Meanings
noungodparent (plural godparents)
plural godparents
- A person who, at a child's naming ceremony or baptism, agrees to help raise the child, originally and especially in regard to their religious development.
- A child's designated guardian in the case that the child's parents die.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian кръ́стници
- кръ́стници (krắstnici)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Chinese Mandarin 乾爹 /干爹, 教父
- 乾爹 /干爹 (gāndiē)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- 教父 (jiàofù)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- 乾娘 /干娘 (gānniáng)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- 教母 (jiàomǔ)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Danish fadder
- fadderperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Dutch peetvader, peetmoeder
- peetvaderperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- peetmoederperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Esperanto baptogepatro
- baptogepatroperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Estonian ristivanem, ristiisa
- ristivanemperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- ristiisaperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- ristiemaperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- vaderperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Finnish kummi, kummisetä
- kummiperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- kummisetäperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- kummitätiperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
French parrain, marraine
- parrainperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- marraineperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
German Pate, Patin
- Pateperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- Patinperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Greek νονός, νονά
- νονός (godfather)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- νονά (godmother)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Hawaiian makua papakema
- makua papakemaperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Hungarian keresztszülő
- keresztszülőperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Indonesian wali baptis
- wali baptisperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Irish cara as Críost
- cara as Críostperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Japanese 教父母, 名付け親
- 教父母 (kyōfubo)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- 名付け親 (nazukeoya)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- 代父母 (daifubo)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Norwegian Bokmål fadder, dåpsvitne
- fadderperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- dåpsvitneperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Polish chrzestny, chrzestna
- chrzestnyperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- chrzestnaperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Portuguese padrinho, madrinha
- padrinhoperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- madrinhaperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Romanian naș, nașă
- nașperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- nașăperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Russian крёстный оте́ц, крёстная мать
- крёстный оте́ц (krjóstnyj otéc)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- крёстная мать (krjóstnaja matʹ)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Swedish fadder
- fadderperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Ukrainian хрещений батько, хрещена
- хрещений батько (xreščenyj batʹko)person who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
- хрещенаperson who stood for a child during a naming ceremony or baptism
Cite this entry
APA
godparent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/godparent
MLA
“godparent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/godparent. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “godparent,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/godparent.
Source: godparent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.