Women throughout the history of the church have served as warriors, holy knights, and charitable protectors.
Saint Joan led an army during the Hundred Years’ War. Saint Catherine of Alexandria was martyred for standing up to the Emperor Maxentius.
S Olga was a wise ruler who defended her kingdom against Viking invaders.
This post is devoted to their stories–and to some of our favorite female paladin names,
so that you can honor strong women in your own life with a little more gusto.
Names include: Beatrice, Catherine, Julianna, Genevieve, Godiva, Leandra, and more.
Beatrice la Belle (1212-1268)
This famous name from Dante’s “Divine Comedy” is believed to be an homage to Beatrice Portinari,
a woman known for her beauty and virtue.
Born into a wealthy family in Florence,
Beatrice was a key figure in the courts of three Italian cities: Florence, Bologna, and Milan.
She was kind to all she met and made
an especially strong impression on Dante Alighieri after he met her in a church.
Through the course of their relationship—which could never have been anything but platonic since she was married to another man—
he composed many sonnets about Beatrice . . . and knows that she reciprocated his feelings.
Catherine of Alexandria (third century)
As part of a group of 27 women that endured persecution, torture, and martyrdom
at the hands of the Emperor Maxentius, this Saint was probably the most famous woman canonized in history.
All 28 women were given names associated with military valor, with “hippolyta” meaning “[the one who] wears a breastplate.”
In order to avoid being executed as Christians without question, the women were forced to convert to Catholicism.
Shortly after their martyrdom, their leader St. Helen was canonized as a foundress; she remained queen of heaven until her death in 379 AD.
Julianna Ortins (1585-1630)
This early figure in the Spanish colonization of the Americas was a devoted Catholic and a natural leader.
Escaping persecution in her native France,
she spent the last five years of her life as a missionary to Native Americans in what would later become New Mexico.
In an area where other women were either taken as wives or killed, she interacted daily with natives,
even dressing like them and partaking in their ceremonies.
The daughter of a Huguenot (French Protestant) judge, she became a recluse after her husband died and devoted herself to both God and Spain.
She was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1728.
Genevieve of Brabant (1146-1193)
This saint, who was famous during her lifetime, is the patron saint of Paris.
Her father was a local count, and she married a young nobleman who also served in the court. Known as a very generous woman and one with a kind heart, she helped to defend her kingdom against Viking invaders.
Through her efforts, King Louis VII offered her his support.
After spending the final years of her life in prayer and contemplation, she died at the age of 57 and was canonized shortly thereafter.
Note: there are many variations to this name—Ginevra is its Italian equivalent. These names are similar enough that they can be considered interchangeable.
Godiva (10th century)
One of the best-known names in English history, Godiva crosses ethnic and linguistic lines.
The real Godgifu probably lived in the 10th century and was born into a wealthy family in Leominster, England.
Her husband wanted to increase his influence in Coventry by forcing the town to lower its taxes, but he found that he needed her help.
To regain his standing with the people of Coventry, he pledged never to force them to pay taxes as long as his wife rode naked through the streets of Coventry.
She agreed to do this in order to spare her fellow citizens from a tax increase but the legend became that she rode naked through the town on a horse. female paladin names
Leandra Luscombe (1903-1987)
A British missionary and physician, Sister Leandra Luscombe was the first woman to serve as a physician in any war zone.
She served in Malaya during World War II, where she treated wounded native women who had been caught up in the conflict.
For her service, she was awarded a Knight of St. Gregory medal by Pope Pius XI and a special citation from General Douglas MacArthur for “distinguished service in the line of duty.”
This French saint is known for her charitable works, and she was canonized after her death in 1311.
As a child, she suffered from an extreme devotion to God, which led her parents to send her away to be educated.
When she grew up, the Countess of Nevers took the young Genevieve under her wing, and later arranged a marriage between Genevieve and Peter II of Artois.
