Christian name
The phrase Christian name appears in Elizabethan England as a term for any given name, not strictly tied to baptism. William Camden observed that these names distinguished individuals while surnames separated families. In modern usage, the words Christian name and first name function interchangeably across traditionally Christian nations. Strictly speaking, the definition refers to the specific name bestowed upon a person during their christening or baptism ceremony. This distinction separates the religious act from the secular practice of naming a child at birth.
Scholars debate whether early Christians adopted new names immediately following baptism based on apostolic tradition. The Apostle Paul provides a complex case where his name changed from Saul to Paul between Acts 9:18 and Acts 13:9 without explicit connection to his baptism event. Inscriptions found within the Catacombs of Rome reveal that Christians in the first three centuries used names identical to those of surrounding pagans. St. Paul himself referenced converts named Hermes and Epaphroditus, which were purely pagan designations before conversion. Modern historians reject the idea that changing one's name was an automatic requirement of becoming a Christian in the earliest days.
The martyr Balsamus declared in AD 331 that he bore the spiritual name Peter after receiving it through baptism despite his paternal name being Balsamus. Eusebius the historian took the name Pamphili out of veneration for the martyr Pamphilus. St. Cyprian chose the name Cyprianus Caecilius to honor the man who facilitated his own conversion. St. Dionysius of Alexandria noted around 260 that many believers adopted the name John or Paul simply because they admired these specific apostles. Socrates recorded how Athenais received the name Eudoxia upon her baptism in AD 421 before marrying Emperor Theodosius the Younger. King Caedwalla traveled to Rome where Pope Sergius baptized him and renamed him Peter shortly before his death.
Lists from legal proceedings edited in modern times show that ordinary names like William, Robert, Roger, and Geoffrey remained common throughout the Middle Ages. Around the year 1200, William stood as by far the most popular Christian name within England itself. Exceptions existed alongside these standard choices including names such as Ademar, Ailma, and Ascelina found among those cured at the shrine of St. Thomas of Canterbury. The official Rituale Romanum mandated that priests ensure no names of deities or godless pagans were imposed during the ceremony. Despite these strict rules, secular traditions persisted strongly across centuries of church history.
In France, the name Toussaint became a common Christian name despite earlier injunctions against using festival names for children. Noël also gained popularity abroad even after Bourges issued a pronouncement in 1666 urging parents to avoid such titles. Spanish naming customs frequently drew from Marian festivals creating names like Concepción, Asunción, Encarnación, Mercedes, and Dolores. Italian practice similarly produced Assunta, Annunziata, and Concetta based on religious observances. Mary was rarely used as a girl's name in England during the 12th century before eventually rising in prominence. George saw little use in the 13th and 14th centuries until growing in popularity following the Protestant Reformation.
Winfrith and Willibald traveled to Rome in the 8th century where they received new commissions along with the names Boniface and Clement respectively. Emma of Normandy took the name Älfgifu when she married King Ethelred in 1002. The reception of a monastic name upon entering a religious order remains almost universal throughout church history. Henry III of France had been christened Edouard Alexandre in 1551 but received the name Henri at his confirmation ceremony. Sir Francis Gawdye served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas while holding Thomas as his baptismal name and Francis as his confirmation name. These examples demonstrate how significant spiritual transitions often triggered formal changes in personal identity across different eras.
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Common questions
What is the definition of Christian name in Elizabethan England?
The phrase Christian name appears in Elizabethan England as a term for any given name, not strictly tied to baptism. William Camden observed that these names distinguished individuals while surnames separated families.
When did early Christians adopt new names following baptism based on apostolic tradition?
Scholars debate whether early Christians adopted new names immediately following baptism based on apostolic tradition. Modern historians reject the idea that changing one's name was an automatic requirement of becoming a Christian in the earliest days.
Who received the spiritual name Peter after receiving it through baptism despite his paternal name being Balsamus?
The martyr Balsamus declared in AD 331 that he bore the spiritual name Peter after receiving it through baptism despite his paternal name being Balsamus. King Caedwalla traveled to Rome where Pope Sergius baptized him and renamed him Peter shortly before his death.
Which year did William stand as by far the most popular Christian name within England itself?
Around the year 1200, William stood as by far the most popular Christian name within England itself. Lists from legal proceedings edited in modern times show that ordinary names like William, Robert, Roger, and Geoffrey remained common throughout the Middle Ages.
What happened when Mary was rarely used as a girl's name in England during the 12th century before eventually rising in prominence?
Mary was rarely used as a girl's name in England during the 12th century before eventually rising in prominence. George saw little use in the 13th and 14th centuries until growing in popularity following the Protestant Reformation.