godfather

/ˈɡɒdfɑːðə/noun

A man who agrees at a child's baptism to help guide the child's upbringing, especially in the Christian faith.

Example sentence

“They asked his best friend to be the baby's godfather.”

Since the 1972 film, also the standard word for a mafia boss, and by extension a founding figure: 'the godfather of soul'. Context keeps the baptismal sense clear.

family

Related words

householdAll the people who live together in one home, considered as a single unit.twinOne of two children (or animals) carried in the same womb at the same time and born at the same birth.reunionAn organized gathering where people who have been apart, such as family or old classmates, come together again.orphanA child whose parents have died, or (less commonly) who has lost one parent.heritageThe traditions, values, and customs handed down within families or communities from earlier generations.guardianA person who protects or watches over someone or something.