is honoured today as the patron saint of Portugal and of lost articles (a reference to the legend that when a young friar stole a valuable manuscript from the saint a terrifying demon menaced the youth, obliging him to return the manuscript to its owner).
Variants: Antoine, Anton, Antonio, Tony.
Feminine forms: Antoinette, Antonia, Toni.
Antoinette, Antonia feminine forms of Anthony.
Antony see Anthony.
Apollonia (f)
[a-puh-LO-nee-uh] from Greek, meaning ‘of Apollo’.
Martyr of Alexandria (died 249). Tradition has it that Apollonia was an elderly deaconess of Alexandria who was among the Christians put to death by a rioting mob. Her attackers knocked out several of her teeth before moving to burn her alive if she did not renounce her faith. Before they could manhandle her further Apollonia offered a brief prayer and then walked willingly into the fire. She is honoured today as the patron saint of dentists.
Variants: Appolina, Appoline.
Apollos (m)
[a-POL-uhs] from Greek, meaning ‘destroyer’.
A gifted teacher in the church at Corinth, but whose initial enthusiasm at Ephesus needed correction (Acts 18:24–28).
Aquila (m)
[uh-KWIL-uh] from Latin, meaning ‘eagle’.
With his wife Priscilla he was a close friend of Paul (Acts 18:1–3), who had an influential teaching ministry and travelled widely for the sake of the gospel.
Archelaus (m)
[are-kee-LAY-uhs] from Greek, meaning ‘people’s chief’.
Archelaus was the son of Herod the Great who ruled Judea, Idumea and Samaria from 4 BC to 6 AD. He was known for his intense cruelty and tyranny. When Mary and Joseph left Egypt with the infant Jesus, they avoided going to Judea and instead went to Nazareth. (Matthew 2:22).
Ariel (m, f)
[AIR-ee-uhl] from Hebrew, meaning ‘lion of God’, ‘hearth of God’ or ‘altar of God’.
The name is applied in the Old Testament to two bold Moabites who were killed by David’s warrior Benaiah (‘two lionlike men’, 2 Samuel 23:20, KJV). Also the name of one of the men sent by Ezra to met Iddo (Ezra 8:16).
Arnold (m)
[AR-nuhld] from Old German, meaning ‘eagle strength’.
Greek by birth, Arnold served in the court of the Emperor Charlemagne. He was known especially for his great devotion and his kind service to the poor. He died in approximately 800.
Variant: Arnaud.
Artemis (m)
[ARE-tuh-mis] a Greek name.
A Greek goddess of the moon and hunting whose Latin name was Diana. She had an imposing temple in Ephesus where her statue was thought to have fallen from heaven (Acts 19:27–35).
Asa (m)
[AY-suh, AY-zuh] from Hebrew, meaning ‘doctor’.
King of Judah (c.913–873 BC) who led a religious reformation in his early years, but who later put his faith in human resources rather than God (1 Kings 15:9–24).
Asher (m)
[A-shuh] from Hebrew, meaning ‘blessed’ or ‘happy’.
The eighth son of Jacob (Genesis 30:12–13), born by Zilpah, the maidservant of his wife Leah. Also the name of the tribe descended from Asher that lived in the coastal area northwards from Mount Carmel (Joshua 19:24–31).
Audrey (f)
[AW-dree] Variant of Etheldreda.
In olden times a fair was held annually in Ely on 17 October in honour of this saint. The fair was noted for its quality jewellery and fine silk scarves, which in time came to be known as St Audrey’s laces. Later, however, the fine scarves were replaced by cheap, gaudy imitations and so the word tawdry developed, a shortening and alteration of (Sain)t Audrey(‘s laces), a term that is now applied to anything that is showy but of poor quality.
Variant: Aud.
Augustine (m)
[AW-guhs-teen, uh-GUS-tin] from Latin, meaning ‘great’ or ‘venerable’.
The name of two saints: Augustine of Hippo (354–430), bishop and theologian. Born in Tagaste (modern Algeria) in North Africa the son of a pagan father, Augustine lived a dissolute youth that he subsequently came to repent of. He founded a school of rhetoric in Milan, Italy in 383 and soon began to feel the need to reform, finally converting to Christianity in 386 while in Milan (partly through the influence of the teachings of St Ambrose). He returned to Africa that same year and was ordained a priest at Hippo in 391. He was raised to the rank of bishop in 396 and for the next four decades gained recognition as the most prominent figure in the north African church. He founded a number of monasteries and also defended the orthodox position against various heresies. His extensive writings, which included Confessions and On the City of God, had a profound and lasting upon Christian theology. He is honoured as the patron saint of theologians.
Augustine of Canterbury (died c.605), Italian missionary bishop. Augustine served as a monk at the monastery of St Andrew in Rome, becoming prior there, before being selected by Pope Gregory the Great to lead a band of 40 missionaries to Britain in 597. Once in England, Augustine won the support of St Ethelbert, King of Kent, who soon set an example for his subjects by converting to Christianity. Consecrated as Archbishop of the English, Augustine established his see at Canterbury and founded the monastery of St Peter and St Paul (renamed St Augustine’s) there. Over the next seven years he went on to organise two further sees, for the East Saxons and at Rochester. Other significant contributions included his role in advising King Ethelbert in drawing up the earliest extant Anglo-Saxon written laws. Augustine is remembered today as the most important figure in the early evangelisation of Britain.
Variants: Austen, Austin, Gus.
Aurelia (f)
[aw-REEL-yuh] from Latin, meaning ‘golden’.
Originally a French princess, Aurelia decided to become a hermit. Accepting the advice of St Wolfgang of Regensburg, she spent over 50 years as a recluse in a Benedictine abbey in Salzburg. She died in 1027.
Balthasar (m)
[BAL-tha-zah] from Phoenician ba’al, meaning ‘protect the king’.
One of the wise men (‘Magi’) who followed the leading of the star and came from the East to Jerusalem and then Bethlehem to worship the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1–12). According to tradition, they were three in number and they were named Balthasar, Casper and Melchior.
Barak (m)
[ba-RAK] from Hebrew, meaning ‘lightning’.
An Israelite leader who commanded Israel’s tribal mercenaries alongside Deborah against Canaanite forces. God gave Israel a famous victory by means of the weather, but the honour went to Jael, a woman who killed the Canaanite’s leader Sisera (Judges 4–5).
The names Barack and Baraka have origins that are different from Barak. Barack and Baraka are Swahili, coming from an Arabic root meaning ‘blessing’. They are found especially in East Africa, before the name of Barack Obama (named after his Kenyan father)