200+ Latin Baby Boy Names Rooted in Ancient Rome

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If you’re looking for a name with real staying power, Ancient Rome is hard to beat. This list draws straight from Roman history — the given names emperors and senators actually carried, the family names that went on to become first names for centuries afterward, and the everyday words Romans used to name their sons. You’ll find names still in everyday use two thousand years later, alongside a few that are overdue for a comeback.

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Popularity below is calculated from Social Security Administration data through 2024, the most recent year on record.

Here’s what’s in store –

Classic Roman Praenomina: The Original First Names

Names of Emperors and Caesars

Warrior Names and Roman Virtues

Names from Roman Myth, Legend, and Religion

Patrician Cognomina Worth Reclaiming

Medieval Latin Names: From the Church to the Cloister

Renaissance and Humanist Latin Names

Rare and Poetic Latin Names Worth Reviving

This list is not about Spanish or Italian names that descended from Latin roots — those deserve their own treatment. This is about the original Latin itself: the praenomina Romans gave their sons at birth, the names of emperors and senators, the cognomina that became first names across medieval Europe, and the humanist names that Renaissance scholars chose to signal their allegiance to antiquity. Every name here was used by real, documented people. Several of them were used by dozens of emperors, saints, and scholars in sequence.

What strikes you, going through the Latin naming tradition, is how much variety existed beneath what looks like a rigid aristocratic system. Yes, there were only about eighteen standard Roman first names. But the cognomina — the third names — were wildly creative, sometimes brutally descriptive, occasionally beautiful. And the church, the medieval monasteries, the Renaissance humanists: they all drew from Latin like a well that never ran dry, adding layers of meaning that connect back to ancient Rome even when the road took turns through Alexandria or Carthage or Canterbury.

Whether you want something battle-tested like Marcus, something unexpectedly soft like Favonius, or something so rare your pediatrician’s nurse will have to ask you to spell it twice (Cincinnatus, we’re looking at you), this list has a Roman name for every kind of son.

Classic Roman Praenomina: The Original First Names

These are the names Romans actually used as personal first names — the praenomina. There were only about eighteen in standard use, which made them intimate: hearing someone’s praenomen meant you knew them well. Most are short, strong, and shockingly usable today.

Marcus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: MAR-kus · ˈmɑːrkəs
Meaning: dedicated to Mars; ‘warlike’
Popularity: #256 and falling (#249 → #256, 2024)

Lucius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: LOO-shəs · ˈluːʃəs
Meaning: light
Popularity: #1,385 and falling (#1,254 → #1,385, 2024)

Ancient and airy, Lucius was the praenomen of countless senators; it glides off the tongue in a way few ancient names do.

Gaius

Origin: Latin (Roman praenomen)
Pronunciation: GY-əs · ˈɡaɪəs
Meaning: “To rejoice”
Popularity: #3,618 and rising (#5,526 → #3,618, 2024)

Julius Caesar’s own first name, and among the oldest praenomina; the G is hard, the name is two clean syllables.

Publius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PUB-lee-uhs · ˈpʌbliəs
Meaning: of the people, public-spirited
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Virgil’s formal first name; feels stately today precisely because it has been waiting so long in the archive.

Quintus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KWIN-tus · ˈkwɪntəs
Meaning: fifth (a Roman praenomen traditionally given to a fifth-born son)
Popularity: #10,627 and falling (#5,861 → #10,627, 2024)

Titus

Origin: Latin (Roman/Sabine praenomen)
Pronunciation: TY-tus · ˈtaɪtəs
Meaning: uncertain — ancient sources give either ‘honorable’ or ‘of the giants’ (linked to the Titans)
Popularity: #383 and falling (#374 → #383, 2024)

Bold and brief, Titus was the name of the emperor who completed the Colosseum and the apostle Paul’s closest companion.

Decimus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: DESS-ih-məs · ˈdɛsɪməs
Meaning: Literally ‘tenth,’ originally given to a tenth-born son in ancient Rome
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The heaviest-sounding of the ordinal names, Decimus has a gravitas that Sextus and Septimus don’t quite match.

Manius

Origin: Old Latin/Italic
Pronunciation: MAN-ee-us · ˈmæniəs
Meaning: good (from an archaic Latin word for ‘good’, the same root seen in ‘Manes’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

One of the oldest and rarest praenomina, almost extinct today, with a gentle early-light quality to it.

Servius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SER-vee-us · ˈsɜːrviəs
Meaning: derived from servus, ‘slave’ or ‘servant’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The name of a legendary early Roman king who reformed the constitution; the servant meaning takes on nobility in context.

Appius

Origin: Italic (Oscan/Sabellic), via Latin
Pronunciation: AP-ee-us · ˈæpiəs
Meaning: “Strength”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The praenomen of the great Claudian clan, carried by censors and consuls for centuries.

Aulus

Origin: Etruscan
Pronunciation: AW-lus · ˈɔːləs
Meaning: “Flute-player”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Kaeso

Origin: Latin (Roman praenomen)
Pronunciation: KY-soh · ˈkaesoʊ
Meaning: disputed by ancient writers: either ‘cut’ (referencing birth by Caesarean section) or ‘blue-grey’ (describing eye color)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The most ancient praenomen of the Quinctian clan; razor-sharp in the mouth.

Sextus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SEKS-tus · ˈsɛkstəs
Meaning: sixth
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Carried by the poet Sextus Propertius and the jurist Sextus Pompeius Festus; ordinal in origin, literary in feel.

Postumus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: POS-too-mus
Meaning: last-born; a child born after the father’s death
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Romans used this without the tragedy coloring we’d expect today — it was simply a fact noted at naming.

Proculus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PROK-yə-ləs · ˈprɒkjʊləs
Meaning: far off; born while the father was away
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An origin story folded into a name; Proculus was also the philosopher who claimed to have seen Romulus deified.

Numerius

Origin: Latin (from older Oscan-influenced Numasios)
Pronunciation: noo-MEER-ee-us · nuːˈmɪəriəs
Meaning: “Of numbers”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ancient Oscan-influenced praenomen used in southern Italy; quieter and more numerological than its siblings.

