| English. | French. | Breton. | Italian. |
| Benedict | Benoît | Bennéad | Benedetto |
| Bennet | Bennéged | Betto | |
| Bettino | |||
| Spanish. | Portuguese. | German. | Swedish. |
| Benedicto | Benedicto | Benedikt | Bengt |
| Benito | Bento | Dix | |
| Norse. | Swiss. | Russian. | Polish. |
| Benedik | Benzel | Venedict | Benedykt |
| Benike | Benzli | ||
| Bent | |||
| Slavonic and Illyrian. | Lusatian. | Lithuanian. | Lapp. |
| Benedikt | Beniesch | Bendzus | Pent |
| Benedit | Bendikkas | Penta | |
| Benko | Lett. | Hungarian. | Pint |
| Bindus | Benedik | Pinna |
There was a Visigothic nun in Spain canonized as Benedicta, but most of the feminines were meant in devotion to the original founder of the Benedictine rule. Indeed, in France, Benedicte must have been far more often assigned on the profession of a nun than have been given in baptism, except when the child was destined from her birth to a conventual life.
| French. | Italian. | Spanish. | German. |
| Benoîte | Benedetta | Benita. | Benedikta |
| Betta | Benedictine | ||
| Bettina |
How the localities of these feminines mark the extent of monasticism in modern times!
The sister of St. Benedict bore the strange name of Scholastica, a scholar, from schola (school). Monasticism spread the name, but it was never much in vogue, though England shows a Scholastica Conyers, in 1299.
Bonifacius (good-worker) was the name of a martyr; then of a pope; and next was assumed by our Saxon Wilfred, when in the sixth century he set out to convert his continental brethren. Perhaps, if he had kept his native name, it would have been more followed, both at home and in Germany; but in both, Boniface has withered away out of use, though Bonchurch, in the Isle of Wight, is a contraction of the Church of St. Boniface, that having probably been the last English ground beheld by the saint when he sailed on his mission. In Italy, however, Bonifacius was a papal name. Bonifazio prevailed among the Alpine lords of Monferrat, and thus is still found in Italy. It has become one of the stock names for the host of an inn, and has named the straits between Sardinia and Corsica.
| English. | Italian. | Russian. | Polish. | Bohemian. |
| Boniface | Bonifacio | Bonifacij | Bonifacij | Bonifac |
| Facio | ||||
| Bonifazio | ||||
| Fazio |
Of modern Italian date and construction is Bonaventura. Its origin was the exclamation of St. Francis on meeting Giovanni de Fidenza, the son of a dear friend: O buona ventura (happy meeting). These words became the usual appellation of young Fidenza, and as he afterwards was distinguished for holiness and learning, and was called the seraphic doctor, he was canonized as San Bonaventura, and has had sundry namesakes in Italy and France; in the latter country being called Bonaventure. Benvenuto Cellini may perhaps be reckoned as one, unless his name be intended to mean welcome without reference to the saint.
Section III.—From Clarus.
Clarus (bright or clear) was used by the Romans in the sense of famous, and St. Clarus is revered as the first bishop of Nantes in Brittany, in A.D. 280. Another Clarus, said to have been a native of Rochester, was a hermit, near Rouen, where he was murdered at the instigation of a wicked woman who had vainly paid her addresses to him. Two villages of St. Clair, one on the Epte, the other near Coutance, are interesting as having (one or the other of them) named two of the most noted families in the history of Great Britain, besides the various De St. Clairs of France, who came either from thence or from a third St. Clair in Aquitaine.