Meaningful Saint Names for Girls

Names with religious symbolism are important for devout practitioners of the Christian faith. There are many options for saint girl names to follow your family's faith when naming a new child.

Girl Saint Names and Meanings

These names are some of the most popular Catholic saint names for girls. Each of these saints are well known in the church for their good works and piety.

• Agatha of Sicily - This saint is a beloved virgin martyr in the Catholic faith. She is the patron saint of Sicily, rape victims, people suffering from breast cancer and wet nurses. She is also prayed to for help against fires. The name is Greek and means "noble in spirit."
• Agnes of Rome - Patron saint of engaged couples, virgins, young girls, rape victims and gardeners. The name is Latin for "lamb" or Greek for "pure."
• Anne - The mother of Mary, she is the patron saint of mothers and miners. The name means "full of grace" and has origins in the English, French and Hebrew languages.
• Beatrice of Silva - Also known as Beatriz, a Portuguese saint who is the patron of prisoners. Her name is Latin in origin and means "bearer of happiness."
• Bernadette - She is known for her miracle cleaning the spring at Lourdes, which is a major holy site for Catholics. The name is German and French and means "brave as a bear."
• Brigid of Kildare - Also known as "the Mary of the Gael," she is the patron saint of the harvest, the hearth, babies, fertility, blacksmiths, boatmen, and children with unwed parents and children with abusive parents. The name means "exalted one" in the Celtic language.
• Catherine of Alexandria - Also known as "Saint Catherine of the Wheel." She is the patron saint of scholars. Philosophers, single women, and crafters who work with wheels such as spinners and potters. The name is Greek and Latin in origin and means "pure."
• Cecilia - The patron saint of musicians and poets. Her name means "blind" or "one-eyed" and comes from Latin.
• Clare of Assisi - She founded the Order of Poor Ladies or "Poor Clares" and also was the first woman to write a set of monastic guidelines. Patroness of goldsmiths, embroiderers, laundry, television and weather. The name is Latin and means "illustrious one."
• Edith Stein - Also known as Sister Teresa, Benedicta of the Cross, she died in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. She is one of six patron saints of Europe and is also a patron of converts from Judaism, martyrs, and people who have lost their parents. The name is English and means "prosperous in war."
• Elizabeth Ann Seton - The first native born American to become a saint. She established the first free Catholic girls' school in the U.S. and founded the Sisters of Charity. Her name is Hebrew and means "God is my oath." There is also Elizabeth of Hungary, who is known for the "Miracle of Roses" and is the patron saint of people who have difficulty dealing with an illness.
• Helena - A Roman Empress who converted to christianity, she is the patron saint of archeologists, converts, divorced men and women and troubled marriages. Her name means "bright or shining one."
• Joan - The "Maid of Orleans" also known as Joan of Arc or Jeanne d'Arc, helped lead the French to win the Hundred Years War. She is the patron saint of soldiers and her name is English in origin and means "God's grace."
• Lucy of Syracuse - Patron saint of the blind, the name is French for "light."
• Margaret of Antioch - Also known as Marine or Marina, she is a patron saint for pregnant women.
• Mary - The Mother of God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The name is Hebrew for "bitter" and is one of the most popular Catholic names for girls.
• Rita - An Italian saint who is the patron saint of parenthood, troubled marriages and lost causes. Her name is from the Latin word "Margarita" which means "pearl."
• Rose of Lima - She is the patron saint of her home country Peru and Latin America, as well as embroiderers, florists, gardeners and families that are quarreling. Her name comes from the Latin word for the flower.
• Teresa of Calcutta - Also known as Mother Theresa, founded the Missionaries of Charity and well known for her work in India. She is the patron saint of World Youth Day, the Missionaries of Charity and the Archdiocese of Calcutta. The name is Greek for "to harvest."

Female Saints Who Were Doctors of the Church

"Doctor of the Church" is a title bestowed on saints who have helped to further Catholic doctrine through study and writing. Of all the saints, only 36 are given this title and only four of those are women. If you're looking for a name that denotes a scholarly and educated child, consider honoring one of these four women.

• Catherine of Siena - She wrote The Dialogue of Divine Providence and was one of the first two women to be named Doctors of the Church. She is the patron saint of Europe and Italy as well as people who are ill, have suffered miscarriages, and nurses.
• Hildegard of Bingen - She is also referred to as the "Sibyl of the Rhine," Hildegard was not only an abbess but also a writer, composer and founded the science of natural history in Germany. Her name is German and means "comrade in arms."
• Teresa of Avila - She is one of the first two women to become Doctors of the Church. She wrote the treatise Interior Castle and is the patron saint of people with serious illness and people who need grace or who are persecuted and mocked for religious piety. The name means "to harvest" and has origins in the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese languages.
• Thérèse of Lisieux - She is known as the "Little Flower" and her journal "Story of a Soul" is a well-read Catholic document. Her name is a French variation on Teresa or Therese.

