[name_m]Just[/name_m] looking for some opinions regarding whether [name_f]Grace[/name_f] is a religious name or not.
We are strongly considering it for our daughter on the way. I thought of it as more of a virtue name but am suddenly wondering if perhaps the religious connection is too strong. Neither my husband nor I are religious. Half of my family is Jewish, some religious, and I’m not sure if they would take offence to us using a name with a strong [name_u]Christian[/name_u] association.
Here in the UK it’s so commonly used, I wouldn’t necessarily think the family are [name_u]Christian[/name_u]. I do personally see it as a virtue name before the religious connection.
I definitely don’t think of it as a religious name since the concept of grace isn’t exclusive to religion. Like others said, it first comes to me as a virtue name!
I think of it as a name with strong [name_u]Christian[/name_u] ties, so I would probably assume your family is [name_u]Christian[/name_u]. But that said, if I found out you’re not, I wouldn’t think it was weird that you named your daughter [name_f]Grace[/name_f]. It’s still a lovely name.
I consider it religious as in divine grace rather than being graceful. But you don’t need to be religious to be named [name_f]Grace[/name_f]. [name_m]Plenty[/name_m] of people are named [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] despite its religious meaning.
I do consider [name_f]Grace[/name_f] to have religious ties, but it’s commonly used enough and versatile enough that I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if [name_f]Grace[/name_f] or her parents weren’t religious/Christian. The concept of divine grace is only one meaning or reason to use the name.
I do think of it as a religious name—that is, of grace in a religious sense rather than as a “virtue” per se. But I don’t think it’s so strongly religious that it would be inappropriate to use without being religious (or specifically Christian).
Secondly [name_f]Grace[/name_f] is a beautiful name I really love [name_f]Grace[/name_f]. One of the reasons why I love her is because of the religious connotations with divine grace to me that connotation is really serene and angelic. I also love [name_f]Grace[/name_f] because she’s a virtue name and I do love virtue names.
However moving away from why I love [name_f]Grace[/name_f] and onto your question I wouldn’t say [name_f]Grace[/name_f] is an overtly religious name. Yes of course she has religious connotations but the popularity of [name_f]Grace[/name_f] overrides that and makes the name feel very secular. I would not assume someone named [name_f]Grace[/name_f] was religious I wouldn’t assume anything about that person as it’s a relatively standard classic. [name_f]Grace[/name_f] belongs to the same style of name as [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] & [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] do so to me it’s perfectly usable and I would go ahead with it.
It doesn’t feel overly religious to me (and I’m quite sensitive to avoiding religious names). I think because it’s so common, I wouldn’t assume a Grace’s parents were [name_u]Christian[/name_u].
[name_f]Grace[/name_f] is a lovely choice! I have known so many of varying religious ties that I don’t even think of it as a [name_u]Christian[/name_u] name or a virtue name at first — just a name name!
