Looking for a Classic, Catholic Boy Name

This family is looking for a classic, not unique, Catholic name for their little boy, baby #4! He joins big siblings Ruth Mackenzie, Sophie Rose, and John Patrick called Jack. Clearly, they’re not afraid of an out-of-the-box middle name! But they would like to keep it classic cool for the first name. Here’s what Theresa Zoe came up with.

Thomas: This is the first name that came to mind when they said Catholic and classic– it’s both! It means “twin” but that shouldn’t deter them. It was one of the names of the Twelve Apostles and there are other great Saint Thomases, too. It is very popular, ranking at #39 in 2024. Ruth, Sophie, John, and Thomas are a fantastic set, and Ruth, Sophie, Jack, and Tom just scream American Catholic siblings to me!

Gabriel: Another popular name (it sits at #43), I’m not sure how much more Catholic classic you can get than the Archangel of the Annunciation. It means “God is my strength” and I think that is just such a great meaning for a boy. Of course, there are also other Saint Gabrieles (my favorite is St. Gabriel Possenti, but don’t listen to the supposed marksmanship stuff about him– that’s just legend). Ruth, Sophie, John, and Gabriel are great. Ruth, Sophie, Jack, and Gabe go well, too.

Jude: I wasn’t sure how they felt about repeating initials, so I included this one anyway. This seems perennially popular in Catholic circles, which seems to be their sweet spot. It is less popular overall at #156, but that just ties it back into Ruth and Sophie better. It means “praise”, which is cool. Ruth, Sophie, John/Jack, and Jude sound good together; Jude makes the set feel a little more Catholic overall.

Benedict:This name means “blessed”, which I love. Benedict is a little clunkier than their others, but old-fashioned cool like Ruth. This name is only popular in Catholic circles, ranking #913 overall, so this would cement their set as a bunch of little Catholics! I think Benedict bridges Ruth and John/Sophie really well, and evens the set out more. Ruth, Sophie, John, and Benedict are great, old-fashioned names together. Ruth, Sophie, Jack, and Ben are super classic.

Peter: Overall, this name ranks at 192, but really they’ll almost only hear Peter in Catholic circles, which I think is their sweet spot. I’m slightly partial to this name as I gave it to my only boy, but it’s just such a solid name with so many saint connections and also literary and musical connections! A name that transcends borders is always a good thing. Ruth, Sophie, John, and Peter; Ruth, Sophie, Jack, and Peter/Pete is a great combo. This is my favorite name for them so far.

Matthew: Back to the really popular names! This one sits at #33 and it’s popular in both Catholic and other circles. However, it means “gift of God” which I absolutely love for them. Lots of great Catholic and otherwise connections with this name, too. Just a solid, can’t go wrong name. Ruth, Sophie, John/Jack, and Matthew are phenomenal– they kind of remind me of Anne of Green Gables! If Matthew is too vanilla for them, maybe they’d like Matthias better? They could still ground it with the nickname Matt, but give a little bit of punch. 

Francis: Francis of Assisi, Francis Xavier…so many others. Francis is a classic, clunky-cool, Catholic name. It’s old fashioned but right at home these days. However, it only ranks at #450! Another name heard mostly in Catholic circles. This one might actually be my favorite for them. Ruth, Sophie, John/Jack, and Francis/Frank are just so perfect together. Unless they think Jack and Frank are too close to each other…(I don’t).

Christopher: The most widely-known Catholic saint outside of Mary, Christopher is classic, cool, Catholic, and not that clunky! This one has a couple different nicknames, too, to up its flexibility and fit in everywhere– Chris or Topher. Ruth, Sophie, John/Jack, and Christopher/Chris/Topher are nearly the perfect sibset (and I’ve encountered a lot of sibsets!). I change my mind, I like this one best for them! And the meaning, “bearer of Christ”, is just extra awesome sauce on the top of this great name.

William: This is a super popular name (#10) but for good reason! William is the definition of a classic boy name, never dipping below the top 20 for over a century. If they are looking for a timeless and classic name, look no further. Nicknames include Will, Bill, and Liam– all great for this day and age. Ruth, Sophie, John/Jack and William/Will/Bill/Liam are just sublime. You cannot get more timeless than William. 

Dominic: Finally, I saw this name as a style match for some of their other names and was intrigued. I wouldn’t have thought of this name on my own for them, as I think it might be a little too ethnic, a little too unique for them. However, it is popular enough to rank #107! I love the meaning of this name, “belonging to the Lord”, and love that they can use nicknames Dom or Nic! Ruth, Sophie, John/Jack, and Dominic read very Catholic, which I think is a good thing. My gut is telling me that this would be a great middle name for you them.

Here are some combinations I really like: Peter Francis, Francis Peter, Christopher William, Christopher Dominic, William Benedict, Christopher Jude, Thomas Gabriel, Peter Jude.

Do you all have any other thoughts for this family?