So yesterday’s post about little Roman had me thinking about actress Cate Blanchett because she also has a son named Roman — Roman Robert, which is another totally fab alliterative combo — and then I was thinking about her other kids’ names (because I’ve long loved each one), and was so struck (again) by the heavy-hitting saintliness of the names that I had to look up whether or not she’s Catholic. Because who else would name their children:
Dashiell John
Roman Robert
Ignatius Martin
Edith Vivian Patricia
So we have:
- St. John [take your pick]
- Some Sts. Roman, and also Roman Catholic, and where the Pope lives
- St. Robert [take your pick]
- St. Ignatius [more than I realized]
- St. Martin [ditto]
- Our girl St. Edith Stein [and a couple others]
- St. Vivian aka Bibiana (g) and a French bishop (b)
- Two Sts. Patricia (who knew!) and of course St. Patrick of Ireland [et al.]
I mean, really. The only one that doesn’t scream ROME! (figuratively or literally 😀 ) is Dashiell, and while his middle name mightn’t seem particularly faithy if he was an only child or if his sibs had different sorts of names, within the context of the other kids, allllll I see is St. John [whoever]. Also, apparently they named their first after Cate’s husband’s fave author Dashiell Hammett, who was baptized Catholic. So! (And now I feel like the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where everything turns out to be originally Greek. “Kimono, kimono, kimono. Ha! Of course! Kimono is come from the Greek word himona, is mean winter. So, what do you wear in the wintertime to stay warm? A robe. You see: robe, kimono. There you go!” 😀 )
Also — did you know her full name? I only just read it and I’m dying, it’s goooorgeous: Catherine Élise (with the accent and all!). Her great taste in names is genetic, clearly. (Her sibs are Robert and Genevieve. It just gets better and better.) And I’m 1000% not surprised that her full name is so beautiful and classy, since she seems that way herself. (And parents, take heart: apparently “[s]he had a penchant for dressing in masculine clothing, and went through goth and punk phases during her teenaged years, shaving her head at one point.”)
Anyway, to answer the original question: It doesn’t seem as though she’s Catholic after all — she was actually included in a list of Atheist, Agnostic, or Non-Religious Actors and Directors. So lots of time spent today on a lovely lady who’s only connection to our blog is her (probably) inadvertent use of some amazing saint names! What do you all think of her name taste? Are you as surprised as I to see so many Catholicky Catholic names used by a non-Catholic family?
Sancta Nomina 
Some of the best named children in Hollywood 🙂 Think of the nicknames! Dash, Ro, Iggy and Edie, so cute!
I kind of love that she used uber-Catholic names even though she isn’t Catholic. I feel like so often people say things like “I would totally use this name, but it’s too (insert adjective here), and I’m not (adjective)” (I’m totally guilty of this too), and I love that she and her husband were like “you know what, we don’t care” if they realized the Catholic connections. Just use the names you love, who cares what other people think!
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Well said!
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Sure is a part of her that can’t be denied! This is such a tough age to live in, never mind her profession.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, please bless her…(always the answer…)
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I usually wrinkle my nose at celeb baby names (not very nice of me, I know, but Pilot Inspektor!? Seriously!?) … Cate’s children have marvelous names and even Dashiell John if it isn’t religious is classic with 2 REAL names and a literary reference and a great nick name and and and! People named Kate/Cate must just have impeccable taste 😀
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Hahaha Hollyce!! 🙂
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Her taste is just so fantastic, SO many of these are on my own list of favorites. She’s so classy and classic, just love her.
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Seriously!
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