as in first name
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Recent Examples of baptismal name
Toni is an abbreviation of her baptismal name, Anthony.
—
Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
Born with his baptismal name of Robert Francis Prevost, his papal name is more of a traditional choice — and one with a storied history.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 9 May 2025
Of the 266 popes in history, 129 have chosen names different from their baptismal names.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
And that then became the custom, with only a handful of popes keeping their baptismal names since, including Marcellus II and Adrian VI, who both served as head of the church in the 16th century.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
While popes have the option of keeping their baptismal name, every pope for the last 470 years has chosen to change his name, usually to honor a predecessor and to signal their intention to emulate his example.
—Christopher Watson, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025
Until last year, John Henry Newman, as he is known by his baptismal name, was studying to become a priest at a Roman Catholic seminary in Yangon.
—New York Times, 30 Mar. 2022
She was given the name Sister Seraphia and later returned to her baptismal name, Carol Estelle.
—Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, 22 May 2021
Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
Born with his baptismal name of Robert Francis Prevost, his papal name is more of a traditional choice — and one with a storied history.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 9 May 2025
Of the 266 popes in history, 129 have chosen names different from their baptismal names.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
And that then became the custom, with only a handful of popes keeping their baptismal names since, including Marcellus II and Adrian VI, who both served as head of the church in the 16th century.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
While popes have the option of keeping their baptismal name, every pope for the last 470 years has chosen to change his name, usually to honor a predecessor and to signal their intention to emulate his example.
—Christopher Watson, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025
Until last year, John Henry Newman, as he is known by his baptismal name, was studying to become a priest at a Roman Catholic seminary in Yangon.
—New York Times, 30 Mar. 2022
She was given the name Sister Seraphia and later returned to her baptismal name, Carol Estelle.
—Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, 22 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baptismal name
Noun
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Two days later, Natalie, a West Palm Beach woman who wanted to be identified only by her first name, called to request that paramedics be sent to the detention center for her fiance, Djo Paul, a 29-year-old immigrant from Haiti.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
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Every year Close is among the first names that come up from pundits trying to predict overdue stars who could receive this award.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Many have since been microchipped and given names.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 June 2026
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Pattie Gonia, whose given name is Wyn Wiley, is a drag queen based in Bend, Oregon.—
Brittany Peterson,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Noun
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The estate has a long, storied history under many family names, but in 1575, the Essenault family rechristened it by contracting their family name to Issan.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
17 June 2026
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In sharp contrast to the first-generation members of the Frankfurt School, Habermas came from a petit-bourgeois, culturally conservative Protestant milieu, his family name going back to sixteenth-century Thuringian cobblers.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Cristina’s family is Polish, hence her maiden name being Oleink.—
Jenna Thompson
June 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
If the bank still asks for his mother's maiden name or previous address as a verification question, those answers are likely already on a data broker site.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Noun
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The oldest Bezos child shares his first name with his father—Preston is the entrepreneur’s middle name.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
21 June 2026
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In her speech, Michelle Obama alluded to the current president, who has long fueled a debunked conspiracy theory about Barack Obama's birthplace and continues to refer to him as Barack Hussein Obama, his middle name a suggestion of suspicion.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Baptismal name.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baptismal%20name. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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