What Does The Name Saint Mean?

One of the world's most famous It Couples just welcomed another baby, and after months of speculating, we finally know what his name is. According to Kim Kardashian's official website, KimYe baby number two is named Saint West, and it should surprise any fan who thought that Kardashian and Kanye West were going to slap the first name South on their new baby for branding purposes. Kardashian and West may not be the only stars in Hollywood to give their son the name Saint, but it's hardly basic. So what does Saint actually mean? Let's analyze.

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, there are five definitions for the word "saint." There's "one officially recognized especially through canonization as preeminent for holiness" and "one of God's chosen and usually Christian people," definitions that both seemingly refer to religious figures like Saint Francis. Kardashian and West are reportedly Christian, and had North West baptized at a 12th century Armenian church in Jerusalem. Saint could be a way to honor their commitment to religion.

A third definition of the word is "one of the spirits of the departed in heaven." It was reported that Kardashian and West may have given Saint the middle name Robert, after Kardashian's late father Robert Kardashian. If Saint's middle name was chosen before his first name, the couple may have wanted something that worked well with Robert.

The simplest definition of saint is "[an] eminent for piety or virtue." Kimye may have wanted to place an emphasis on their child growing up with good morals, and gave him a name that reflected that. Similarly, the last definition that Merriam-Webster lists is "an illustrious predecessor," which means someone admired and respected for their accomplishments.

There's also the chance that the standard dictionary definitions don't reflect why Kardashian and West chose the name Saint. West uses a lot of religious imagery in his music, so the name Saint seems to fit right into that. West tends to liken himself to deities, so perhaps he wanted his son to do the same. Kardashian may have even wanted a name that solidified her status as a celebrity fashion icon, hence naming her baby Saint for Yves Saint Laurent.

Then there's the chance that maybe, just maybe, Kardashian and West happened to like the way that Saint rolled off the tongue. It's a simple, elegant word, even outside of its strong connotations. Leave it to Kimye to give their baby something so provocative!