Uncommon Female Saint Names

Many girl saint names are not as well known, though their works were just as important in the eyes of God. Choose a more unusual female saint name for your child if you want to search harder for a patron saint that has meaning to you and your family.

• Afra - Patron saint of martyrs, converts, penitent women and the abbey in Augsburg, Bavaria. The name means "pale red" in Arabic and "woman of Africa" in Latin.
• Anastasia of Sirmium - She is called "Delivered from Potions" and is the patron saint of people who have been poisoned, as well as martyrs, widows and weavers. Her name means "resurrection" in Greek.
• Apollonia - The Patron saint of dentistry and people with dental problems. Her name is the female version of the Greek name Apollo, the god of the sun.
• Bibiana - Patron saint of people with epilepsy, headaches, hangovers, mental illness and victims of torture, as well as single laywomen of the church. Her name means "life" in Latin.
• Brigid of Kildare - Also known as "the Mary of the Gael," she is the patron saint of the harvest, the hearth, babies, fertility, blacksmiths, boatmen, and children with unwed parents and children with abusive parents. The name means "exalted one" in the Celtic language. Alternate spellings Bridget or Brigit.
• Dymphna - An Irish saint who is the patron of people with mental illness, nervous disorders and incest victims. Her name is Celtic and means "young deer."
• Faustina - This saint is called the "Apostle of Divine Mercy" and known for her diary recounting her visions of Jesus. The name is Latin and means "fortunate."
• Gemma Galgani - An Italian saint known as the "gem of Christ" and the "Daughter of the Passion." She is the patron saint of pharmacists, students, paratroopers and parachutists, as well as people with headaches, migraines, back pain, and back injuries. Her name is Latin and means "precious stone."
• Gianna Molla - A pediatrician and patron saint of doctors, pregnant mothers and unborn children. She was the first female doctor and working mother to be canonized. Her name is Italian for "God is gracious."
• Gobnait - A medieval Irish saint who is the patron saint of bees. She is also referred to as Abigail or Deborah. The name means "little smith" in the Celtic language.
• Jacinta Marto - Patron of prisoners, people who are ill, and people who are persecuted for their religious faith. The name is Greek for "beautiful" or "Hyacinth" and in Spanish it means "purple" or "Hyacinth."
• Kateri Tekakwitha - She is the first Native American saint and is called "the Lily of the Mohawks," the "Mystic of the Wilderness," and "the Flower of the Algonquin." She is the patron of the environment, ecologists, environmentalists, Native Americans and people in exile. The name means "pure."
• Odilia of Cologne - She is the patron saint of good eyesight. Her name means "wealth" and comes from the German.
• Philomena - The patron saint of desperate people and lost causes, as well as children of all ages and virgins. The name means "lover of strength" in Greek.
• Quitéria - A Portuguese saint, she is the patron saint against rabies. Her name means "red one."
• Ursula - She is the patron saint of archers, orphans, female students and of England. Her name is from Latin and means "small female bear."
• Zita - She is an Italian saint who is the patron of maids, domestic servants, waiters and waitresses. She is also prayed to when help is needed to find lost keys. Her name comes from Italian and means "female child or maiden."

Female Saint Names of African Descent

These female saints were all of African descent and performed their service to God from the earliest days of the church up through current times.

• Felicitas - She died with St. Perpetua in the Roman games under Emperor Severus and was one of the first martyred Christians. She is the patron saint of mothers, butchers and ranchers. The name is Latin and means "good fortune and happiness."
• Josephine Bakhita - She was born in Sudan and sold into slavery as a child. She is the patron saint of Sudan and survivors of human trafficking. Her name is from Hebrew and means "God will add."
• Katherine Drexel - She established around 50 missions in the U.S. to help Native Americans. She is the patron saint of racial justice and philanthropists. The name comes from the Greek and means "pure."
• Maura of Antinoe - An Egyptian laywoman who was martyred with her husband, Saint Timothy, in the third century. Her name means "dark-skinned" in Greek.
• Monica of Hippo - Patron saint of abusive and unhappy marriages, victims of domestic abuse, relatives who convert to Catholicism and mothers in grief. The name is Latin for "advisor."
• Perpetua - Along with St. Felicitas, was one of the first martyred Christians in ancient Rome. The name is Latin and means "perpetual."
• Thaïs - An Egyptian saint who was once a famous courtesan who repented and converted to Christianity, her story is the subject of books, movies and plays. The name originates from the Greek and means "beautiful goddess."
• Thecla - A saint from the early years of the church around the second century, she is revered for being the model for martyrs and virgins. She is the patron saint of computers and the internet. Her name comes from the Greek and means "glory of God."
• Victoria of Albitina - A 4th century saint who was a North African noble. The name is Latin and means "conqueror."

Choosing a Saint's Name for a Girl

Girl saint names are a favored choice for Christian families who want to honor their faith with a newborn daughter. These names become important again when you need a list of girl saint names for confirmation and want to find a name based on a saint that resonates with you and your relationship to God. Whether it's an infant or an adolescent, research these female saints to learn more about their life and work in the service of God to find one that speaks to your heart.