If you’re expecting a baby, foremost on your list of to-dos will undoubtedly be the choosing of a name for your little one. Names are a very big deal, and for Catholics, choosing names gives us the opportunity to select worthy patrons for our children from among the saints. Although there are hundreds of canonized saints to choose from, I can hardly think of a better patron for a child than the Mother of God herself! And so, whether you are having a girl or a boy, consider these names for your baby, and place your child under the loving mantle of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

For girls, it’s much easier to incorporate a Marian name. There are many variations of the name Mary:

Mary

Marie

Mari

Marigold

May

Mariah 

Marilyn 

Maribel

Mariella

Rosemary 

But there are also more tangential names to choose from, such as

Lourdes (after Our Lady of Lourdes)

Bernadette (after the saint Our Lady of Lourdes appeared to)

Fatima (after Our Lady of Fatima)

Rose (after Our Lady, Mystical Rose)

Clementine (“O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary!)

Angela (after Our Lady, Queen of the Angels)

May (after the month traditionally dedicated to Our Lady)

Victoria (after Our Lady of Victory)

For boys, it can be a little more challenging to incorporate a name honoring Our Lady, but it isn’t impossible. While in some countries it is popular to give the middle name Marie or Maria to a male child—such as in France, in Italy, or throughout Latin America—it is not common here in the United States. But although it takes a little more creativity, it’s not impossible! 

Names directly related to Our Lady

Clement (“O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary!)

Victor (after Our Lady of Victory)

Tristan (after Our Lady of Sorrows)

Christopher (means “Christ-Bearer” and can refer to Our Lady, who bore Christ in her womb!)

Names indirectly related to Our Lady

Joseph (after the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Louis (after St. Louis de Montfort, who promulgated the Marian Consecration and was deeply devoted to Our Lady)

Francisco (one of the three children to whom Our Lady of Fatima appeared)

Maximilian (after St. Maximilian Kolbe, who was very devoted to Our Lady)

Bernard (after St. Bernard of Clairvaux, another saint who loved Our Lady very much)

If it is your goal to name your child after Our Lady, these names can be a great starting point for you to consider. At the end of the day, whether you choose to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary by picking a more traditional name or a more unconventional one, you will have given your baby a glorious patron!