How to Select a Saint for Your Confirmation Name

A complete guide to finding your patron saint

Co-authored by Luke Smith, MFA

Last Updated: March 24, 2023 References Approved

Choosing a Confirmation Name

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Finalizing Your Confirmation Name

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What is a confirmation name?

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

Confirmation is an important sacrament in which you’ll renew your commitment to your faith. Before you get confirmed, you’ll need to choose a confirmation name. But what’s in a name, and how do you go about choosing one? There’s lots to consider, but choosing a confirmation name is a fun and fulfilling process that will bring you closer to the saints and your faith. We’ve put together a simple guide that’ll fill you in on what a confirmation name is, how to choose one based on your relationships or the lives of saints, and how to make your choice final.

Things You Should Know

Choose a name that’s also the name of saint that will aid you on your spiritual journey.
Opt to keep your baptismal (first) name, or choose to take the name of someone important to you like a guardian, religious leader, or role model.
Research the lives of saints and choose the name of a saint whose life you find interesting or admire, or a saint who’s the patron of a topic that you identify with.
Pray to your chosen saint for guidance, consult with your family, and make your decision known to your confirmation organizer before your confirmation.

Section 1 of 3:

Choosing a Confirmation Name

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Opt to keep your baptismal name. You don’t have to choose a completely new name if you don’t want to. Many people opt to stick with the name given to them at their baptism (which is also your current first name) to symbolize their connection to and appreciation of their spiritual life up to this point. You might choose your baptismal name to show that you’ve had continual spiritual growth, and that your confirmation is merely a milestone in your faith journey, rather than an entirely new beginning.^{[1]
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- If you’re not named after a saint, choose a new confirmation name that’s different from your baptismal name, and which is the name of a saint.
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Choose the name of a role model or someone close to you. As long as that person is named after a saint, you can take the name of someone you feel close to or who has helped you in your faith. This might be a parent, sibling, good friend, or a spiritual person you admire, such as a pope, priest, or nun who you look up to. Choosing their baptismal name as your own is a tremendously meaningful gesture that shows your gratitude and appreciation for their presence in your life.^{[2]
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- If you choose the name of a person, research and familiarize yourself with the saint that shares their name, anyway. This saint will still serve as your spiritual guide after your confirmation!
- You can’t choose the name of someone who isn’t named after a saint.
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Take a saint’s name based on their patronage. For every talent, occupation, illness, or activity you can think of, there’s a saint that we associate with it. These are patron saints, and we pray to them when we need help with a particular area of our lives (like praying to St. Anthony, patron saint of lost things, when we need help finding something). You might choose the saint who’s the patron of a topic that means a lot to you.^{[3]
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- Visit a site like CatholicSaints and browse their list of patron saints to find a topic and a saint you identify with.
- There are often multiple patron saints for a single topic, so you can start with a topic you like and then pick from the saints associated with that topic. In addition, many saints are patrons of multiple things.
- Some popular saints with common patronages are:
  - St. Francis of Assisi, the patron of animals.
  - St. John the Apostle, the patron of scholars.
  - St. Luke the Evangelist, the patron of artists
  - St. Martha, the patron of cooks.
  - St. Catherine of Alexandria, the patron of librarians.
  - St. Cosmas, the patron of medical doctors.
  - St. Blaise, the patron of musicians.
  - St. Veronica, the patron of photographers.
  - St. Augustine of Hippo, the patron of theologians.
  - St. Francis de Sales, the patron of writers.
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Choose a saint’s name based on their life. People don’t become saints for nothing; every saint has, in some way, led an extraordinary spiritual life. A great way to select a confirmation saint is to read about their lives and choose a saint whose lived a life you admire. You might pick someone who lived a life you feel was similar to yours, or who overcame great odds and inspires you.^{[4]
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- Visit a site like Catholic.org to browse the lives and biographies of many saints.
  - St. George was a soldier and a martyr who died for his faith. People often look to St. George to ask for bravery or courage.
  - St. Germaine Cousin was a handicapped shepherdess, who many people with disabilities admire.
  - St. Peregrine Laziosi was converted later in his life after being strongly anti-Catholic. He also recovered from cancer. For these reasons, many converts and cancer patients choose him as their confirmation saint.
  - St. Anne was the grandmother of Jesus and the mother of the Virgin Mary. Many mothers or aspiring mothers look to her for inspiration.
  - St. Genevieve became a nun at age 15, making her a favorite confirmation saint among sisters and nuns of many religious orders.
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Choose a saint’s name based on your own goals or aspirations. You don’t have to make your choice by focusing on the saint. Instead, you might look inward and consider what it is you want out of your own life and spiritual journey. What are your goals and aspiration? What do you hope to achieve? Once you have an idea of that, you can start to search for a saint whose life or patronage might align with your goals.^{[5]
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- St. Catherine of Bologna was a skilled illustrator, and is often revered by aspiring artists.^{[6]
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- Pope St. Gregory the Great collected and compiled much religious music, making him popular among practicing musicians.
- St. Francis of Nagasaki was a skilled physician and is admired by doctors and medical students.
- St. Padre Pio had the stigmata, or the crucifixion marks of Jesus, and is admired for his devotion. He’s a role model for many priests, monks, and other people in the religious orders.
- St. Agnes resisted marriage because of her devotion to God, and was eventually killed for rejecting a suitor. She’s a favorite among lay people (people who neither get married nor take religious vows).
- St. Rosalia was born to a wealthy lord, but gave away her possessions to become closer to God. Philanthropists and charity workers often look to her example.

