The Surnames Have It

     A few days ago, my son was busy playing around with his friend Bailey.  Ordinarily, I wouldn't have thought much about it, but when Bailey's little brother Oakley joined in, I recognized that the boys mother had gotten in pretty early on in what has become a popular naming style---the Surname-as-firstname Trend.  Being a Southerner by birth, I don't mind the practice at all.  In fact, using family surnames has been a long Southern (and Protestant) practice.  But I don't see why today's Catholic parents couldn't adopt the practice themselves.  Generally speaking, though, there aren't a whole lot of saints who actually had surnames, but if you were so inclined, it might be kind of fun and very interesting for modern Catholic parents to scour the Breviary or Butler's Lives of the Saints for consideration.  To get you started, here are a few that I have heard recently.

Kolbe  I know a precious little girl (not Catholic) who has this name, so she was part of my inspiration.  It's worthy of either a boy or girl and obviously honors St. Maximillian Kolbe who lost his life in a concentration camp during WWII.  Kolbi could be an alternate spelling.

Story/Storey  When I heard this name on the playground last week, I wasn't quite convinced it was such a good idea.  But since, I've rolled it over in my head a few times and I think it could work for the right kind of parents, maybe writers or English professors.  While it could work for either a boy or girl, I'm leaning a little towards the feminine.  Blessed John Story was an English martyr during the Protestant Revolt.

Vianney  St. John Vianney is one of my favorite saints and is also the patron of priests.  Pronounced with a soft "ah" and not the nasal "aa", I think it could make an interesting choice for girl.  

Garnet  This is my favorite name of all on this list.  I think the jewel names are long overdue for a comeback. And Garnet would fit right in with Opal, Pearl, and Ruby, yet she would be sparkling different.  St. Thomas Garnet was a Jesuit priest martyred in England, also around the time of the Protestant Revolt.

Fisher  I thought of this one primarily because June 22 was the Feast Day of St. John Fisher who was executed by order of King Henry VIII.  Considering the popularity of many of the occupational names, I think Fisher would stand out.  It also brings to mind the Apostles, whom Our Lord called "Fishers of Men."

Forest  To non-Catholic ears, this manly name might bring to mind the deep woodlands or remind some of the endearing and dutiful Forrest Gump.  But it would be a great opportunity to talk about the martyrdom of Blessed John Forest in England when he opposed King Henry VIII.  

Becket  The most known English martyr under King Henry VIII was St. Thomas Becket.  This is one of the favorites in celebrity circles, but not so out there that modern Catholics couldn't consider it for themselves.  It's handsome, strong, and traditional.  You could also spell it Beckett.