The Origin of (Some) Baby Names

Allison Gingras shares a follow-up to last month's article on baby names, with stories from Catholic Mom readers about their children's names (and their own).

Last month, I wrote an article sharing how some of our Catholic Mom contributors named their children. When the article was published, even more moms shared the stories behind their children’s names. That response inspired this second article, filled with even more beautiful and meaningful naming stories, including stories of how some women themselves were named by their parents.

Want to share your story? Add it to the comments below.

More Baby Name Stories

Margaret Lee was named after her Grammy (Margaret) and Grandmother (Orsolina) who my dad always called Lee. We waited at Logan for the airplane and her escort. (Charlene L.)

Margaret (Meg, after the girl in A Wrinkle in Time) Louise (my husband's father); Caroline Grace (we just liked these names, and my grandma has a cousin Grace); Elizabeth (Saint Elizabeth of the Visitation and my grandma's middle name) Ann (Saint Anne and my mom's middle name); Robert (my husband's grandpa and my grandma's brother) Timothy (my dad); Alexandra (Sandy, after Irish singer Sandy Denny) Clare (Saint Clare). (Katie F.)

Elizabeth is a family name. My name, my mother's, grandmother's, and so on. Anne, I have always loved but it's my confirmation name so she is Elizabeth Anne. Michael is my husband's middle name and William just went with it. No other reason. All our other choices for middle names were other family members, and we didn't want him to think he was named after anyone, just himself! (Maureen L.)

For our son, we really wanted to name him after his two grandfathers. William and Clinton. However, this was 1997 and adverse news stories associated with the names deterred us. We settled on Kevin Thomas. Kevin after his dad, which brought in my husband’s family, and Thomas after my father’s brother: the only sibling and uncle I had any memory of. Thomas was a Park Ranger, and my son has always had a passion for animals and a desire to be a park ranger. Thomas passed years before my son was ever born. God designed. (Anonymous)

Marie Rose Thérèse was named after our Blessed Mother, Saint Rose of Lima (also Marie is my middle name, and Rose is a part of my maiden name, Desrosiers). Thérèse after Saint Thérèse. John Marc Joseph was named after Saints John and Mark. We spelled it Marc cause my mom's maiden name is Marcotte. Joseph is after Saint Joseph. Julianne Marie is named after her godmother, Julianne. There are also a Saint Julie and a Saint Anne (my confirmation saint). Marie is after our Blessed Mother and my middle name. Whew!! (Jenna A.)

For our eldest, we definitely wanted a saint’s name and had several picked out. On the day he was born, my husband chose from the list, which is how we ended up with Luke Michael. For our second child, we still wanted a saint’s name but couldn’t settle on just one. We wrote out 16 name combinations, put them in a hat, and had our 18-month-old son pick one each day, keeping a tally. Our daughter arrived early, and the name with the most marks — Nina Elizabeth — became hers. For our youngest, we again wanted a saint’s name while also honoring family, so we chose Jack Robert. Jack was the nickname of a beloved relative (John Baptista), and Robert honors a member of my husband’s family. Living in Massachusetts, people often asked if we named him after the Kennedys, but we always said no — he’s named for family members and saints. (Martianne S.)

We had the name Levi chosen for our second son. My mother, though polite, was clearly not a fan of the name. Instead, we chose a name which honored her name, Judy, and named him Jude! My first daughter was stillborn and named Stella. I remember praying to Our Lady that if Jesus ever sent us a daughter, we would name her Mary. Sure enough, my Mary Gianna is almost 10 years old. We did not realize until years later that the name Stella is also actually associated with our lady Stella Maris. I also have a Saint Thérèse/Saint Rose baby and a Mary/Blessed Mother baby. While newly pregnant and learning about Saint Thérèse, I finished a book about her the same day my husband unknowingly left roses in my car, and later our son unexpectedly suggested the name Rose — confirming for me that God had sent us a daughter to be named in honor of both Saint Thérèse and Saint Rose of Lima. (Katie K.)

My youngest is Neleh: "Helen" spelled backwards. Got the idea from Survivor (the TV show). My grandmother was Helen, so it worked. (Jennifer L.)

Somewhere deep in my (probably inaccurate) memory, I was at Ash Wednesday Mass and the readings were from Mark, Daniel, and 1 or 2 Peter, and I loved that combination of names. My Marcus Daniel Peter was born in June of that year (Allison K.)

Briella’s name came from an old TV show I used to watch. It's Italian and means "God is my strength." Her middle name, Quinn, is my great grandmother's maiden name. Ej’s name is Edwin João. Edwin is my dad and grandfathers name. My dad is the 4th but didn’t pass on the name. João is my father-in-law. (Leigh-Anne M.)

How I Was Named

Recently, I enjoyed a fun, serendipitous moment when I met another person whose name, like mine, was inspired by a television character. Neither of us had ever met someone else whose mother, while pregnant, fell in love with a name on TV and then chose it for her child.

In my case, my mom was watching the old soap opera Peyton Place when she heard the name Allison — an uncommon choice then — and decided to change her original pick. I’ve always loved my name and its unique origin story, and I was delighted to hear it echoed in this young woman’s similar experience. As an aside, the irony that I now work for Father Peyton’s ministry is not lost on me!

More Name Origin Stories

I was born unexpectedly at home. My father delivered me, following the phoned-in instructions from the OB/GYN. When the paramedics arrived, they said they needed a name for their records. My mother had seen the movie The Sound of Music recently, so she blurted out, "Maria." This has been followed by a lifetime of people singing "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" to me. (Maria G.)

My parents suffered many miscarriages and babies that had died after a few days of birth. I too was very sick when I was first born, and the doctors were not sure if I would make it. My parents prayed and I survived; my mother was too distraught to name me, so my father named me after my mother, Dorothy, as I was supposed to be born on her birthday. When I finally turned “the corner” and the doctors told them I would be fine, my father gave me my middle name, Grace. My maiden name initials were D-G-T. My dad always told me my initials stood as a constant reminder of answered prayers: “Dear God, Thanks.” (Dottie B)

I was born back in the day when you had to have a saint’s name as one of your names. My parents wanted to name me Marti but needed a saint’s name, so they made my middle name Anne. Growing up, people would often ask what my “real” name was when they heard my name was Marti. I would say, “Marti,” and they would reply, “No, dear — that’s your nickname. What’s your real name? Is it Martha or Martina or …?” And I would say, “Marti Anne,” followed by my last name. Later, I just started going by Martianne, and that became my name. (Martianne S.)

My dad wanted to name me Deborah, but I am Christine Lynne DeClements. I later found out my mom chose my name, so I asked her why. She said she wanted to be on the good side of God — Christine meaning “Christ-like,” Lynne meaning “waterfall,” and DeClements honoring mercy. I think God smiles on her choice, though it gives me a lot to live up to. (Christine D.)

Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2026 Allison Gingras
Images: Canva