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

Christine (f)

[KRIS-teen] from Old English Cristen, meaning ‘Christian’.

A martyr of the early church, probably in the fourth century. She was born in Bofena, Italy. At the age of puberty she rejected the advances of local nobles. Her pagan father then locked her with servants in a tower, putting in her cell valuable pagan idols, which Christine smashed to pieces after receiving an angelic vision: she then gave the valuable pieces to the poor. When her father discovered what happened, he handed her over to a judge who tortured her, trying to make her renounce her faith: she, however, remained firm even under even more severe forms of torture.

Variants: Chris, Chrissie, Chrissy, Christian, Christina, Kirsten, Kirsty, Kristen, Kristina, Tina.

Christopher (m)

[KRIS-tuh-fuh] from Greek Christophoros, meaning ‘carrying Christ’.

Martyr of Lycia (third century). Nothing is known of the life of St Christopher beyond the belief that he died a martyr’s death in Lycia (in modern Turkey) during the reign of the Emperor Decius around the middle of the third century. He was sentenced to be burnt to death but when this failed he was shot with arrows and beheaded.

The substance of the modern legend of Christopher was invented in the medieval period. According to this tradition, he was a great giant who vowed to serve the most powerful king on earth. He swore loyalty initially to a Christian ruler, but subsequently abandoned him to serve the Devil. When the Devil revealed his terror of Christ, Christopher determined to serve the latter instead. He was told by a hermit that Christ might be found on the other side of a particular river. When Christopher reached the river he agreed to carry across a child, only to find that the child – which became heavier and heavier – was Christ (proved when the child made Christopher’s staff sprout fruit and flowers). Subsequently he obeyed Christ’s command to defend the Christians in Lycia at a time of harsh persecution.

He converted all those who sought to capture him but was eventually put to death for refusing to sacrifice to the gods. Today he is honoured as the patron saint of travellers and motorists, who sometimes carry a medallion bearing his image as a good-luck charm.

Variants: Chris, Christie, Crystal, Kit.

Clare (f)

[clair] from Latin clarus, meaning ‘clear’ or ‘bright’.

From the name of two saints: Clare of Assisi (1193–1253), Italian founder of the Franciscan Poor Clares. Born into a noble family in Assisi, she was profoundly influenced when she was 18 by hearing St Francis of Assisi preach in 1212 and resolved to imitate his life of poverty and simple faith. In defiance of her family’s wishes, she ran away from home and, with the blessing of St Francis, joined a Benedictine convent, where ultimately she was joined by her mother and sister. At the invitation of St Francis, she founded a community of women who wished to live like Franciscan friars, calling them the Poor Clares and insisting upon the observance of absolute poverty. Members of the Poor Clares were expected to keep to the most rigorous of lifestyles, giving up their possessions, never eating meat, sleeping on the floor and rarely speaking.

Today she is honoured as the patron saint of the blind and also of television (a consequence of the legend that she witnessed a Christmas service by means of a vision when illness prevented her attending in person).

Also Clare of Montefalco (died 1308), Italian nun. Born at Montefalco in Italy, Clare of Montefalco (or Clare of the Cross) became a member of a community of Franciscan hermits who observed the rule of St Augustine. She was appointed abbess of the convent in 1291 and became widely known not only for her austere lifestyle but also as miracle worker.

Variants: Claire, Clara, Clare, Claribel, Clarice, Clarinda.

Masculine forms: Clarence, Sinclair.

Clarence masculine form of Clare.

Claude (m, f)

[clawd] from a Roman name, from Latin claudus, meaning ‘lame’ or ‘crippled’.

Claude La Colombière (1641–82), French Jesuit. Born in Saint-Symphorizen d’Orzen near Lyons, he became a member of the Jesuit Order at Avignon in 1659 and established a widespread reputation as a preacher, noted both for his articulacy and for his intelligence. He became head of the Paray-le-Monial College in 1675 and a leading supporter of St Margaret Mary Alocoque, but a year later was appointed chaplain to Mary of Modena, Duchess of York, in London and became a prominent figure among English Catholics.

In the Bible, Claudia (f) was a Christian woman in Rome, among those who sent greetings to Timothy via Paul (2 Timothy 4:21). Claudius (m) was the Roman emperor from AD 41 to 54 and he is mentioned in Acts 11:28;18:2.

Variant: Claud.

Feminine forms: Claudette, Claudia.

Claudette, Claudia feminine forms of Claude.

Clement (m)

[KLE-muhnt] from Latin clemens, meaning ‘mild’.