Mamercus

Origin: Oscan (Italic)
Pronunciation: ma-MER-kus · məˈmɜːrkəs
Meaning: associated with Mamers, the Oscan name for the war-god Mars
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Spurius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SPYOOR-ee-us · ˈspjuːriəs
Meaning: born out of wedlock, of unacknowledged parentage
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Romans bore this without stigma — Spurius Postumius Albinus was a distinguished consul — though modern associations make it a skip for most parents.

Names of Emperors and Caesars

Rome produced ninety-two emperors, depending on how you count. Their names range from the imposingly grand to the oddly humble, and many of them have the advantage of being both historically resonant and genuinely rare today.

Augustus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: aw-GUS-tus · ɔːˈɡʌstəs
Meaning: majestic and venerable
Popularity: #408 and rising (#486 → #408, 2024)

The first emperor’s title became his name; it is both enormous and — surprisingly — wearable, sharing sounds with August and Augustine.

Hadrian

Origin: Latin (Roman place name)
Pronunciation: HAY-dree-un · ˈheɪdriən
Meaning: from Hadria (an ancient Italian town)
Popularity: #2,835 and rising (#3,924 → #2,835, 2024)

The Wall-builder emperor; sophisticated, slightly melancholy, and underused in English-speaking countries.

Trajan

Origin: Latin (Roman gens name, root unclear); distinct modern Macedonian name from ‘to last, endure’
Pronunciation: TRAY-juhn · ˈtreɪdʒən
Meaning: “Of the Trajan family”
Popularity: #7,672 and rising (#8,195 → #7,672, 2024)

Rome’s first provincial emperor, born in Spain; the name has a clipped, modern energy despite its age.

Aurelius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: aw-REE-lee-əs · ɔːˈriːliəs
Meaning: golden one
Popularity: #1,118 and rising (#1,216 → #1,118, 2024)

Marcus Aurelius turned this cognomen into the most famous Stoic name in history; it is warm without being soft.

Tiberius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: ty-BEER-ee-us · taɪˈbɪər.i.əs
Meaning: of the Tiber (river)
Popularity: #2,585 and falling (#2,360 → #2,585, 2024)

The brooding second emperor’s name has a literary, melancholy quality that suits a thoughtful child.

Claudius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KLAW-dee-əs · klɔːdiəs
Meaning: from Latin ‘claudus’, meaning ‘lame’ or ‘limping’
Popularity: #12,518 as of 2019 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Vespasian

Origin: Latin (Roman cognomen, root disputed)
Pronunciation: veh-SPAY-zhun · vɛˈspeɪʒən
Meaning: “From the Vespasii, wasp-like”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Founder of the Flavian dynasty, the no-nonsense general who rebuilt Rome after Nero; layered and dignified.

Domitian

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: doh-MISH-uhn · dəˈmɪʃən
Meaning: adjectival form of the Roman gens name Domitius, traditionally linked to Latin ‘domare’ (‘to tame’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The autocratic emperor gave this name a difficult legacy, but the sound is handsome — four syllables that move well.

Nerva

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: NUR-vuh · ˈnɜːrvə
Meaning: sinew; figuratively, vigor or strength
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Maximian

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: mak-SIM-ee-un · mækˈsɪmiən
Meaning: greatest (superlative of ‘magnus’, great)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Diocletian’s co-emperor; the shorter form Maxim exists in Eastern Europe, but Maximian carries more Roman weight.

Maximus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: MAK-suh-mus · ˈmæksəməs
Meaning: greatest
Popularity: #330 and falling (#319 → #330, 2024)

Gladiator gave this a modern audience, but it was already one of Rome’s most-used cognomina long before Russell Crowe.

Constantius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: kohn-STAN-shee-us · kənˈstænʃiəs
Meaning: shares the root of Latin ‘constare’ (‘to stand firm’), closely related to Constans — ‘steadfast, constant, resolute’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The father of Constantine; where Constantine became famous, Constantius stayed rare and perhaps more interesting.

Constantine

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KON-stan-teen · ˈkɒnstəntiːn
Meaning: steadfast, constant
Popularity: #1,608 and rising (#1,649 → #1,608, 2024)

The emperor who changed Western history; classical and enduring, equally at home in ancient Rome and modern Brooklyn.

Julian

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: JOOL-yuhn · ˈdʒuːljən
Meaning: ‘belonging to Julius’ (from Latin Iulianus); Julius’s own root is disputed, traditionally glossed ‘youthful, downy’
Popularity: #30 and rising (#33 → #30, 2024)

Julian the Apostate tried and failed to reverse Christianity; the name outlived his project and is widely used today.

Aurelian

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: aw-REE-lee-un · ɔːˈriːliən
Meaning: golden
Popularity: #3,690 and rising (#6,256 → #3,690, 2024)

The emperor who reunified a fractured empire in three years; the name has an easy elegance that Aurelius lacks.

Valerian

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: vuh-LEER-ee-un · vəˈlɪəriən
Meaning: strength, health (from Latin valere, ‘to be strong’)
Popularity: #6,137 and rising (#6,856 → #6,137, 2024)

The only emperor captured alive by a foreign enemy — the name is far more dignified than its bearer’s fate.

Gordian

Origin: Latin (from the Phrygian place-name Gordium)
Pronunciation: GOR-dee-uhn · ˈɡɔːr.di.ən
Meaning: of/from Gordium (or belonging to King Gordius)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Three emperors in quick succession bore this name; it has an Arthurian gravity despite being purely Roman.

Probus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PROH-bəs · ˈproʊbəs
Meaning: upright, honest, virtuous
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The emperor who let soldiers farm during peacetime; a complete Roman virtue compressed into five letters.

Florian

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FLOR-ee-an · ˈflɔːriən
Meaning: Blooming or flourishing; from the Latin name Florianus, related to florere “to bloom.”
Popularity: #3,230 and rising (#3,240 → #3,230, 2024)

An emperor for only eighty-eight days, but the name lived on through St. Florian and into wide European use.

Jovian

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: JOH-vee-un · ˈdʒoʊviən
Meaning: of or relating to Jove/Jupiter
Popularity: #3,917 and rising (#4,800 → #3,917, 2024)

Jovian just means ‘pertaining to Jove/Jupiter’ — the ‘father of the gods’ phrasing describes Jupiter himself, not something built into this name.

