A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts.
Christianity
Catholic Church
Baptismal name
In
baptism,
Catholic Church are given a
Christian name,
which should not be "foreign to Christian sentiment"
[ Code of Canon Law, canon 2156] and is often the name of a
saint.
[ Catholic Activity: Baptismal Names] In East Asia, in
Africa and elsewhere, the baptismal name is distinct from the traditional-style given name.
Traditionally, Orthodox and Catholic Christians celebrate their name day (i.e., the feast day of their patron saint), in addition to their birthday.
Confirmation name
In some countries, it is common to adopt a confirmation name, always the name of a
saint, in addition to the baptismal name. The saint whose name is taken is henceforth considered to be a
patron saint.
Religious name
In general, religious names are used among the persons of the
consecrated life. In most religious institutes, a new member is traditionally either given a religious name or chooses one. This could be either the name of a
Beatification or a venerable of the church, an honorific title of the
Virgin Mary, or even a virtue or something similar. Apart from that, it is also possible for a person in religious life to continue to use their baptismal name.
[Kenny, M., Renewal in Religious Life, The Furrow, Volume 55, No. 7/8 (July-August 2004), p. 401, accessed on 24 January 2026] The name is taken usually either upon
investiture or on the occasion of taking the
first vows, but in some communities it takes place prior to the entry of a new
postulant.
Papal name
A
Papal election pope traditionally takes on a new name, called his
regnal name or
papal name.
Lutheran Church
In the
, those who receive the sacrament of
baptism are given a
Christian name.
Eastern Church
Baptismal name
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism, converts often take a new name at the time of their reception into the church. When deciding on a name for their child, Orthodox parents will often name the child after a
saint whose
feast day falls on either the day of the child's birth or the day of its baptism.
Monastic name
Orthodox and Eastern catholic
and
are often given a new monastic name at the time of their
investiture.
Mandaeism
In
Mandaeism, a baptismal (zodiacal) or
masbuta name, also known as
malwasha, is a
Mandaean name given by a
Mandaean priest, as opposed to a
legal name.
[Drower, Ethel Stefana. The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press, 1937.] Mandaeans have
matronymic Mandaean names which are used in Mandaean rituals.
A
malwasha is linked with the mother's name and time of birth in order to protect the individual from their zodiac sign which is considered ominous.
Buddhism
All
Buddhism denominations also practice this, with newly ordained Sangha members given new Buddhist names by their master or preceptors. Lay Buddhists (Upāsaka and Upāsikā) are also given Buddhist names during their Tisarana ceremony.
See also
External links
