I was just brainstorming novel ideas, and I’ve got a couple of ideas for a character whose parents are very religious, straight-laced, “hardcore” Christians. Are there any names which you consider to be very [name]Christian[/name], or names that you think a very religious [name]Christian[/name] might use for a child? I’m looking for stereotypical names here, I know a person’s religion doesn’t necessarily reflect their naming choices in real life. Her “placeholder” name right now is Rosary, but I find it easier to work with a character when I have a proper name for them!
Protestant or Catholic?
Biblical [particularly OT ones] and virtue names would where I’d look. Why not tell us a bit more about your character, it might help?
Catholic - [name]Mary[/name]/[name]Mary[/name] variant; as well as any female saint: Female / Women Saints A-Z - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
Protestant - Any Biblical name - [name]Elizabeth[/name], [name]Martha[/name], [name]Veronica[/name]…
There’s three main categories for me:
- Those “Old Testament” names that strike a lot of people as rather “Children of the Corn” - [name]Malachi[/name], [name]Jabez[/name], [name]Hezekiah[/name], [name]Ezekiel[/name] for boys, [name]Keziah[/name], [name]Jerusha[/name], [name]Sarai[/name] for girls. I actually love these so don’t take citing [name]Stephen[/name] [name]King[/name] as an actual slam on the names themselves, it’s just what people have told me they think of when they hear those names.
Not all Biblical names work equally well: [name]Joshua[/name]/[name]Rachel[/name] don’t really kick home that message at all, do they?
-
Ones that I as a Jewish person would not actually use as they sound specifically [name]Christian[/name] and not just Biblical to me. Not all of them ARE even Biblical, and some of them sound fairly mainstream: Girls - [name]Evangeline[/name], [name]Christiana[/name]/[name]Christabel[/name] etc, [name]Mary[/name], [name]Magdalena[/name], [name]Trinity[/name]. Boys - [name]Peter[/name], [name]Christian[/name]/[name]Christopher[/name], [name]Luther[/name], [name]Thomas[/name] etc.
-
Names of obscure Catholic saints.
[name]Both[/name], as I’m not too certain yet. As an atheist I need to do a bit more research before I decide which!
I usually pick names that fit the parent’s personality more than the character’s personality (for example, the name [name]Elektra[/name] might suit a crazy, outgoing girl, but if her parents are the boring, stuffy type it would seem completely out of place), so right now I’m just looking for general names that might fit the bill. It’s all in the early stages anyway, and will be on the backburner as I’m already working on something, but I just like to have a fitting name to work with 
Thank you
Thanks!
At this point I should probably say, both genders welcomed as she may or may not have siblings!
If you’re going with a Protestant character:
[name]Charity[/name]
[name]Hope[/name]
[name]Rebecca[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name]
[name]Hannah[/name]
[name]Ruth[/name]
If it’s a Catholic character, I echo the suggestion of looking into a saints names. Maybe choose a birthday for your character and choose a saint that is associated with that day or a day close by.
It really depends upon the denomination (if Protestant), location, and class. The names of the children of an upper-crust Presbyterian couple will vary greatly from those of a lower middle class Southern Baptist. In my experience. Which is vast 
I think you’d be safe with any biblical name:
[name]Mary[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Abigail[/name]
[name]Esther[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name]
[name]Joseph[/name]
[name]Abraham[/name]
[name]Ezra[/name]
[name]Ezekiel[/name]
[name]Peter[/name]
Also, my family is strongly Catholic and my name is [name]Diana[/name], my sister is [name]Melissa[/name]. So just because you’re religious doesn’t mean you necessarily pick a religious name. I think it’s super stereotypical on characters that come from a religious family to have a bible name, since in real life it’s not always the case. So your character doesn’t necessarily have to have a bible name, it might make it more realistic if she didn’t and there might be more of a story behind it. [name]Just[/name] my 2 cents.
To add to that, not sure which Christian religion you’re going with, but my cousins are very strong Mormons, and none them have a religious name: Stefanie, Sidni, Samantha (Samee), and Sumer
You might want to focus on biblical names associated with piety or fidelity: [name]Sarah[/name], [name]Martha[/name], [name]Ruth[/name], [name]Esther[/name]
I happen to have my giant book of saints with me, so here are some saint names should you chose to have a Catholic character.