Carus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KAIR-uhs · ˈkɛərəs
Meaning: dear, beloved
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Short, sweet, and sincere; Emperor Carus reigned two years but left a name that means exactly what you’d want a name to mean.

Severus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: seh-VEER-us · sɪˈvɪər.əs
Meaning: stern, strict/severe
Popularity: #7,635 and rising (#10,622 → #7,635, 2024)

Septimius Severus rewrote Roman administrative history; the Harry Potter series introduced a new generation to this crisp, serious name.

Gratian

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: GRAY-shun · ˈɡreɪʃən
Meaning: of Gratus; ultimately from Latin ‘gratus,’ pleasing or grateful
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The fourth-century Western emperor who championed Christian orthodoxy; the name reads like gratis and gracious rolled into one.

Honorius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: hoh-NOR-ee-us · hɒˈnɔːriəs
Meaning: honorable, conferring honor
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Dignified and formal; the Western emperor who watched Rome sacked in 410 — the name outlasted the disaster.

Gallienus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: gal-ee-AY-nus · ˌɡæliˈeɪnəs
Meaning: of the Gauls (formed from Gallus, ‘a Gaul’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Jovinus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: joh-VYE-nus · d͡ʒoʊˈvaɪ.nəs
Meaning: of Jove; relating to the Roman god Jupiter
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Gallic usurper who briefly claimed the purple; the name is a softer, more accessible cousin to Jovian.

Warrior Names and Roman Virtues

Romans had a category of names that functioned almost as mission statements — cognomina and given names chosen to communicate strength, fortune, victory, and civic character. These names were not metaphors. They were aspirations made concrete at the naming ceremony.

Marcellus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: mar-SEL-us · mɑːrˈsɛləs
Meaning: diminutive of Marcus; ‘little warrior’
Popularity: #948 and falling (#870 → #948, 2024)

The name of the general who defeated Hannibal’s allies and the nephew Augustus mourned publicly; lyrical and battle-ready at once.

Victor

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: VIK-ter · ˈvɪktər
Meaning: conqueror
Popularity: #214 and rising (#217 → #214, 2024)

Pure, direct, and used throughout Roman history from Christian martyrs to generals; still feels earned rather than flashy.

Regulus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: REG-yoo-lus · ˈrɛɡjʊləs
Meaning: little king
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Roman general who famously returned to his Carthaginian captors to keep his word; also a bright star in Leo.

Valentinus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: val-en-TY-nus · ˌvæl.ənˈtaɪ.nəs
Meaning: strong and healthy (a patronymic derivative of Valens)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The romantic association comes from the later cult and calendar feast of St. Valentine, not the name’s root — Valentinus etymologically means ‘strong, healthy.’

Felix

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FEE-liks · ˈfiːlɪks
Meaning: happy, fortunate, lucky
Popularity: #177 and rising (#192 → #177, 2024)

Extraordinarily common in Roman inscriptions — slaves, senators, popes, and emperors all bore it — which means it was genuinely loved.

Faustus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FAW-stus · ˈfɔːstəs
Meaning: lucky, auspicious, favorable
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Sulla named his son this as a prayer; Goethe made it literary; it is rare enough today to feel like a discovery.

Camillus

Origin: Latin (possibly pre-Roman/Etruscan)
Pronunciation: kuh-MIL-uhs · kəˈmɪl.əs
Meaning: attendant boy in religious rites
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The great general Furius Camillus saved Rome from the Gauls; the name has a quiet ritual dignity.

Manlius

Origin: Latin (Roman gens name, root uncertain)
Pronunciation: MAN-lee-us · ˈmænliəs
Meaning: “Good, morning”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Titus Manlius Torquatus, who killed a Gaul in single combat and wore his torque as a trophy, made this name famous for centuries.

Torquatus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: tor-KWAH-toos · tɔːrˈkwɑːtəs
Meaning: wearing a neck-collar/torque
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Carried as a badge of battle honor; the sound is a rolling declaration.

Primus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PRY-mus · ˈpraɪ.məs
Meaning: first
Popularity: #11,904 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Leadership encoded into a name; the soldier Lucius Tampius Flavianus’s legate Antonius Primus decided the fate of 69 CE.

Celer

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SEL-er · ˈsɛlər
Meaning: swift, fast
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Fortis

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FOR-tis · ˈfɔːrtɪs
Meaning: strong, brave
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A direct Latin virtue name rarely used as a given name today; bold and spare.

Rex

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: REKS · ˈrɛks
Meaning: king
Popularity: #794 and falling (#723 → #794, 2024)

Romans actually avoided this one — it smelled of monarchy — but it was used as a cognomen and sounds clean and confident today.

Gracchus

Origin: Latin (Roman cognomen, origin disputed)
Pronunciation: GRAK-us · ˈɡrækəs
Meaning: “Jackdaw”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus were the great reformers who died fighting for the Roman poor; the name carries radical dignity.

Scipio

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SIP-ee-oh · ˈsɪpioʊ
Meaning: staff, walking stick
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The great Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal at Zama; the name is stiff-spined and noble.

Clemens

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KLEM-ənz · klɛmənz
Meaning: merciful, gentle
Popularity: #8,416 and rising (#12,482 → #8,416, 2024)

Pope Clement I’s name in its Latin form; the quality it describes is among the most undervalued in Roman virtues.

Candidus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KAN-dih-dus · ˈkændɪdəs
Meaning: white, bright, pure
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Descriptive cognomen with a meaning that is all radiance and honesty; rarely used today.

Albinus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: al-BY-nus · ælˈbaɪnəs
Meaning: white, fair-skinned
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Several third-century generals and a British claimant to the purple bore this; bright and clean-sounding.

Modestus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: moh-DES-tus · moʊˈdɛstəs
Meaning: moderate, restrained, modest
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A name that teaches a value by its existence; St. Modestus carried it with unironic dignity.

Fidus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FY-dus · ˈfaɪ.dəs
Meaning: faithful, trustworthy
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Among the simplest Roman virtue names; plain and completely sincere.

Quietus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: kwy-EE-tus · kwaɪˈiːtəs
Meaning: calm, at rest
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A brief emperor in the Crisis of the Third Century; the name is a lovely counterpoint to Rome’s usual noise.

