I’ve heard from parents with little girls named Avila and Siena, in honor of St. Teresa of Ávila and St. Catherine of Siena, respectively. That got me thinking–what other saintly place names might make good baby names?
Of course, what matters most with saint-related names is one’s affinity for the saint in question. That said, I don’t think most parents would seriously consider place names like Hippo or Bologna when they could choose from:
| Alexandria |
St. Cyril of Alexandria (ca. 376-444)
St. Ambrose of Alexandria (d. ca. 250)
St. Clement of Alexandria (c.150-217)
St. Dionysius of Alexandria (ca. 190-265)
St. Maximus of Alexandria (d. 282)
St. Nemesius of Alexandria (d. 307)
St. Pantaenus of Alexandria (d. ca. 200)
St. Peter of Alexandria (d. 311) |
| Aquinas/Aquino |
St. Thomas Aquinas (ca. 1225-1274) |
| Arbela |
St. Abraham of Arbela (d. ca. 345) |
| Arethusa |
St. Marcus of Arethusa (d. 362) |
| Atroa |
St. Peter of Atroa (773-837) |
| Avila |
St. Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582)
St John of Ávila (1500-1569) |
| Beverley |
St. John of Beverley (d. 721) |
| Brindisi |
St. Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619)
St. Leucius of Brindisi (d. 180) |
| Cambrai |
St. Vindician of Cambrai (ca. 632-ca. 712) |
| Cascia |
St. Rita of Cascia (1386-1457) |
| Cashel |
St. Albert of Cashel (d. 800) |
| Celeia |
St. Maximilian of Celeia (d. 284) |
| Chieti |
St. Justin of Chieti (d. ca. 540) |
| Clermont |
St. Artemius of Clermont (d. 396) |
| Cluny |
St. Berno of Cluny (ca. 850-927)
St. Odilo of Cluny (ca. 962-ca. 1048)
St. Odo of Cluny (ca. 878-942) |
| Corinth |
St. Quadratus of Corinth (d. ca. 258) |
| Cyrene |
St. Cyrilla of Cyrene (d. ca. 300)
St. Theodore of Cyrene (d. ca. 310) |
| Edessa |
St. John of Edessa (6th cen.)
St. Mary of Edessa (4th cen.) |
| Genoa |
St. Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)
St. Syrus of Genoa (d. 381)
St. Valentine of Genoa (d. ca. 307) |
| Imola |
St. Cassian of Imola (4th cen.) |
| Iona |
St. Conan of Iona (d. 648)
St. Failbhe of Iona (d. ca. 680)
St. Ronan of Iona (d. ca. 660) |
| Kildare |
St. Brigid of Kildare (ca. 451-525)
St. Blath of Kildare (d. 523) |
| Kratia |
St. Abraham of Kratia (ca. 474-ca. 558) |
| Leonessa |
St. Joseph of Leonessa (1556-1612) |
| Lisieux |
St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) |
| Loyola |
St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) |
| Malaga |
St. Patrick of Málaga (d. ca. 307) |
| Melrose |
St. Waltheof of Melrose (d. 1159) |
| Narni |
St. Juvenal of Narni (d. ca. 373)
St. Lucy of Narni (1476-1544)
St. Proculus of Narni (d. ca. 542) |
| Nitria |
St. Isidore of Nitria (4th cen.) |
| Nola |
St. Felix of Nola (d. 255)
St. Maximus of Nola (d. ca. 250)
St. Paulinus of Nola (ca. 354-431) |
| Nursia/Norcia |
St. Benedict of Nursia (480-547) |
| Nyssa |
St. Gregory of Nyssa (ca. 335-ca. 395) |
| Offida |
St. Conrad of Offida (1241-1306) |
| Omura |
St. Marina of Omura (d. 1634) |
| Padua |
St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
St. Daniel of Padua (d. 168)
St. Justina of Padua (d. ca. 304) |
| Paola |
St. Francis of Paola (1416-1507) |
| Pavia |
St. Armentarius of Pavia (d. 451)
St. Crispin of Pavia (d. ca. 250)
St. Dalmatius of Pavia (d. 304)
St. Epiphanius of Pavia (438-496)
St. Jerome of Pavia (d. 787)
St. Maximus of Pavia (d. 511)
St. Pompeius of Pavia (d. 290)
St. Syrus of Pavia (1st cen.)
