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Choosing a Confirmation name

It is customary that as you add to your faith identity by becoming a fully initiated Catholic Christian, that you add to your name as a way of marking this special event. This tradition has roots extending back many thousands of years as our ancestors in faith marked their new identity in faith when significant events happened in their lives: Abram become Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Simon became Peter, Saul became Paul, etc.

In selecting a name to mark your full initiation into the Catholic Church, you may want to reflect on the following suggestions:

• If you are baptized, you may want to choose your baptismal name (middle name) as a way to both assert the fact that Confirmation is the fullness or completion of the Sacrament of Baptism.??Neither the Rite of Confirmation nor the Code of Canon Law refers to the custom of selecting a Confirmation name. The Rite simply refers to the candidate being "called by name."??The presumption is that the candidate is called by the name given at the time of Baptism.??Confirmation is the renewal of the Baptismal promises your parents made on your behalf when you were a baby and choosing your baptismal name is a way to affirm who you are and have been as a Christian.
• If you are not baptized (or if you are and want to choose a name other than your baptismal name because you want to mark out the fact that you are beginning a new stage in your life), think about a role model in your life or the life of the Church (oftentimes a saint) who offers you guidance in terms of how to live or has a close affinity to your goals and challenges in life (e.g. patron saints).

Either way, you should use this occasion as an opportunity to learn more about the saint whose name you are choosing. Some good links on the internet for doing so are:

American Catholic (signing up for the "Saint of the Day" mailing is a helpful resource)
Catholic Online
Catholic Community Forum
Saints.com
Saints recognized by John Paul II