As Catholics, parents want their children to have heroes of faith from the very start -- and a good time to find a hero is the moment they pick their confirmation name. By choosing a saintly name, a child adopts that saint as a heavenly patron. In fact, taking a “saint’s name at confirmation … give[s] the confirmand the opportunity to develop his understanding of and reliance on the communion of saints," according to Catholic.com.
In other words, the Catholic child is invited to “pick a saint” whose life they’ll try to emulate. The popes themselves can be role models, as they had their own childhood saints to inspire them in their lives.
Below are the childhood saint-names of the last six popes and the inspiring saints these men took to guide them in their papacy. (You'll notice that a few saints proved to be rather popular!)
1Pope Leo XIV (2025–) – “Robert Francis Prevost”
The new pope was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago and served as a missionary bishop in Peru. He chose the papal name Leo XIV, honoring both Leo XIII and St. Leo the Great (440–461). St. Leo I is remembered for courageous leadership (he famously met Attila the Hun!), and fittingly Leo means “lion,” symbolizing strength and courage. (Young Robert’s baptismal names -- Robert and Francis -- suggest his parents may have admired saints like St. Robert Bellarmine, (who was canonized in 1930) and St. Francis of Assisi.) In any case, Pope Leo’s choice of Leo XIV shows he looks up to St. Leo as a model of bold, compassionate faith.
2Pope Francis (2013–2025) –- “George” (Jorge)
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was baptized on April 20, 1936, and “Jorge” is the Spanish form of George. In fact, Pope Francis’ “name day” (patron saint’s feast) is April 23, the Feast of St. George -- a Roman soldier who became a martyr rather than deny Christ. This means as a child he bore St. George as his patron.
When he later became pope, Bergoglio chose Francis as his papal name, honoring St. Francis of Assisi, but even before that, young Jorge’s heavenly friend was St. George. St. George’s famous legend -- slaying the dragon and refusing to renounce his faith -- can be a thrilling inspiration for kids today: it shows courage and faith go hand-in-hand. Interestingly, his middle name, Mario, stems from the Latin name Marius, meaning warlike, or belonging to Mars, the Roman god of War. It's also a masculine version of Mary, honoring Our Lady. Needless to say, the late pope was a true fighter!
3Pope Benedict XVI (2005–2013) -- “Joseph”
Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in 1927, he was baptized with the name Joseph. Throughout his life, Benedict showed deep devotion to St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and patron of the universal Church. (In 2012 he even gave thanks on March 19 for prayers said on St. Joseph’s feast, his own “name day” as shared by Catholic News Agency.)
As pope he often praised St. Joseph’s humble service and strong faith. After all, Benedict called St. Joseph “the man who gave God the greatest proof of trust,” a man whose faith of action he frequently praised. Any child choosing Joseph as a confirmation name can look to Pope Benedict’s devotion for inspiration: to live simply, trust God, and protect those he cares for. Of course, his choice of papal name also reflects his admiration for the inspirational founder of the Benedictine Order and the one he called an "unusual saint", Benedict Joseph Labre, whose feast day was the pope's birthday.
4St. John Paul II (1978–2005) -- “John” or “Joseph”
Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in 1920. His middle name Józef (Joseph) reflects his father’s name, and his life was steeped in devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary – he even chose “Totus tuus” (“totally yours”) as his episcopal motto, a traditional Marian consecration, as shared by the Vatican State.
His lifelong faith shows he was inspired by saints like St. Joseph and Our Lady. As Pope John Paul II, he took John from John XXIII and Paul from Paul VI as a double-papal name, but from childhood his heroes were those holy men and women who lived God’s love simply and boldly. His warm devotion to Mary (Totus tuus) and his love of St. John of the Cross (whose spirituality he embraced) hint at his youthful faith.
A child picking Joseph or John as a confirmation name could look to John Paul II’s example of loving trust in God and joyful witness to Christ on every page of his life.
5St. John Paul I (1978) – “Albino”
Born Albino Luciani in 1912, he grew up in a poor Italian family known for their faith. (His name Albino comes from St. Albinus, a 6th‑century saint bishop who cared for the poor.) John Paul I was famous for his warmth, simplicity, and deep humility -- in fact, he chose Humilitas (“Humility”) as his episcopal motto.
The brief papacy of John Paul I radiated that humility: he often said he wanted to be “a bishop who is a teacher and a servant". A child choosing a humble saint (like St. Albinus or St. Francis) can look to John Paul I -- “the smiling pope” -- as proof that true greatness in God’s kingdom comes from a gentle, loving heart.
6Pope Paul VI (1963–1978) -- “Giovanni Battista (John the Baptist)”
Born Giovanni Battista Enrico Montini in 1897, he literally carried the name John the Baptist from birth. In fact, he was actually baptized Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini -- so you've got a myriad of great names to get inspired by, including Anthony and Mary!
As a child, Paul VI’s patron was surely St. John the Baptist, whose prophetic courage and zeal to “make straight the paths” can inspire us all. (Cardinal Montini later chose Paul as pope to honor St. Paul, but young Giovanni Battista’s example reminds us that a humble life of witness -- like John’s in the desert -- points others to Jesus.) Paul VI’s life was marked by simplicity and care for the poor (echoing John the Baptist’s call to justice), and he famously crowned Our Lady with the title “Mother of the Church”. A child choosing John as a confirmation name (or Paul, for Paul VI) has both of these great saints to follow.
By teaching our kids about such patron saints -- whether it’s the courageous St. George (Pope Francis’ patron) or the humble St. Joseph (Pope Benedict’s patron) – we give children role models who bridged childhood and holiness. Therefore, encourage your child to pick a saint name (maybe even pope-inspired ones above) and let that saint’s story inspire a life of faith. After all, even popes started with a saint to imitate -- a simple tradition that can set any child on a “path to a life filled with faith” (just as the Communion of Saints intends).
