Patches of Names

Before the Middle Ages, a young man underwent enslavement for six years. Afterward, he returned to England. He later became a bishop and converted Ireland to Christianity. That man, after whom the major holiday of March is named, is St. Patrick.  St. Patrick is the earliest known bearer of the anglicization of the Latin Patricius, meaning "nobleman." He has seen usage in Britain, where he was especially popular in Scotland, since the twelfth century. Even though Patrick also became a name in Ireland, the Irish considered him too sacred for use. That might also explain why the name emerged several centuries after the saint's time, even in Britain.  Patrick did not become popular in Ireland until the seventeenth century. He reached popularity in England two centuries later, ranking in the top 100 through 2005. In the United States, Patrick ranked in the top 200 every year until 2018. He was also a top 100 name through 1904 and again from 1937 to 2004.  Patrick remains popul...

Its green landscapes has given Ireland a famous nickname. That nickname happens to feature a feminine green gemstone name: the Emerald Isle. Emerald, the green stone, has traditionally been the birthstone of May. In ancient Egypt, people also used the stone for love and wisdom. As a baby name, it is lacking in history even though it appears in the Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources. It has been recorded as the Old French Emeraude in 1292 and the Latin Emerauda in 1564.  Emerald has been recorded for at least five girls in the United States as early as 1904. Yet, it did not really begin to rise until the 1970s. Emerald went on to make the top 1000 from 1991 to 2002 with a 700s peak in 1994. The name reentered in 2017 and again in 2019. Emerald has been slowly rising in popularity since then.  With several girls' names meaning "green", such as Olive and Sage, along with gemstone names like Jade and Opal in the top 1000, this is Emerald's time to shine. I...

Catholic parents sometimes name their children differently than the general population. One of their unique naming sources are the Catholic saints. Saintly boys' names belong to Catholic saints. However, not every saints' name counts. John and Peter have been worn by at least one saint each, but they feel too ordinary for immediate association. A classic saints' name can still count, but it must immediately bring the saint to mind. Here are some saintly boys' names that honor the Catholic faith: Ambrose Anselm Augustine Barnabas Bartholomew Basil Benedict Blaise Bruno Casper Constantine Cornelius Damien Declan Dominic Edmund Emmanuel Erasmus Felix Florian Francis Gabriel Gerard Gilbert Hermes Ignatius Isidore Jerome Joachim Jude Kenelm Lazarus Leo Linus Magnus Matthias Maximilian Nicholas Pedro Peregrine Pius Quentin Raphael Raymond Rémy Sebastian Silvan Thomas Valentine Victor Vincent Vitus Xavier What names would you add?

A certain group of famous people are important to Christians. They serve as role models for living a pure and holy life. Saintly names belong to Catholic saints. However, not every name that has belonged to a saint counts as Saintly. Lucy and Mary might honor saints, but the connections don't immediately come to mind. Yet, other classics have stronger connections to their saintly namesakes, making them qualify.  Here are some Saintly names for girls: Adelaide Adelina Agatha Agnes Amandine Anastasia Apollonia Ava Avila Barbara Bernadette Brigid Camilla Carmen Cecilia Chantal Clare Eugenia Faith Faustina Felicity Flora Gemma Genevieve Guadalupe Helena Jacinta Joan Josephine Kateri Louisa Lucia Magdalene Maria Marianne Monica Perpetua Philomena Rita Rosa Rosalia Sabina Seraphina Siena Sofia Susanna Teresa Ursula Valentina Veronica Vivian Winifred Zélie Zita What names would you add?