Roncalli is the surname of Pope John XXIII. Known as the Good Pope, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was elected Pope in October 1958. When asked the standard question, ‘By what name do you wish to be known?’ Roncalli answered, ‘I will be called John.’ He explained: ‘The name John is dear to me because it was the name of my father, because it is the dedication of the humble parish church where we were baptised, and because it is the name of innumerable cathedrals throughout the world.’

He chose the name John