Christian Christian Names: Baby Names inspired by the Bible and the Saints. Martin Manser
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(m)
[KAY-leb] from Hebrew, meaning ‘dog’.
One of the twelve Israelite leaders sent by Moses to explore the Promised Land. Only Caleb and Joshua actually entered the Promised Land because of their wholehearted faith (Numbers 13–14).
Callista (f)
[kuh-LIS-tuh] from Greek kallistos, meaning ‘beautiful’.
Name derives from the names of the three popes named Callistus (also known as Callixtus) especially Callistus I (died c.222). Originally a slave, but his master put him charge of a bank, which soon failed. He then fled from Rome, but was captured and sentenced to forced labour of the treadmill. He was eventually freed but when found brawling in a synagogue he was sentenced to work in the mines of Sardinia. He was later released to be made manager of a Christian cemetery. He served well in that capacity and became a deacon. 18 years later he was chosen to be pope and had a short but controversial period of office, especially in that he was considered by some to be too lenient in his treatment of sinners.
Camillus (m)
[kuh-MIL-uhs] from Latin, of unknown origin.
Italian priest (1550–1614). Born at Bocchianico in the Abruzzi, he converted to Christianity and became a Capuchin novice only after fighting as a soldier of fortune against the Turks and after overcoming an addiction to gambling. A diseased leg resulting from his military experiences prevented him being admitted to the order so he dedicated himself instead to tending the incurably sick at a hospital in Rome. With the support of St Philip Neri, he became a priest in 1584 and founded the Ministers of the Sick to organise staff at eight hospitals throughout Italy. Today he is honoured as the patron saint of nurses and the sick.
Variant: Camille.
Feminine form: Camilla.
Candace (f)
[KAN-dis] meaning unknown.
A title of various queens of Ethiopia, one of whom is mentioned in the Bible (Acts 8:27).
Variants: Candice, Candida, Candy.
Carleen, Carlene feminine forms of Charles.
Carmel (f)
[KAH-muhl] ultimately from Hebrew, meaning ‘garden’.
Title of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The name of a mountain range stretching southeast from the Mediterranean near Acre, and of its chief peak at the north-west end where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). The order of Mendicant Friars known as the Carmelites dates from the twelfth century.
Variants: Carmelita, Carmen.
Carole, Caroline feminine forms of Charles.
Casper (m)
[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.
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