Dominic, Saint, 1170?-1221, Castilian churchman, named Domingo de Guzmán, founder of the Dominicans. He studied at Palencia and became a canon, then prior of canons, of the cathedral of Osma. He and his bishop went (c.1203) to Rome seeking permission to evangelize the Tatars; instead, Pope Innocent III sent them to S France to preach to the Albigenses. Adopting absolute poverty, they wandered about Languedoc preaching and were the first Catholic missionaries to have success there. St. Dominic started a community for women converts at Prouille in 1206. In 1216 he was given a house and church at Toulouse for his band of preachers, now numbering 16. The same year he went to Rome and received from Pope Honorius III approval of his plans for the new order. The order, with its novel vocation to study and preaching, grew phenomenally. An ancient tradition, often pictured, tells how the saint received the rosary from the Virgin Mary in a vision. It is also told that St. Dominic and St. Francis met and became friends in Rome, establishing a close tie between Franciscans and Dominicans that has continued to the present. Feast: Aug. 4.

orig. Domingo de Guzmán

(born 1170, Caleruega, Castile—died Aug. 6, 1221, Bologna, Romagna; canonized July 3, 1234; feast day August 8) Founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, or Dominicans. He joined the religious community of the cathedral of Osma circa 1196. On a visit to southern France in 1203, he encountered the Albigensian heresy (see Cathari) and determined to fight it. He gathered a group of preachers willing to travel the roads barefoot and in poverty, and in 1206 he founded a convent of nuns converted from heresy. While designing his order devoted to preaching, Dominic may first have met St. Francis of Assisi, who became his good friend. In 1216 he received sanction for his order from Pope Honorius III. He established schools of theology at his two principal houses near the Universities of Paris and Bologna.

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Dominic is a male name. Translated from Latin it means 'of Our Lord' or 'belonging to God'. Variations include: Domenic, Dominik, Dominick, Domonik and the usually feminine Dominique.

The name may refer to:Saints

• Saint Dominic, also known as Dominic de Guzmán (c. 1170–1221), founder of the Dominican order
• Saint Dominic Loricatus (995-1060), Umbrian Benedectine monk
• Saint Dominic of Silos (1000–1073), abbot of the Spanish monastery of San Sebastián
• Saint Dominic de la Calzada (d. 1109), Basque hermit
• Saint Dominic Savio (1842-1857)
• Vietnamese Martyrs, canonized by John Paul II, 15 of 117 of whom were known as DominicOther religious people
• Blessed Dominic Barberi (1792–1849), English theologian
• Dominic Ekandem (1917-1995), a Cardinal who was the first West African Catholic Bishop
• Dominicus Gundissalinus (c. 1150), Spanish archdeacon and scholastic philosopher
• Dominic of Prussia (1382–1461), Carthusian monkBusiness
• Dominic D'Alessandro (b. 1947), President and CEO of Manulife FinancialMusic
• Dominic Cifarelli (b. 1977), guitarist for The Chronicles of Israfel (formerly of Pulse Ultra)
• Dominic Frontiere (b. 1931), American composer, arranger, and jazz accordionist
• Dominic Howard, drummer for Muse
• Dominic Miller (b. 1960), Argentinian-born English guitaristSports
• Dominik Hašek (b. 1965), a Czech ice hockey goalkeeper
• Domenic Mediate (b. 1982), a footballer who currently plays for D.C. United of Major League Soccer
• Domenico Schiattarella (b. 1967), Italian racing driverCinema
• Dominic Cooper (b. 1978), British-born actor who has appeared in The History Boys and The Duchess
• Dominic Monaghan (b. 1976), English actor best known as Charlie of Lost and Merry from the Lord of the Rings film trilogy
• Dominic Purcell (b. 1970), British-born Australian actor who now lives in the United States
• Dominic Sena (b. 1949), American film director
• Dominic West (b. 1969), English actor who has appeared in Chicago and 300Criminals
• Dominic Sousa an American importing who imported illegal pornography into Canada.Fiction
• Dominic Sorel, a character in the 2005-2006 anime and manga series Eureka Seven
• Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, daily fantasy webcomic launched in 2002
• Dominick Hide, time traveller in 1980 BBC playMilitary
• Operation Dominic I and II, a series of 105 nuclear test explosions conducted in 1962 and 1963 by the United StatesPlaces
• St Dominick, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom
• Dominican Republic, a country in the Caribbean
• Dominica, another country in the CaribbeanMedia
• Dominic Lawson, British journalist; brother of Nigella Lawson, son of Nigel Lawson