the.com/goddaughter
a backup parent's investment, blessed at the altar, redeemed mostly in birthday cards.
means A girl or woman whom an adult sponsors at her baptism, taking on a spiritual responsibility for her upbringing and faith.
from A straightforward English compound of "god" and "daughter," with "god" here in the old sense of a spiritual rather than biological bond — the same logic that gives us godfather, godmother, and godson. This use of "god-" for baptismal kinship goes back to Old English (godcild, godfæder), reflecting a long Christian tradition in which sponsors stood at the font and vowed to guide the child's soul, becoming a kind of parent-in-faith.
- medieval law
- godparents once forbidden from marrying their godchildren
- royal duty
- monarchs collect dozens, blurring godchild and political ally
- origins
- role emerged to sponsor children at baptism rites
- spiritual kin
- church treated godparenthood as binding as blood
princess charlotte of wales — godchild of prince harry, born 2015
north west — kim kardashian's goddaughter, child of kanye west, born 2013