Girls:
[name]Joan[/name]
[name]Anne[/name]
[name]Mary[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Cecilia[/name]
Dympna
[name]Eulalia[/name]
[name]Dorotha[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name]
[name]Helen[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name]
[name]Agatha[/name]
[name]Agnes[/name]
[name]Hildegard[/name]
[name]Clare[/name]
[name]Bridgit[/name]
[name]Rita[/name]
[name]Angela[/name]
[name]Rose[/name]
[name]Marguerite[/name]
[name]Jeanne[/name]
[name]Magdalena[/name]
[name]Madeline[/name]
[name]Clelia[/name]
[name]Marie[/name]
Adolphine
[name]Theresa[/name]
[name]Edith[/name] [name]Josephine[/name]
Josemaria
[name]Apollonia[/name]
[name]Florence[/name]
[name]Ebbe[/name]
[name]Walburga[/name]
Lioba
[name]Hedwig[/name]
[name]Colette[/name]
[name]Jane[/name] [name]Frances[/name]
[name]Julie[/name]
[name]Philippine[/name]
[name]Mary[/name] [name]Rose[/name]
[name]Maria[/name]
Boys:
[name]Joseph[/name]
[name]Joachim[/name]
[name]John[/name]
Dismas
[name]James[/name]
[name]Bartholomew[/name]
[name]Jude[/name]
[name]Thomas[/name]
[name]Peter[/name]
[name]Simon[/name]
[name]Barnabas[/name]
[name]Andrew[/name]
[name]Paul[/name]
[name]Matthew[/name]
[name]Mark[/name]
[name]John[/name]
[name]Stephen[/name] Polucarp
[name]Justin[/name]
Iranaeus
[name]Valentine[/name]
[name]Vincent[/name]
[name]Antony[/name]
[name]Basil[/name]
[name]Cyril[/name]
[name]Gregory[/name]
[name]Ambrose[/name]
[name]Martin[/name]
[name]Jerome[/name]
[name]Augustine[/name]
[name]Leo[/name]
[name]Patrick[/name]
[name]David[/name]
[name]Isidore[/name]
[name]Cuthbert[/name]
[name]Rupert[/name]
Wenceslas
[name]Wolfgang[/name]
[name]Stephen[/name]
[name]Edward[/name]
[name]Stanislaus[/name]
[name]Benno[/name]
Anslem
[name]Bernard[/name]
[name]Henry[/name]
[name]Thomas[/name]
[name]Laurence[/name]
[name]Francis[/name]
[name]Alexander[/name]
[name]Nicholas[/name]
[name]Casmir[/name]
[name]Robert[/name]
[name]Roque[/name]
[name]Louis[/name]
[name]John[/name]-Baptist
[name]Leonard[/name]
[name]Alphonsus[/name]
Padre
Mazimilian
[name]Frances[/name]
[name]Charles[/name]
[name]Gaspar[/name]
I hope that helps!
- [name]Athena[/name]
Well, first off I realize that you said you wanted stereotypical [name]Christian[/name] names, but then followed it up by saying you’re an atheist writing a story about this stereotypically named [name]Christian[/name] girl…so, that doesn’t sound so great…doesn’t exactly make me want to be super helpful, lol. That’s like me saying, “I think I’m gonna write a story mocking atheists, where should I start?” 
However, taking it not so seriously and in the spirit of the holidays, here’s a few lists of names I’ve heard used extensively among very religious Protestants.
Joyful (yes, not just [name]Joy[/name], Joyful)
[name]Mercy[/name]
[name]Hope[/name] / [name]Faith[/name] - know sisters with these names
[name]Grace[/name] (I know a bazillion [name]Grace[/name]'s of every age)
I’ve never met a boy with a virtue name though–guess it’s seen as not super masculine by some.
[name]Melody[/name] / [name]Harmony[/name] (I knew sisters with these names)
I’d say most tend to stay away from the trendy names but they often like to have a link between their kids. I know dozens of families with, say, 5 kids all with B names ([name]Blair[/name], [name]Blake[/name], [name]Bridget[/name], [name]Brianna[/name], [name]Bryan[/name]) or something similar. But the majority won’t name their kids to get attention so there are a lot of simple names too [name]Anna[/name], [name]Sarah[/name], [name]Jacob[/name], [name]Paul[/name], [name]Adam[/name], [name]Michael[/name], etc.
Also, meaning can be very important:
[name]Caleb[/name] [name]Elijah[/name] - it means “devoted to Yahweh, for he is God”
[name]Josiah[/name] [name]Daniel[/name] - it means “God is my healer and my judge”
[name]Micah[/name] [name]Emmanuel[/name] - it means “who is like the [name]Lord[/name], the God who is with us”
[name]Simeon[/name] [name]Ezra[/name] - it means “God is listening and will help”
[name]Amos[/name] [name]Elisha[/name] - it means “carried by God, he is my salvation”
[name]Eve[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] - it means “a life pledged to God”
[name]Rebecca[/name] [name]Naomi[/name] - it means “servant of God, my joy and my delight”
All that said I think the name Rosary is sorta cool. I’ve never heard it but it is rather pretty. Not being Catholic I’m not sure how that would be viewed by Catholics—weird? since it’s hung around their necks and rubbed often? But it’s pretty anyway.
Okay well here are some of my suggestions [I happen to love biblical names, though I am not a Christian myself.]
For girls:
Bible names
Mary, Ruth, Martha, Sarah, Hannah, Miriam, Esther, Judith, Susanna, Deborah, Dinah, Hephzibah, Jael, Jedidah, Johanna, Keziah, Keturah, Leah, Moriah, Talitha, Shiphrah, Zipporah, Galilee, Nazarene
Virtue names, some of which were used by the Puritans, some are a little bit more modern.
