Christian Christian Names: Baby Names inspired by the Bible and the Saints

[KAS-puh] from Dutch Jasper, perhaps ultimately from Persian, meaning ‘treasurer’.

One of the wise men (‘Magi’) who followed the leading of the star and came from the East to Jerusalem and then Bethlehem to worship the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1–12). According to tradition, they were three in number and they were named Balthasar, Casper and Melchior.

Variants: Caspar, Jasper.

Catherine, Katherine (f)

[KATH-rin] from Greek Aikaterina, of unknown origin. The name could be linked with the Greek word aikia, meaning ‘torture’ because of its association with Catherine of Alexandria (c.290–c.310), martyr of Alexandria. Legend has it that Catherine of Alexandria was born into a noble family of the city and converted to Christianity at the age of 18. Shortly afterwards she found that neither her high rank nor her beauty protected her when she publicly criticised the worship of pagan idols in front of the Emperor Maxentius. She managed to confound the arguments of 50 philosophers expressed against her on the orders of the emperor to point out the flaws in her Christian faith, upon which all 50 were burnt alive. Still refusing to recant her Christian belief and turning down an offer of marriage to the emperor on the grounds that she was already ‘the bride of Christ’, Catherine was thrown into prison, where she was given new strength by visions of Christ in her cell. When she was tortured upon a spiked wheel (from which the circular firework known as a catherine wheel takes its name) the wheel miraculously burst apart and several of her torturers were killed by the splinters.

Catherine’s courage inspired the conversion of 200 soldiers, who were promptly put to death for their temerity, before she herself was finally beheaded. Angels are said to have carried her body off to Mount Sinai, where a great monastery was subsequently named after her.

Today she is honoured as the patron saint of philosophers, preachers, potters, spinners, hospitals, librarians and young girls. Also the name of other saints, including Catherine of Bologna (1413–63), Italian abbess; Catherine of Genoa (1447–1510), Italian mystic; Catherine of Siena (1347–80), Italian mystic; Catherine of Sweden (1331–81), Swedish abbess; Catherine dei Ricci (1522–90), Italian mystic; Catherine Labouré (1806–76), French visionary.

Variants: Caitlin, Cath, Catharine, Cathy, Catriona, Kaitlyn, Kate, Katelyn, Katharine, Kathleen, Katie, Katy, Kay, Kit, Kitty.

Cecil male form of Cecilia.

Cecilia (f)

[suh-SEE-lee-uh] feminine of Latin name Caecilius, from Latin caecus, meaning ‘blind’.

Roman virgin martyr (dates unknown). The life of Cecilia (otherwise known as Cecelia or Celia) is a matter of legend. A devout Christian, she is said to have been forced to marry a non-Christian husband named Valerian. Telling him that she had a guardian angel and that he would be able to see the angel as well if he agreed to be baptised by Pope Urban I, she managed to persuade Valerian to convert and become as committed to her faith as she was herself. Valerian’s brother Tiburtius followed their example and also converted. A further legend claims that the two brothers were beheaded after trying to bury the bodies of Christian martyrs and that Cecilia herself was condemned to death for refusing to worship the gods. An attempt to suffocate her failed and when the executioner tried to behead her he missed his aim and she lingered for another three days, during which time she made arrangements to leave all her property to the church. She is honoured as the patron saint of music, musicians and poetry.

Variants: Celia, Cicely, Cissy.

Male form: Cecil.

Celestine (f)

[SEL-es-teen] ultimately from Latin caelestis, meaning ‘heavenly’.

Celestine I (died 432), Italian Pope. Born in Campania, he succeeded Boniface I as Pope in 422 and devoted most of his energy towards combatting heresies. He is said to have sent St Germanus of Auxerre to oppose Pelagianism in England and to have sent St Patrick as a missionary to Ireland (431).

Also Celestine V (c.1214–96), Italian Pope. Born into a peasant family of Abruzzi, Celestine V was previously known as Peter of Morrone and lived for many years as the head of a community of hermits on Monte Morrone. In 1294, when he was 80 years old, he became the surprise compromise choice for pope after the cardinals failed to agree on any other candidate. Peter of Morrone obediently took office as Celestine V but, despite his personal sanctity, proved unsuited to the position. He fell easy prey to the political machinations of King Charles II of Naples and after just five months despairingly resigned the papal office (becoming the only pope to leave the post voluntarily), to be replaced by Boniface VIII.

Variant: Celeste.

Chad (m)

[chad] from Old English name Ceadda, possibly from Celtic cad, meaning ‘battle’.

