"Since a name is given to the baptized...as they are reborn in Christ and enrolled among His followers, care should be taken.... As far as possible, names of saints should be given, by whose example the faithful may be encouraged to lead holy lives and by whose intercession they may be protected." - Roman Ritual

Most folks who write to ask for help choosing a patron saint, a Confirmation name saint, Baptismal patron, etc., fall into one of three camps:

• Confirmation candidates who have chosen a name they like, and are looking a saint with that name as justify their choice;



• Students, or their parents, who have to write a report on their patron saint - and who didn't even know they had one; they normally look for a saint with the student's first or middle name;



• Parents-to-be looking for a saintly connection to a name they like.

Ideally you should approach this from the other direction: Learn about a bunch of saints. Get to know them, learn their lives and ways, and their areas of tradition. Choose some one with whom you have an affinity; you'll come to love the name. I highly recommend this to adult converts - the centuries-old tradition of studying the lives of the saints will always repay you more than you imagine.

However, I know that approach is just not practical for many people. So I am combining several traditional charts of name-day patrons. If you are trying to find the saints associated with the name Paula or Alan or Megan or Whoever, you can select the letter of the name, pick the name from the list - and get a list of saints associated with the name. You can click the saint names to access their profiles, so if there are several Saints Francis or Jimmy-Joe, you can easily check them all.

A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z

I include spelling variations and modern modifications, when I know them. The lists, like the rest of the site, is still being written, so you won't find every name. If you're looking for a name not listed, contact me; that's how I know which are the most important gaps in the lists.

If you'd prefer to select names based on a topic, such as your profession or some other aspect of you life, check the Patronage List. And for a more in-depth look at Christian or baptismal names, see the Catholic Encyclopedia article on that topic.