Constans

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KON-stanz · ˈkɒnstænz
Meaning: from Latin ‘constans’, the present participle of ‘constare’ (‘to stand firm’) — ‘steadfast, constant’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Emperor Constans held the Western Empire together through sheer obstinacy; the name is the quality itself.

Gratus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: GRAY-tuhs · ˈɡreɪtəs
Meaning: pleasing, grateful, agreeable
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The emotional register of gratitude built into a name; rare and genuinely warm.

Candidianus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: kan-did-ee-AH-nuhs · ˌkæn.dɪdiˈɑː.nəs
Meaning: of/belonging to Candidus
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Extended form used by Galerius’s son; the longer version adds formality to the bright root.

Amandus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: uh-MAN-dəs · əˈmændəs
Meaning: worthy of love, lovable
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Appears repeatedly in late Roman inscriptions — the people who chose it knew what they wanted to say.

Vitalis

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: vy-TAY-lis · vaɪˈteɪlɪs
Meaning: full of life, vigorous
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Names from Roman Myth, Legend, and Religion

Rome had its own mythology — distinct from Greece’s, though borrowing heavily from it. The Roman divine names, the legendary founders, the figures from Virgil’s Aeneid: all of these were real naming options for Roman families, and several never made it into the Christian tradition, which means they’ve been waiting untouched for two thousand years.

Romulus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: RAHM-yuh-luhs · ˈrɑːmjələs
Meaning: “Of Rome”
Popularity: #3,663 and rising (#4,580 → #3,663, 2024)

The city’s legendary founder who killed his twin and built walls; enormous in meaning and genuinely rare as a given name.

Remus

Origin: Latin (mythological name, ultimate origin uncertain)
Pronunciation: REE-muhs · ˈriːməs
Meaning: “Oar”
Popularity: #9,648 and falling (#4,848 → #9,648, 2024)

Romulus’s twin, killed for leaping over the sacred walls; literary and elegiac, used for boys who will know the weight of their own name.

Aeneas

Origin: Greek (via Latin); the name’s own root is uncertain
Pronunciation: ih-NEE-us · ɪˈniː.əs
Meaning: “Praised”
Popularity: #5,650 and rising (#6,225 → #5,650, 2024)

Virgil’s Trojan hero who founded the line that founded Rome; the Aeneid made this the most literary of all Roman founding names.

Ascanius

Origin: Latin/Trojan (legendary name)
Pronunciation: uh-SKAY-nee-us · əˈskeɪniəs
Meaning: “Ash-tree” or possibly Etruscan
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aeneas’s son who founded Alba Longa; rare, woody, and beautiful.

Evander

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: ih-VAN-der · ɪˈvændər
Meaning: good man
Popularity: #771 and rising (#779 → #771, 2024)

The Arcadian king in Italy who hosted Aeneas and whose name means exactly what you want a name to mean.

Silvanus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: sil-VAY-nus · sɪlˈveɪnəs
Meaning: from Latin silva, ‘forest’; also the Latinized form Paul used for his companion Silas in the New Testament
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Roman god of uncultivated land and protector of boundaries; earthy and strong.

Quirinus

Origin: Latin (possibly Sabine)
Pronunciation: kwih-RYE-nus · kwɪˈraɪnəs
Meaning: “Spear”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Romulus deified and renamed; the most ancient of Rome’s divine names, and essentially unused today.

Faunus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FAW-nus · ˈfɔːnəs
Meaning: the favorable/kindly one (traditionally linked to Latin favere ‘to favor, be kind to’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The rural Roman god of flocks and wilderness, counterpart to the Greek Pan; soft and pastoral.

Janus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: JAY-nus · ˈdʒeɪnəs
Meaning: gateway, doorway
Popularity: #12,959 as of 2019 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The two-faced god of transitions and January’s namesake; no other name captures the concept of new beginnings as precisely.

Favonius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: fuh-VOH-nee-us · fəˈvoʊniəs
Meaning: the west wind (name of the Roman god of the west wind)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Roman name for Zephyr; it is the most poetic name on this entire list and essentially never used.

Larentius

Origin: Latin (Roman cognomen)
Pronunciation: luh-REN-shee-us · ləˈrɛnʃiəs
Meaning: relating to the Lares, the Roman household guardian gods
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Acca Larentia was Rome’s divine foster mother; this male form connects to the domestic divine.

Picus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PYE-kus · ˈpaɪ.kəs
Meaning: woodpecker
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A minor Roman deity and legendary king of Latium who was transformed into a woodpecker by Circe; compact and mythologically loaded.

Turnus

Origin: Latin (name of a legendary Rutulian king)
Pronunciation: TUR-nuhs · ˈtɜːrnəs
Meaning: related to a lathe, or turning
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Aeneid’s antagonist, the Italian warrior-king who fights Aeneas for Lavinia; fierce and tragic.

Lausus

Origin: Latin (mythological name)
Pronunciation: LAW-sus · ˈlɔː.səs
Meaning: “Praised”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The brave young warrior in the Aeneid who dies defending his father Mezentius; short and heroic.

Latinus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: luh-TY-nus · ləˈtaɪnəs
Meaning: belonging to Latium, the region and people of the early Latins
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The legendary king whose daughter Lavinia marries Aeneas; the name is Rome’s geographical identity compressed.

Ancus

Origin: Latin (from Sabine)
Pronunciation: ANG-kuss · ˈæŋkəs
Meaning: having a bent/crooked arm
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ancus Marcius, fourth king of Rome, who built the port of Ostia; ancient and minimal.

Numa

Origin: Sabine (ancient Roman praenomen)
Pronunciation: NOO-muh · ˈnuːmə
Meaning: “Law, custom”
Popularity: #9,590 and falling (#6,555 → #9,590, 2024)

Numa Pompilius, Rome’s second king, who gave the city its religious institutions; quiet and lawgiving.

Saturnus

Origin: Latin (theonym, root disputed)
Pronunciation: suh-TUR-nus · səˈtɜːrnəs
Meaning: “Sower, planter”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The titan-god of agriculture who ruled a golden age before Jupiter; his festival was Saturnalia.