English bishop (died 672). Chad (or Ceadda) was born in Northumbria and was educated under St Aidan on Lindisfarne alongside his brother St Cedd. He succeeded Cedd as Abbot of Lastingham in Yorkshire before being appointed Bishop of York by King Oswiu of Northumberland’s son Alcfrith. He was subsequently removed from the post by Theodore of Canterbury in favour of the rival claim of St Wilfrid, who had been appointed to the same post by Oswiu himself. Chad’s dutiful acceptance of the demotion impressed Theodore sufficiently to persuade him to reinstate him some time afterwards, this time as first bishop of Mercia, based at Lichfield. During the remaining three years of his life, Chad continued to be true to his reputation for piety and humility and also founded a monastery in Lincolnshire.

Chantal (f)

[shahn-TAL] from Old Provençal cantal, meaning ‘stone’ and associated with French chant, meaning ‘song’.

Name given to honour St Jane Frances de Chantal.

Variant: Chantelle.

Charity (f)

[CHA-ri-tee] ultimately from Latin carus, meaning ‘dear’.

The name stands for the Christian quality of love, alongside Faith and Hope (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Variants: Charis, Charissa, Cherie, Cherry, Cheryl.

Charlene feminine form of Charles.

Charles (m)

[chahlz] from a Germanic word, meaning ‘man’.

Name of several saints: Charles of Sezze (1613–70), Italian mystic. Born John Charles Marchioni into a humble family in Sezze, Italy, he learnt a love of God from his grandmother but was prevented from entering the priesthood because of his lack of education. He chose instead the role of a Franciscan lay brother at Naziano, subsequently serving in various menial roles at monasteries near Rome. He became well known for his many mystical experiences, which he described in an autobiography, as well as for his simple holiness and was also respected for his wisdom, being consulted on spiritual matters by three popes.

Charles Borromeo (1538–84), Italian archbishop. Born into a wealthy family near Lake Maggiore, he was the nephew of Pope Pius IV and at the age of 22 was raised to the rank of cardinal and appointed administrator for the ruinous see of Milan before he had even been ordained a priest. Further senior posts quickly followed as the Pope’s favourite consolidated his reputation as a talented and tireless reformer. He played a prominent role in the final session of the reforming Council of Trent (1562), was made Bishop of Milan (1563) and became archbishop the following year.

Charles de Foucauld (1858–1916), French hermit. The Viscount Charles de Foucauld was born into a wealthy family and lived a dissolute youth as a soldier before turning to the church. He rejoined the church formally in 1886 and spent the next 10 years in Trappist houses. In 1897 he entered into the life of a hermit at Nazareth. He was ordained in 1901 and later resumed his hermit existence in the Algerian desert where he aimed to evangelise the desert tribes. Based at Tamanrasset in Algeria from 1905, he became well known in the region under the nickname ‘Little Brother Charles of Jesus’.

Charles Lwanga and Companions (died 1885–86). Martyrs of Uganda. The mentally unstable King Mwanga of Buganda launched a campaign of persecution against Christians in his country after Joseph Mkasa Balikuddembe, master of the royal pages and a Catholic, criticised the young king for his dissolute behaviour and specifically for the murder of the Anglican missionary bishop James Hannington in 1885. Balikuddembe was beheaded on the orders of the enraged king and replaced by Charles Lwanga, who was also a Christian. Some months later, when one of the pages refused the king’s sexual advances, Mwanga had Lwanga and all the other Christians among the royal pages arrested and condemned all 32 of them to death. They were duly burnt alive at Namugongo, wrapped in burning reed mats. Despite their youth, the victims of the massacre met their deaths with cheerfulness and with their faith in God intact.

Variants: Carl, Carlo, Carlos, Carol, Charley, Charlie, Chas, Chuck, Karl.

Feminine forms: Carleen, Carlene, Carol, Carole, Caroline, Charlene, Charlotte.

Charlotte feminine form of Charles.

Chloe (f)

[KLOH-ee] from Greek, meaning ‘green shoot’.

Chloe is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:11: members of her household (family or people) told Paul about what the church at Corinth was like.

Christian (m, f)

[KRIS-chuhn] from Latin Christianus.

First used as a nickname in the mainly Gentile church at Antioch in Syria, with the sense of ‘one who belongs to Christ’ (Acts 11:26). It occurs only three times in the New Testament: Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16.

Variant: Chris.

Feminine forms: Christiana, Christie, Christina, Kirsty,

Tina.

Christiana, Christie, Christina feminine forms of Christian.