Section 2 of 3:

Finalizing Your Confirmation Name

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Pray to the saint whose name you've chosen. When you pray, ask that the saint intervene for you, that he or she helps you make great moral choices, and ask that they be a powerful guide for you spiritually for the rest of your life. You may find that you have a close relationship with them, or you might decide to choose another saint instead.^{[7]
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Discuss your selection with your family and religious community. While the choice is yours entirely, your priest or your family might have some advice or recommendations. Don't hesitate to talk about your options with your parents, your sponsor, or your pastor. Discuss what has attracted you to the saints you have chosen on a spiritual level.
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Inform your confirmation preparation director about your choice. It’s important that everyone is prepared before the bishop arrives on the big day. Complete your confirmation form, or consult with your confirmation director.^{[8]
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Research source} When you speak your confirmation name and the bishop confirms you in that name, your new spiritual life will begin, with your confirmation saint as your guide.
- Buy books, statues, and/or pictures affiliated with your namesake. Visual reminders throughout your home and day to day life will help you during times of reflection.
- Call on your patron saint for guidance and inspiration in leading a holy life as God has intended.

Section 3 of 3:

What is a confirmation name?

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A confirmation name is the name of a saint who’ll aid your faith life. When you choose a confirmation saint, you’re adding their name to your own as a way to ask for their help with your own faith. That saint becomes your patron, who you can pray to for help and who you look to as a spiritual role model. It also signifies your renewed commitment to your faith, just as your baptismal name was the start of your faith journey.^{[9]
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- Your confirmation name is added after your middle name. For example, if your name is John George Smith and you choose St. Michael as your confirmation saint, your new name is John George Michael Smith.
- Your confirmation name won’t replace your first name.
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A confirmation name must be the name of a saint. Don’t just choose a name because it sounds nice; your confirmation name should coincide with a saint who you admire and identify with, so that you can have a genuine spiritual communication with them. As you move forward in your faith, you’ll form a special connection with this saint.^{[10]
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- Some church communities may allow you to choose someone designated as “Blessed” (meaning they’re on their way to becoming a saint, but not quite there yet), but not every church allows it. Ask your pastor if this is a possibility.
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A confirmation name doesn’t have to match your gender. Just like many people in holy orders choose to take a name that doesn’t match their gender (many sisters and nuns, for example), the case is the same for confirmation. If you’re male, you can take a female name, and vice versa. What matters is that you identify with that name and that saint.^{[11]
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- For example, your confirmation name might be “John Michael Maria Smith,” or “Margaret Catharine Michael Smith.”

Community Q&A

Question

Do I need to choose a male saint if I am a male?

Community Answer

No. You can choose a male saint if you are female or a female saint if you are male.
Question

Can a girl choose Michael or Gabriel as her Confirmation name?

Community Answer

Yes, this is permitted. Likewise, boys may choose a feminine name. It's important to be aware that some cultures and leaders will value and respect this practice more than others. As always, the choice of a Confirmation name should be considered prudently and prayerfully.
Question

Do you need to choose another name if you have a middle name?

Community Answer

A Confirmation name is different than the name your parents have given you. It's a saint's name. So if you're trying to adopt a Confirmation name on your spiritual journey, yes, you will need to choose another name.