When parents bring a child to the Church to be baptized, the first question they are asked is:

"What name do you give your child?"

Naming is an important part of life and it is an important part of faith.This is demonstrated in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.

At the sacrament of Confirmation, candidates choose a "confirmation name".  The names of Abraham (Abram), Paul (Saul), and Peter Simon were changed to show their new relation to God and His people. For the same reason, a Pope chooses a new name when he is elected.

In choosing your Confirmation name, keep the following in mind:

• You may be confirmed in your baptismal name. By keeping it, rather than choosing a new Confirmation name, it shows the continuity between baptism and confirmation.
  
  If you decide to be confirmed in your baptismal name, on the Registration Form in the space provided for your Confirmation name, please put a -- -- so that I know you have thought about this and have decided to use your baptismal name.
• If a new name is chosen, selecting a saint’s name is still in practice today. The saint should be a name selected from a list of recognized saints of the Catholic Church. Names of saints are chosen to serve as patrons and models for those being confirmed. Candidates should choose a patron whose Christian life or virtues can be imitated. For example, “I chose the name Jerome because of St. Jerome’s great love for the scriptures", or "I chose the name Elizabeth after St. Elizabeth of Hungary. She has inspired me by her love for the poor and homeless".
  
  Research into the lives of the saints should be an important part of your decision. Use this website to help selecting a Confirmation name. Click on Links on the top menu, and then under Saints, click on the Patron Saints Index.

 

You shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the Lord. You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem held by your God.
-- Isaiah 62:2-3