancient Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, a famous Italian opera singer, and two Catholic saints--making it both substantial and unusual.

Fiametta

Italian

"little flame"

Fiametta is the pseudonym Italian Renaissance writer Bocaccio gave to his muse in his writing; her real name was most likely Maria d'Aquino. It was also the title of a ballet in the 19th century.…

Filomena

Greek

"lover of singing"

See PHILOMENA.

Fina

Fina is a feminine name with multiple origins, functioning both as a standalone name and as a diminutive form of names ending in '-fina' such as Serafina or Josefina. In Italian and Spanish contexts,…

Florentina

Latin

"blooming"

The Latin names for girls Florentina may be the most feminissima and flowery of the 'Flor" names. Another option would be Fiorentina, though you can also downshift to Flora or Florence.