Neptuninus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: nep-too-NEE-nus · nɛptjuːˈniːnəs
Meaning: belonging to or associated with Neptune, god of the sea
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Vulcanus

Origin: Latin (Roman theonym, origin disputed, possibly pre-Roman)
Pronunciation: vul-KAY-nəs · vʌlˈkeɪnəs
Meaning: “Volcano, forge fire”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The smith-god’s Latin name in full; the forge and the fire in two syllables.

Portunus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: por-TOO-nus · pɔːrˈtuːnəs
Meaning: protector of harbors, tied to Latin portus (‘harbor, port’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Minor god of harbors and keys; an unusual choice with a deeply specific domain.

Vertumnus

Origin: Latin (Roman mythology)
Pronunciation: ver-TUM-nus · vərˈtʌmnəs
Meaning: the god of change and shifting seasons
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Acestes

Origin: Greek/Sicilian (mythological)
Pronunciation: uh-SES-teez · əˈsɛstiːz
Meaning: Trojan king of Sicily in the Aeneid
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Host to Aeneas during the funeral games; rare and Virgilian.

Mezentius

Origin: Etruscan (via Latin, legendary figure)
Pronunciation: meh-ZEN-shee-us · mɪˈzɛnʃiəs
Meaning: Etruscan king in the Aeneid
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Complex, brutal, and unexpectedly moving in his final scene; for parents who have read their Virgil.

Inuus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: IN-oo-us
Meaning: linked to sexual union; name of a Roman fertility god, from a verb meaning ‘to enter’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ancient italic fertility god; spare and primal.

Patrician Cognomina Worth Reclaiming

Roman cognomina — what we’d call surnames, originally descriptive nicknames — were frequently used as personal names by later Romans and by Renaissance humanists who admired the old families. Many of these are entirely usable today. Some are unusual precisely because they were so plainly descriptive that no one has dared reclaim them.

Cassius

Origin: Latin (Roman family name)
Pronunciation: KASH-us · ˈkæʃəs
Meaning: “Hollow, empty”
Popularity: #567 and rising (#576 → #567, 2024)

The Shakespearean lean and hungry look; one of the more literary-feeling Roman names, heavy with conspiracy and philosophy.

Brutus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: BROO-təs · ˈbruːtəs
Meaning: heavy, dull, or unreasoning
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The irony that the great liberator bore a name meaning stupidity made it unforgettable; for families drawn to names with complicated legacies.

Cato

Origin: Latin (Roman cognomen); also a Scandinavian matronymic form of Catherine
Pronunciation: KAY-toh · ˈkeɪtoʊ
Meaning: wise, shrewd, clever (Latin ‘catus’)
Popularity: #3,048 and rising (#4,476 → #3,048, 2024)

Cato the Elder and Cato the Younger gave this short name centuries of moral authority; it remains striking.

Cicero

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SIS-ə-roh · sɪsəɹoʊ
Meaning: from Latin ‘cicer’ (chickpea) — a hereditary family nickname, traditionally said to reference a chickpea-shaped wart on an ancestor
Popularity: #12,638 and falling (#11,076 → #12,638, 2024)

A family who grew chickpeas centuries earlier; the greatest orator in Roman history was named after a legume, and it became synonymous with eloquence.

Fabius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FAY-bee-us · ˈfeɪbiəs
Meaning: from Latin ‘faba’ (‘bean’) — name of a patrician Roman family, traditionally linked to bean cultivation
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Fabian clan produced Fabius Maximus the Delayer, whose patient strategy saved Rome from Hannibal; the name is calm and distinguished.

Marius

Origin: Latin (Roman)
Pronunciation: MAIR-ee-us · ˈmɛriəs
Meaning: probably linked to Mars; possibly ‘virile’
Popularity: #2,428 and rising (#3,521 → #2,428, 2024)

The great general who reformed the Roman army and came from nowhere to save the Republic; Roman through and through.

Agrippa

Origin: Latin (disputed origin)
Pronunciation: uh-GRIP-uh · əˈɡrɪpə
Meaning: “Born feet first”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Augustus’s greatest general and architect who built the Pantheon; strong, unusual, and grounded in real history.

Atticus

Origin: Latin (from Greek)
Pronunciation: AT-ih-kus · ˈætɪkəs
Meaning: person from Attica
Popularity: #277 and rising (#284 → #277, 2024)

Cicero’s beloved correspondent Pomponius Atticus; To Kill a Mockingbird gave it a modern second life.

Rufus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: ROO-fuhs · ˈruːfəs
Meaning: red, ruddy (often used to describe red hair)
Popularity: #4,151 and rising (#5,205 → #4,151, 2024)

Common cognomen across all Roman social classes; warm, wearable, and just unusual enough.

Florus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FLOR-uhs · ˈflɔːrəs
Meaning: flowering, blooming
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Roman historian Annaeus Florus; botanical and brief.

Lucullus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: loo-KUL-us · luːˈkʌləs
Meaning: likely a diminutive of ‘lucus’ (a grove or sacred wood)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The general famous for his feasts and his cherries (he introduced them to Rome from Giresun); ornate and historical.

Lepidus

Origin: Latin (Roman cognomen)
Pronunciation: LEP-ih-dəs · ˈlɛpɪdəs
Meaning: elegant, charming, pleasant
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The third triumvir had one of the most flattering cognomina in Rome; the meaning is everything you’d want.

Metellus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: meh-TEL-us · mɪˈtɛləs
Meaning: a hired hand or servant (often rendered as ‘mercenary’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

One of Rome’s great aristocratic clan names; dignified despite the literal meaning.

Piso

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PEE-zoh · ˈpiːzoʊ
Meaning: one who pounds/grinds grain
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ancient noble family who appear in Cicero, Tacitus, and the Pisonian conspiracy against Nero.

Statius

Origin: Oscan/Samnite (adopted as a Latin cognomen)
Pronunciation: STAY-shee-us · ˈsteɪʃiəs
Meaning: possibly ‘standing, firm’ (uncertain)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The epic poet Publius Papinius Statius; stable and literary.

Priscus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PRIS-kus · ˈprɪs.kəs
Meaning: “Ancient, antique”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used by multiple Roman historians; quiet, distinguished, and redolent of old things well-preserved.

Tacitus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: TAS-it-us · ˈtæsɪtəs
Meaning: silent, quiet
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The historian whose prose is the most exact ever written in Latin; a name that honors silence as a form of power.

