Benedict

 Benedict is the English form of the Latin Benedictus meaning “blessed.”  The name spread throughout Western Europe in the Middle Ages almost exclusively owing its popularity to St. Benedict, the 6th century Italian Catholic monk and founder of the Benedictine Order.  His “Rule of Benedict” writings were popular among the later establishments of Western European monasteries because it promoted the spirit of balance, moderation and reasonableness between individual zealots and institutionalized expectations. For this reason, St. Benedict is often credited as the founder of Western Christian monasticism. The name became common among Christians and was adopted by 16 popes in total. The French version, Benoît, was largely introduced to the English after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Benedict became the de-facto English version while Bennett developed as a medieval vernacular form. The name is still used with some regularity in England, but not so much in other English-speaking countries today.