Godparent
/ˈɡɒdˌpɛə.rənt/noun
A person who sponsors a child at baptism and is accepted as a guide or guardian in that child’s religious life.
Did you know?The word is literally a Christian kinship term: the “god-” in godparent comes from the baptismal sponsor’s role before God, not from any pagan deity or occult title.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
gōd
“good; God (in compounds and religious contexts)”
Old English
OE
fæder
“father”
Middle English
ME
godefader / godmoder
“a baptismal sponsor; a godfather or godmother”
Late Middle English
ME
godparent
“a baptismal sponsor, especially one who stands as witness at a christening”
Modern English
English
godparent
“a person who sponsors a child at baptism and may play a special role in the child’s life”