Choosing a Saint's Name for Confirmation

Choosing a Saint's Name for Confirmation.

            The tradition of taking a name at Confirmation is traceable back to the Old Testament when Abraham was called to lead his people to the one true God.  Originally named 'Abram', his name was changed to 'Abraham' meaning 'the father of many nations'.  Also in the New Testament  Simon's name was changed to Peter.  Peter meaning 'the rock' because he was the foundation upon which Jesus built his church.
            A person's name is an identity which reflects who that person is.  At Baptism parents choose names.  Sometimes to name after a father or favored relative.  Sometimes in reference to someone or something of special significance and often just because they like the name. 
            Many at Confirmation take a parents' name or name of their sponsor or a saint.   Here is a list of Catholic Confirmation Saints' names.

Female Saints (listed name,  feast date and contribution)
Bernadette April 16   had visions of the Lady of Lourdes - not in Roman Calendar

Bridget of Sweden  July 23     wife, foundress

Cecilia   November 22     virgin and martyr, patroness of music

Clare     August 11           virgin, foundress, mystic

Edith Stein August 9  philosopher, writer, convert from Judaism - canonized 1998

Elizabeth November 5       cousin of Mary, mother of John the Baptist

Elizabeth Ann Seton   January 4   religious

Joan of Arc (Jeanne La Pucelle) May 30    not in Roman Calendar

Martha   July 29    sisters to Sts. Lazarus and Mary at Bethany, patroness of cooks

Mary Faustina Kowalska October 5     religious, visionary of the Divine Mercy - canonized 2000

Mary Magdalene   July 22    apostle to the apostles

Mary, Mother of God   January 1      Mother of Jesus - has many feast days

Monica      August 27        widow, mother of St. Augustine

Rita of Cascia    May 22       religious, patroness of hopeless causes

Rose of Lima    August 23     virgin, foundress for care of the Native Americans of Peru

Rose-Philippini Duchesne   November 17    religious, foundress - canonized 1988

Scholastica February   10 virgin,   abbess and founder

Therese of Lisieux October 1     religious, doctor, “the Little Flower” - canonized in 1923

Male Saints (listed as name, feast day, contribution)

Albert (the Great)   November 15    doctor of the Church
Ambrose    December 7    father of the Church, doctor
Andrew      November 30   apostle, martyr
Anthony of Padua   June 13    doctor
Augustine (of Hippo) August 28 doctor, Father of the Church
Barnabas   June 11    apostle, martyr
Bartholomew (Nathanael)    August 24    apostle, martyr
Benedict    July 11      monastic founder
Blaise       February 3   bishop, martyr, physician
Brendan   May16        monastic founder, patron of sailors
Christopher July 25      martyr, patron of travelers - not in Calendar
Francis de Sales   January 24    bishop, doctor, patron of writers and journalists
Francis of Assisi     October 4     religious patron of animals
Gabriel the Archangel   September 29    patron of modern telecommunications
George      April 23        martyr, soldier
Henry    July 13           co-patron of the Benedictine Oblates
Ignatius (of Loyola)   July 31       priest, founder of the Jesuits
Ignatius (of Antioch)    October 17     bishop, martyr
Irenaeus   June 28 bishop         martyr
Isidore (the Farmer)    May 10      farmer, husband
James the Greater     July 25        apostle
James the Lesser       May 3         apostle - with Philip
Jerome        September 30          priest and doctor
Joachim     July 26         father of Mary
John       December 27   apostle, evangelist
John the Baptist    June 24    precursor of the Messiah, martyr (August 29)
Jude (or Thaddeus)   October 28    apostle, patron of lost causes
Lawrence   August 10    deacon, martyr
Leo the Great    November 10      pope, doctor
Louis Mary de Montfort    April 28     priest, devotion to Mary and the rosary
Luke    October 18        apostle, evangelist, patron of doctors
Mark              April 25   apostle, evangelist
Martin de Porres   November 3     religious, ministered to slaves
Matthew        September 21        apostle, evangelist
Maximillian Maria Kolbe    August 14   priest, martyr, died in Nazi concentration camp

Michael the Archangel    September 29   protector of the Chosen People - with Gabriel & Raphael

Nicholas      December 6      bishop, patron of children
Patrick        March 17           bishop, patron of Ireland
Paul           June 29              apostle, with Peter
Peter             June 29             apostle, first pope - with Paul
Philip           May 3                apostle - with James
Polycarp         February 23     bishops, martyr
Pontian         August 13          pope and martyr
Raphael the Archangel    September 29    with Michael and Gabriel
Sebastian     January 20       martyr
Simon           October 28       apostle - with Jude
Sixtus II        August 7         pope, martyr - with companions
Stephen       December 26  apostle, first martyr
Sylvester I    December 31     pope
Thomas       July 3              apostle
Thomas Aquinas   January 28     priest and doctor
Thomas Becket    December 29     bishop and martyr
Thomas More      June 22           martyr
Timothy      January 26              bishop - with Titus
Titus         January 26              bishop - with Timothy
Vincent      January 22          deacon, martyr
Vincent de Paul      September 27     priest, founder of Lazarist Fathers and Sisters of Charity

Wenceslaus        September 28     martyr
Zachary November 5 father of John the Baptist (Zachariah)