Hello Patty, I think your friend Brandi was named after Irish St Brendan, feast day May 16. more about this Irishman Saint: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02758c.htm Tatjana (it took me a long time to find her in the Catholic calendar and join my brother and sister having a "name's day" which they always had- talking about deprived childhood!) By the way until not so long ago the custom in Croatia was that you had the "official" name, most often of a saint who was then expected to help and protect you. But your friends and family could call you in any shortened form of your name- at times actually lenghtened. The confirmation name was not used but I guess it could have been. It had a special meaning for the fact that now you were old enough to chose it yourself. My brother chose a name of a long ago ancestor. Boys, proud to carry family names! Girls expecting to lose their family name and live happily ever after! To add: from the list I got a new name. Ashley calls me Tat. Getting an additional name- how enriching! And about mothers not in church. In 1944 in Zagreb the custom was still adhered to, though nobody knew the reason. I have yet to find out how is it handled nowadays.