– **Gracchus** — already listed in warriors section; worth a second notice for its reformer legacy.

Cincinnatus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: sin-sih-NAT-us · ˌsɪnsɪˈnætəs
Meaning: curly-haired
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus left his plow, saved Rome, and returned to his farm in fifteen days; the name is the ideal of republican virtue.

Ennius

Origin: Messapian (pre-Roman southern Italian)
Pronunciation: EN-ee-us · ˈɛniəs
Meaning: likely a theophoric name meaning ‘dedicated to En,’ a local Messapian deity
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The father of Latin poetry, whose Annales were Rome’s first epic; short, literary, and almost never used.

Sallust

Origin: Latin (Roman nomen, root uncertain)
Pronunciation: SAL-ust · ˈsæləst
Meaning: “Leaping, active”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The historian Gaius Sallustius Crispus; compact and energetic.

Flaccus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FLAK-uhs · ˈflækəs
Meaning: flabby, floppy-eared
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Horace’s own cognomen; a reminder that Romans were not precious about their names.

Varro

Origin: Latin (Roman cognomen, possibly non-Latin, e.g. Etruscan)
Pronunciation: VAHR-oh · ˈvɑːroʊ
Meaning: “Knock-kneed”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rome’s most learned scholar, who wrote on agriculture, grammar, and theater; short and surprising.

Censorinus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: sen-sə-RYE-nus · ˌsɛnsəˈraɪnəs
Meaning: of the censor, one who assesses
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Roman grammarian whose work on music and astronomy survives; weighty by definition.

Longinus

Origin: Greek (via Latin/Christian tradition)
Pronunciation: lon-JY-nuhs · lɒnˈdʒaɪnəs
Meaning: traditionally traced to Greek ‘lonchē’ (lance), referencing the legendary Roman soldier who pierced Christ’s side with a spear
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The soldier at the crucifixion in Christian tradition; a knight in Arthurian legend; tall and resonant.

Vitruvius

Origin: Latin (Roman gens name, possibly Oscan/Etruscan)
Pronunciation: vih-TROO-vee-əs · vɪˈtruːviəs
Meaning: “Of glass, glassy”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The architect whose De Architectura is the foundation of Western design; for families who appreciate the built world.

Petronius

Origin: Latin (Roman gens name, root uncertain)
Pronunciation: peh-TROH-nee-uhs · pəˈtroʊniəs
Meaning: “Of stone, rocky”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Petronius Arbiter, author of the Satyricon, Nero’s minister of elegance; sophisticated and a little dangerous.

Naevius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: NEE-vee-us · ˈniːviəs
Meaning: marked with a mole or birthmark
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Gnaeus Naevius, the early Latin poet who feuded with the Metelli; rare and original.

Livius

Origin: Latin (Roman gens name, Etruscan origin possible)
Pronunciation: LIV-ee-us · ˈlɪviəs
Meaning: most likely linked to Latin ‘līveō’ (to be bluish/livid), though a non-Latin (possibly Etruscan) origin hasn’t been ruled out
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Titus Livius, the great historian of Rome; dignified and underused.

Medieval Latin Names: From the Church to the Cloister

The Latin language didn’t retire when Rome fell — it moved into the Church, the monasteries, the royal courts of Charlemagne, and the law schools of Bologna. Medieval Latin produced a new generation of names that blend Roman structure with Christian meaning and Germanic personality.

Benedictus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: ben-uh-DIK-təs · ˌbɛnəˈdɪktəs
Meaning: blessed
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

St. Benedict of Nursia, who wrote the rule that shaped Western monasticism; the Latin form carries more formality than Benedict alone.

Gregorius

Origin: Greek via Latin
Pronunciation: greh-GOR-ee-uhs · ɡrɪˈɡɔːriəs
Meaning: watchful, alert; from Greek roots meaning ‘to be awake/on guard’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Gregory the Great turned this name into a papal dynasty; sixteen popes bore it because the name earned its authority.

Bonifacius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: bon-ih-FAY-shus · ˌbɒnɪˈfeɪʃəs
Meaning: good fate
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Columban

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: kuh-LUM-bən · kəˈlʌmbən
Meaning: derived from Latin ‘columba’ (dove)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Irish monk who founded monasteries across France and northern Italy; rarer and more Irish than Columba.

Desiderius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: des-ih-DEER-ee-əs · ˌdɛsɪˈdɪəriəs
Meaning: from Latin ‘desiderium’ (‘ardent desire’ or ‘longing’) — essentially ‘the desired one’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Eugenius

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: yoo-JEE-nee-us · juːˈdʒiːniəs
Meaning: from Greek ‘eu’ (‘good/well’) + ‘genos’ (‘birth, race’) — ‘well-born’ or ‘noble’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Fabianus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: fay-bee-AH-nus · feɪbiˈɑːnəs
Meaning: ‘of/belonging to the Fabius family’ — the adjectival form of Fabius, whose own name traces to Latin ‘faba’ (‘bean’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pope Fabian, who organized the Roman church’s charity networks; more formal than Fabian.

Gelasius

Origin: Greek, via Latin
Pronunciation: juh-LAY-zee-əs · dʒəˈleɪziəs
Meaning: laughing, the laugher
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pope Gelasius I, who articulated the two-powers doctrine; the meaning is unexpectedly joyful.

Hilarius

Origin: Latin (from Greek hilaros, ‘cheerful’)
Pronunciation: hih-LAIR-ee-us · hɪˈlɛəriəs
Meaning: cheerful, merry
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pope Hilarius is the original hilarious — the word itself comes from his name’s root; a name that insists on joy.

Honoratus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: hoh-nuh-RAH-tus · hɔnɔˈraːt̪ʊs
Meaning: honored, held in esteem; past participle of Latin ‘honorare,’ to honor
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

St. Honoratus of Lerins founded one of the most influential early monasteries; the name is a declaration of worth.

Ignatius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: ig-NAY-shus · ɪgˈneɪʃəs
Meaning: popularly read as ‘fiery, ardent’ by resemblance to Latin ignis; actually a respelling of the older Roman name Egnatius, whose real root is uncertain
Popularity: #1,734 and rising (#1,804 → #1,734, 2024)

The ‘fiery’ meaning is a well-documented folk etymology, not the name’s actual origin – it’s a reinterpretation of the older name Egnatius, whose true root is uncertain.

