Borrowed from the English word for trust or faith, popular as a virtue-inspired modern given name.
Credence derives from the Medieval Latin *credentia*, itself from *credere* — "to believe, to trust." In ecclesiastical contexts, a credence was a small side table used in church liturgy to hold the elements before consecration, a name that spoke of sacred trustworthiness. As an abstract noun, credence means the acceptance given to a statement or person: to give credence is to believe.
The name therefore arrives weighted with ideas of faith, legitimacy, and the courage it takes to be believed. K. Rowling's *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* (2016), where Credence Barebone — played by Ezra Miller — is a repressed, tormented young wizard whose suppressed magic manifests as a destructive Obscurus.
The character's name was deliberately chosen: someone denied credence, whose existence is disbelieved and whose identity is suppressed. The dramatic irony gives the name a melancholy poignancy that resonated deeply with audiences. Meanwhile, the band Creedence Clearwater Revival had already given the phonetic neighbor "Creedence" a place in rock history, associated with swampy, authentic American roots music.
As a given name in the twenty-first century, Credence appeals to parents drawn to virtue names and word names — a tradition running from Puritan naming (Patience, Prudence, Grace) through to modern coinages. It feels at once archaic and contemporary, and carries a quiet, almost defiant meaning: this child will be believed. It is serious without being solemn, unusual without being invented.
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