Faith, Grace, Hope, Joy, Prudence, Temperance, Agape, Chastity, Remembrance, Credence, Fidelity, Modesty, Persevere, Truth, Constance, Purity, Harmony, Mercy, Piety, Rejoice, Prosperity, Patience, Perseverance, Providence, Redeemed, Repentance, Sincere, Verity, Felicity, Deliverance, Flee-Fornication, Be-faithful, Be-thankful, Faith-my-joy, From-above, Honor, Hope-still, Make-peace, Praise-God, Weep-not, Zeal-for-the-Lord. And of course you have names like Trinity though that’s not a virtue name.
For boys:
Samuel, Jacob, John, Isaac, Abram, Amos, Moses, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Jericho , Elijah, Bartholomew, Caleb, Elisha, Enoch, Ezra, Zephaniah, Hezekiah, Jared, Japheth, Jeriah, Joel, Jordan, Lazarus, Malachi, Manasseh, Micah, Nehemiah, Obadiah, Nicodemus, Tobiah, Zadok, Zebadiah, Zedekiah, Zebedee
[name]Caleb[/name] and [name]Simeon[/name] are good ones for sounding specifically [name]Christian[/name], to my ear, as they aren’t popular amongst Jews, though we do like [name]Simon[/name]/[name]Shimon[/name], the [name]Simeon[/name] spelling itself is more Christian sounding to me.
I happen to love the sound of [name]Rosario[/name] for a girl, though it’s too Catholic for me to use [name]IRL[/name].
I knew a [name]Mary[/name] [name]Catherine[/name] whose parents were encouraging her to become a nun.
Thank you all, lots of good suggestions for me to look over!
This is very true, but I still haven’t made a decision about those factors yet haha.
In my first post I did mention, I’m specifically looking for something stereotypical In my mind her parents are quintessential stereotypes. The rest of my family are Christians and none of their names are very [name]Christian[/name] at all, likewise my brother has a Biblical name but my mum’s an atheist, so I definitely get most of the time they have nothing to do with each other.
I’m not looking to mock Christians at all, most of my family are Christians, I’d just be writing my perspective. I completely disagree that you have to always write what you know, I don’t have to believe in the view to be able to write about it. I don’t think you stereotypical has to necessarily equal mocking, that seems like a slightly narrow-minded view, no offence meant. I just picture her parents as the kind who would choose a very stereotypical name for their child. If I’d said I was writing about a French family and wanted stereotypical French names, would you’d assume I was going to be mocking [name]France[/name]? If you look at how many kids are giving top 10 names, it’s easy to see that many, many people go for very obvious choices, it doesn’t necessarily make them something to be ridiculed. And the parents I have in mind are not the kind of people who would stray from tradition or the norm.
Here in Europe most Old Testament names sound very “Protestant Fundamentalist”. I know [name]Abigail[/name], [name]Seth[/name], [name]Levi[/name], and [name]Priscilla[/name] are traditional names in English but in other languages they sound very strange in a non-jewish person.
For Catholics more than classic popular saints names ([name]Mary[/name], [name]Theresa[/name], [name]Anthony[/name], [name]Frances[/name]) it’s the “marian” names that sound more religious to me, but these aren’t really used in English. [name]Immaculata[/name], [name]Dolores[/name], [name]Fatima[/name], [name]Lourdes[/name], [name]Annunziata[/name], [name]Rosario[/name], and using [name]Maria[/name] as a second name for boys.
Among Catholics naming your kid after “Our Lady of Something” is very common, and Rosary definitely applies ([name]Maria[/name] do [name]Rosario[/name] / [name]Rosaria[/name] are very normal names in latin catholic countries). It’s certanly prettier than names like [name]Dores[/name] (“pains”) and Agonia (“agony”) used because the parents were devoted to that aspect if the Virgin [name]Mary[/name].
I was commenting on how your question appeared based on your presentation. As you can see by the fact that I actually responded to your question, I didn’t take it as seriously as your reply suggests. I just wanted you to know how a superficial reading of your question might sound, especially to a [name]Christian[/name].
Neither did I say that you can only write about what you know, though it’s certainly easier. And it’s also less likely to cause people to react badly to your depiction of certain people groups. Your French example isn’t quite on the mark. More to the point would be a Jewish person asking for stereotypical names of Muslims. They might not be writing anything mocking either, but the stereotype is against them when they ask the question.
I’m glad you’re not looking to mock Christians (or the French! :)). I agree that stereotypical doesn’t have to mean mocking. Stereotypes exist because they are often true, but following stereotypes closely in a story can often feel like a hammer to the brain.
On another note, adding “no offense meant” after an offensive statement doesn’t make it less offensive, it only makes it seem passive aggressive. [name]Happy[/name] Thanksgiving!
Interesting! I actually know a [name]Rosario[/name] but I never connected it with rosary! That’s awesome. I don’t think I could actually ever use the name but I’m putting it on my list anyway because it’s so freaking gorgeous.