Lactantius

Origin: Latin (Roman cognomen)
Pronunciation: lak-TAN-shee-us · lækˈtænʃiəs
Meaning: relating to milk or nursing; from Latin ‘lactans’ (giving milk) plus the -ius suffix
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Christian apologist who wrote The Divine Institutes; called the Christian Cicero; scholarly and rare.

Laurentius

Origin: Latin (place name)
Pronunciation: law-REN-shee-us · lɔːˈrɛnʃiəs
Meaning: from Laurentum, an ancient Latin town whose own name was traditionally linked to laurel trees
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Leo

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: LEE-oh · ˈliːoʊ
Meaning: lion
Popularity: #24 and falling (#18 → #24, 2024)

Thirteen popes, multiple emperors, and one Great; the shortest name on this list and possibly the most confident.

Macarius

Origin: Greek (via Latin, from makarios, ‘blessed’)
Pronunciation: muh-KAIR-ee-us · məˈkɛəriəs
Meaning: blessed, happy
Popularity: #9,498 and rising (#13,420 → #9,498, 2024)

The desert fathers of Egypt bore this; contemplative and ancient.

Marcianus

Origin: Latin (adjectival form of Marcus/Marcius)
Pronunciation: mar-shee-AH-nus · mɑːrʃiˈɑːnəs
Meaning: belonging to Marcus (or the Marcius family); popularly linked to Mars, god of war, though the link is disputed
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Eastern Emperor Marcian held the line at Chalcedon; extended and formal.

Methodius

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: meh-THOH-dee-us · mɪˈθoʊdiəs
Meaning: literally ‘following a path’ (meta- ‘after, along with’ + hodos ‘way’), the root of the word ‘method’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Paschalius

Origin: Latin (variant of Paschal)
Pronunciation: pas-KAH-lee-us · pasˈkaːli.us
Meaning: of or relating to Easter/Passover
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pope Paschal; a name tied to the most important day in the Christian calendar.

Paulinus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: paw-LY-nus · pɔːˈlaɪnəs
Meaning: Diminutive/derivative of Paulus (‘small’); roughly ‘little one’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

‘Small’ is supported (Paulus = small); ‘humble’ is an added gloss not carried by the root or the suffix.

Pelagius

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: peh-LAY-jee-us · pəˈleɪdʒiəs
Meaning: of the sea
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The British theologian whose debate with Augustine about free will never quite ended; rare and briny.

Placidus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PLASS-ih-dus · ˈplæsɪdəs
Meaning: calm, peaceful, gentle
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

St. Placid, Benedict’s beloved student; a name for the child who brings stillness into the room.

Prudentius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: proo-DEN-shee-əs · pruːˈdɛnʃiəs
Meaning: prudent, wise
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The greatest Christian Latin poet, whose Psychomachia is an allegory of the soul; literary and measured.

Remigius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: reh-MIJ-ee-us · rɪˈmɪdʒiəs
Meaning: Oarsman, rower (from Latin remex/remigis)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

St. Remigius baptized Clovis and thereby made France Catholic; the name shaped European history from a riverside church.

Rusticus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: RUSS-tih-kus · ˈrʌstɪkəs
Meaning: of the countryside, rustic
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Several early bishops bore this; the name that chose simplicity over sophistication, and meant it.

Simplicius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: sim-PLISH-ee-us · sɪmˈplɪʃiəs
Meaning: Simple, straightforward (from Latin simplex)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pope Simplicius navigated the fall of the Western Empire without flinching; clarity as a governing philosophy.

Sulpicius

Origin: Latin (Roman nomen gentile)
Pronunciation: sul-PISH-us · sʌlˈpɪʃəs
Meaning: “Of the Sulpicii”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Sulpicius Severus wrote the first great biography of St. Martin; the name has a scholar’s steady quality.

Urbanus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: er-BAY-nəs · ərˈbeɪnəs
Meaning: belonging to the city; refined, city-bred
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Eight popes, and the word urban itself; a name for the boy who will always know how to enter a room.

Vincentius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: vin-SEN-shee-us · vɪnˈsɛnʃiəs
Meaning: conquering; one who prevails
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

St. Vincent of Saragossa’s full Latin name; more formal and less common than the shortened Vincent.

Vigilius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: vih-JIL-ee-us · vɪˈd͡ʒɪliəs
Meaning: watchful, alert
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Zosimus

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: ZOSS-ih-mus · ˈzɒsɪməs
Meaning: likely to survive; full of life
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pope Zosimus and the pagan historian Zosimus; the name sounds like someone who will outlast whatever comes.

Renaissance and Humanist Latin Names

The Renaissance was, among other things, a naming project. Scholars across Italy, France, and the Low Countries took Latin names, used Latin in their correspondence, and sometimes renamed themselves entirely to signal their debt to antiquity. These names are Latin in the fullest sense — chosen deliberately, full of self-awareness about what it meant to reach back toward Rome.

Aldus

Origin: Germanic (Latinized)
Pronunciation: AL-dus · ˈɔːldəs
Meaning: old, wise/elder
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aldus Manutius invented the pocket book and italic type; the name is short, precise, and carries the weight of the printed word.

Erasmus

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: ih-RAZ-muhs · ɪˈræzməs
Meaning: beloved, desired
Popularity: #11,160 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The great humanist of Rotterdam who wrote Praise of Folly; the name sounds like a question being answered.

Cornelius

Origin: Latin (Roman gens name)
Pronunciation: kor-NEEL-yus · kɔːrˈniːljəs
Meaning: horn
Popularity: #2,150 and falling (#1,898 → #2,150, 2024)

The Dutch humanist tradition loved this name; it is ancient, formal, and dignified without being stiff.

Magnus

Origin: Latin (adopted via Scandinavian/Scottish royal usage)
Pronunciation: MAG-nus · ˈmæɡnəs
Meaning: great (Latin ‘magnus’), adopted as a name via Charlemagne’s title
Popularity: #749 and rising (#764 → #749, 2024)

Carolus

Origin: Latin (Latinized Germanic)
Pronunciation: KAIR-uh-lus · ˈkærələs
Meaning: man, free man
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Latin form of Charles; Carolus Magnus is Charlemagne; the name spans the entire medieval-to-Renaissance arc.