The name of several saints, including: Clement I (died c.100), Roman Pope. Little is known of the life of Clement I (or Clement of Rome) beyond the fact that he was the fourth bishop of Rome and ranks alongside the apostles as one of the fathers of the early church. He was the probable author of an important letter discussing unrest in the church of Corinth and may be the colleague mentioned by the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:3. Legend has it that he was lashed to an anchor and drowned on the orders of the Roman Emperor Trajan.

Also Clement of Alexandria (c.150–c.215), Greek theologian and Father of the Church. Probably born in Athens, he converted to Christianity and studied under Pantaenus in Alexandria, eventually succeeding Pantaenus as head of the celebrated school there around 190. He was forced to flee Alexandria during the persecutions of 202 under the Emperor Severus and moved to Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he was reunited with his old friend and pupil Bishop Alexander. He is honoured as the patron saint of lighthouses.

Variant: Clem.

Feminine form: Clementine.

Clementine feminine form of Clement.

Cleopas (m)

[KLEE-uh-puhs] shortened form of Greek Cleopatros, meaning ‘fame of the father’.

One of two disciples to whom Jesus appeared on the road to Emmaus on the evening of the first Easter day (Luke 24:13–32). The two friends were discussing Jesus’ crucifixion and death but they did not recognise that it was Jesus who was walking with them until he broke bread with them in their house.

Clotilda (f)

[kluh-TIL-duh] from a Germanic name derived from hloda, meaning ‘famous’ and hildi, meaning ‘battle’.

A Burgundian princess, Clotilde (or Clotilda) (c.474–545) was born in Lyons and in due course became the wife of Clovis, king of the Franks, in 491. The two appear to have enjoyed a strong and possibly loving marriage, the pagan Clovis respecting Clotilde’s Catholic faith and, in the face of her powerful arguments, even conceding to her demands that their infant sons be baptised as Christians. Clovis himself resisted his wife’s encouragement to become a Christian himself until 496 when the threat of defeat in battle persuaded him to turn to the Christian God for aid. Upon his subsequent victory he agreed to be baptised at Reims and gave his tacit approval to the evangelisation of the Frankish kingdom. This in turn led ultimately to the creation of the first Christian states in northern Europe. Clotilda is honoured today as the patron saint of adopted children, brides, exiles, queens, bereaved or abused parents and the parents of large families.

Colette (f)

[ko-LET] feminine of Nicholas, ultimately from the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning ‘victory of the people’.

French nun (1381–1447). Born Nicolette Boylet, Colette was the daughter of a carpenter of Calcye in Picardy and joined the Franciscan order on the death of her parents, when she was aged 17. She spent some eight years living as a hermit at Corbie Abbey in Picardy before claiming to have had a vision of St Francis, who commanded her to set about restoring the order of the Poor Clares to their original austerity. Colette accordingly emerged from her seclusion and set about her mission of reform. She set about renewing the community of the Poor Clares at Besançon in 1410 and over the next 30 years or so continued her work at 17 convents throughout Europe. She never flagged in her mission, praying daily for the conversion of sinners and securing many converts to her cause.

Columba (m)

[kuh-LUM-buh] from Latin, meaning ‘dove’.

Columba of Iona (c.521–597), Irish abbot and missionary. Columba (or Colmcille) was born in Donegal the descendant of two royal Celtic houses and was intended for the church from an early age. In due course he became a monk and spent some 15 years preaching and founding monasteries, including those at Derry and Durrow. He eventually fell out with Finnian over the issue of a transcript he had made of Finnian’s copy of St Jerome’s Psalter, which Finnian (with the support of King Diarmaid) claimed was rightfully his. Relations with Diarmaid worsened some time later when some of the king’s men killed a man seeking sanctuary with Columba.

Columba led members of his clan in a campaign against the king and won a bloody battle at Cooldrevne in which some 3000 warriors died. Through this victory Columba won back his Psalter, but perhaps it was his sense of guilt over the many deaths he had precipitated that persuaded him to go into self-imposed exile from his beloved homeland. Accordingly he and a small band of his relatives sailed to the island of Iona off the Scottish coast in 565. There he founded the famous monastery from which he launched various missionary expeditions into Pictish Scotland and northern England.

The community at Iona became Columba’s most enduring legacy, attracting students from all over Europe and becoming an important centre of religious learning and writing. Its founder never overcame his sense of loss at leaving Ireland, however, and his writings included poetry expressing his homesickness. Considered the central figure in Celtic Christianity, Columba is honoured today as the patron saint of Ireland, as well as of bookbinders and poets. See also Malcolm.

Feminine forms: Columbina, Columbine.

Columbina, Columbine feminine forms of Columba.

Connie feminine form of Constantine.

Conrad (m)