St. Theodore of Pavia (d. ca. 778) |
| Petra |
St. Macarius of Petra (d. ca. 350) |
| Ravenna |
St. John of Ravenna (d. 494)
St. Liberius of Ravenna (d. 200) |
| Réomé |
St. John of Réomé (425-539) |
| Ricci |
St. Catherine of Ricci (1522-1590) |
| Rieti |
St. Stephen of Rieti (d. ca. 590) |
| Siena |
St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
St. Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444) |
| Sora |
St. Julian of Sora (d. ca. 150) |
| Synnada |
St. Agapetus of Synnada (3rd cen.) |
| Trent |
St. Vigilius of Trent (d. 405) |
| Verona |
St. Gaudentius of Verona (d. ca. 465)
St. John of Verona (7th cen.)
St. Lucidius of Verona (4th cen.)
St. Peter of Verona (1206-1252)
St. Proculus of Verona (d. ca. 320)
St. Toscana of Verona (ca. 1290-1343)
St. Zeno of Verona (ca. 300-371) |
| Whitby |
St. Eanfleda of Whitby (d. ca. 700)
St. Hilda of Whitby (614–680) |
| Wilton |
St. Alburga of Wilton (d. 810)
St. Edith of Wilton (961-984) |
| York |
St. Bosa of York (d. ca. 705)
St. Paulinus of York (584-644)
St. Samson of York (d. ca. 490-565)
St. William of York (1154-1226) |
Saintly Place Names – Avila, Edessa, Kildare, Nyssa, Siena
I’ve heard from parents with little girls named Avila and Siena, in honor of St. Teresa of Ávila and St. Catherine of Siena, respectively. That got me thinking–what other saintly place names might make good baby names?
Of course, what matters most with saint-related names is one’s affinity for the saint in question. That said, I don’t think most parents would seriously consider place names like Hippo or Bologna when they could choose from:
St. Ambrose of Alexandria (d. ca. 250)
St. Clement of Alexandria (c.150-217)
St. Dionysius of Alexandria (ca. 190-265)
St. Maximus of Alexandria (d. 282)
St. Nemesius of Alexandria (d. 307)
St. Pantaenus of Alexandria (d. ca. 200)
St. Peter of Alexandria (d. 311)
St John of Ávila (1500-1569)
St. Leucius of Brindisi (d. 180)
St. Odilo of Cluny (ca. 962-ca. 1048)
St. Odo of Cluny (ca. 878-942)
St. Theodore of Cyrene (d. ca. 310)
St. Mary of Edessa (4th cen.)
St. Syrus of Genoa (d. 381)
St. Valentine of Genoa (d. ca. 307)
St. Failbhe of Iona (d. ca. 680)
St. Ronan of Iona (d. ca. 660)
St. Blath of Kildare (d. 523)
St. Lucy of Narni (1476-1544)
St. Proculus of Narni (d. ca. 542)
St. Maximus of Nola (d. ca. 250)
St. Paulinus of Nola (ca. 354-431)
St. Daniel of Padua (d. 168)
St. Justina of Padua (d. ca. 304)
St. Crispin of Pavia (d. ca. 250)
St. Dalmatius of Pavia (d. 304)
St. Epiphanius of Pavia (438-496)
St. Jerome of Pavia (d. 787)
St. Maximus of Pavia (d. 511)
St. Pompeius of Pavia (d. 290)
St. Syrus of Pavia (1st cen.)
St. Theodore of Pavia (d. ca. 778)
St. Liberius of Ravenna (d. 200)
St. Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444)
St. John of Verona (7th cen.)
St. Lucidius of Verona (4th cen.)
St. Peter of Verona (1206-1252)
St. Proculus of Verona (d. ca. 320)
St. Toscana of Verona (ca. 1290-1343)
St. Zeno of Verona (ca. 300-371)
St. Hilda of Whitby (614–680)
St. Edith of Wilton (961-984)
St. Paulinus of York (584-644)
St. Samson of York (d. ca. 490-565)
St. William of York (1154-1226)