Roman Catholic Inspired Names

Vianney

French

"alive, lively"

While this name is predominantly masculine in France, Belgium, Canada, and French-speaking Africa, in Latin America, it is more often chosen as a feminine name. A diminutive of Vivian, transferred…

Vida

Spanish, Slovene, Lithuanian, Persian, Swedish, Serbian,"life, visible, willow, to see"

"life, visible, willow, to see"

Vida is a multicultural gem, familiar in a number of languages by not overly popular. It featured in the US Top 1000 in the first half of the 20th century, and in recent years, it has seen renewed…

Vincentia

Feminine variation of Vincent

Vincenza would be a more user-friendly form in this country.

Virtue

Latin

"moral excellence"

The mother of all virtue names.

Winnifred

Welsh

"blessed peacemaker"

The double 'n's in this spelling variation of vintage Winifred aesthetically looks closer to the loveable nickname Winnie which is likely the appeal for many parents. Winnifred, along with several…

Xavia

Basque or Arabic

"new house or bright"

Modern feminine form of Xavier

Yvette

French, feminine of Yves

"yew tree"

This French name has the elegance of other '-ette' names like Colette and Odette, and is a botanical name without being too obvious about it. Related to the sleek French name Yves, it was popular in…

Zelie

French

"noble"

A cute, zippy French saint's name that's picking up in popularity there, and starting to in the US as well. Zélie originated as a short form of Azélie, thought to derive from Adelaide via the Occitan…

Zita

Italian or Persian; Greek

"little girl; seeker"

A thirteenth-century Tuscan saint, patron of homemakers, Zita is the kind of name that sounded really creative in an earlier era.

Zola

African, Congolese; also literary name

"piece of earth"

When the Eddie Murphys named their fourth daughter Zola, it affirmed the up-and-coming status of the name, which has African roots, but also literary links to Emile Zola. Zola may also be…