Franciscus

Origin: Medieval Latin
Pronunciation: fran-SIS-kus · frænˈsɪskəs
Meaning: the Frenchman, the Frank
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Latin form of Francis; Francis of Assisi’s formal name; humanists used it as a mark of cosmopolitan identity.

Albertus

Origin: Germanic (Latinized)
Pronunciation: al-BUR-tuss · ælˈbɜːrtəs
Meaning: noble and bright
Popularity: #4,731 as of 1970 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Albertus Magnus, the Dominican polymath who was Thomas Aquinas’s teacher; scholarly and formal.

Sebastianus

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: seh-bas-tee-AH-nus · sɛˌbæstiˈɑːnəs
Meaning: venerable, revered one
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

St. Sebastian survived arrows but not a second martyrdom; Renaissance painters adored this name.

Silvester

Origin: Latin (variant of Sylvester)
Pronunciation: sil-VES-ter · sɪlˈvɛstər
Meaning: of the woods/forest
Popularity: #12,032 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pope Sylvester I baptized Constantine in legend; quieter and more verdant than Sylvester implies.

Hieronymus

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: hy-er-ON-ih-mus · ˌhaɪəˈrɒnɪməs
Meaning: holy name
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pomponius

Origin: Latin (from Oscan pompe, ‘five’)
Pronunciation: pom-POH-nee-us · pɒmˈpoʊniəs
Meaning: of the fifth (son); related to ‘five’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pomponius Laetus founded Rome’s first humanist academy; Pomponius Mela wrote the first Latin geography.

Sixtus

Origin: Latin or Greek (disputed)
Pronunciation: SIKS-təs · ˈsɪkstəs
Meaning: possibly ‘sixth’ (Latin) or ‘polished, smooth’ (Greek) — disputed
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Quintilianus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: kwin-til-ee-AH-nus · kwɪnˌtɪliˈɑːnəs
Meaning: belonging to Quintilius (linked to ‘fifth’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The rhetorician Quintilian, whose Institutio Oratoria taught Europe how to teach for a thousand years.

Valerius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: vuh-LEER-ee-us · vəˈlɪər.i.əs
Meaning: strong, robust (from the Latin root for ‘to be strong’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The lyric poet Catullus’s full name was Gaius Valerius Catullus; Valerius Maximus compiled Rome’s memorable deeds; a name for someone who notices things.

Orosius

Origin: uncertain (possibly Greek)
Pronunciation: oh-ROH-zee-us · oʊˈroʊziəs
Meaning: “Of the east wind”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The historian Paulus Orosius, who wrote the world’s first universal Christian history at Augustine’s request; grave and rare.

Isidorus

Origin: Greek via Latin
Pronunciation: iz-ih-DOR-us · ˌɪzɪˈdɔːrəs
Meaning: gift of Isis; from Greek ‘Isis’ and ‘doron’ (gift)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Velius

Origin: Latin (Roman gens name)
Pronunciation: VEH-lee-us · ˈvɛliəs
Meaning: “Of the veil”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Caspar Ursinus Velius, court poet to Maximilian I; spare and unusual.

Rare and Poetic Latin Names Worth Reviving

These are the names that fell through the cracks of history — cognomina too descriptive to transmit easily, names of minor saints and scholars, divine titles, and Roman terms of art that were used as names and then quietly retired. Some are stunning. Some are peculiar. All of them are real.

Crescens

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KRES-enz · ˈkrɛsənz
Meaning: from Latin ‘crescens’, the present participle of ‘crescere’ (‘to grow’) — ‘growing, increasing’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

New Testament figure in 2 Timothy; the present participle of crescere — the same root as crescendo — made into a name.

Donatus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: doh-NAY-tuhs · doʊˈneɪtəs
Meaning: given, granted (past participle of Latin ‘donare, ‘ to give)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Festus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FES-təs · ˈfɛstəs
Meaning: cheerful, joyous
Popularity: #12,824 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Roman procurator Festus appears in Acts; the grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus preserved Latin vocabulary; seasonal joy as a name.

Gaudentius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: gaw-DEN-shus · ɡɔːˈdɛnʃəs
Meaning: rejoicing, joyful
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Bishop of Brescia who preached the most cheerful sermons in the Western church; joy made formal.

Gellius

Origin: Italic (Roman nomen gentile, uncertain root)
Pronunciation: JEL-ee-əs · ˈdʒɛliəs
Meaning: “Cheerful” possibly
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aulus Gellius, whose Attic Nights are an extraordinary commonplace book of Roman learning; a scholar’s name through and through.

Hortensius

Origin: Latin (Roman family name)
Pronunciation: hor-TEN-see-us · hɔːrˈtɛnsiəs
Meaning: uncertain: either ‘of the garden’ or ‘man from the town of Horta’
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

There are two possible origins — ‘of the garden’ or ‘man from the town of Horta’ — so the confident ‘garden’ translation overstates the certainty.

Irenaeus

Origin: Ancient Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: eye-ruh-NEE-us · ˌaɪrəˈniːəs
Meaning: peaceful
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The church father who wrote Against Heresies; the meaning — peace — is the opposite of what he spent his career fighting.

Januarius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: jan-yoo-AIR-ee-əs · ˌdʒænjuˈɛəriəs
Meaning: of Janus, or of January; relating to the two-faced Roman god of doorways and beginnings
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

St. Januarius (San Gennaro) in Naples; a saint whose blood liquefies twice a year; the name of beginnings.

Lucian

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: LOO-shan · ˈluːʃən
Meaning: light
Popularity: #485 and rising (#488 → #485, 2024)

The satirist Lucian of Samosata wrote dialogues of the dead that are still funny; short, bright, and literary.

Lupus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: LOO-puhs · ˈluːpəs
Meaning: wolf
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Several medieval saints bore this — St. Lupus of Troyes is said to have talked Attila out of sacking the city; the wolf that kept the peace.

Macer

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: MAY-ser · ˈmeɪsər
Meaning: lean, thin
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ovid’s friend the poet Pompeius Macer; the name is clean and minimal in the way only Latin can be.

Macrobius

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: muh-KROH-bee-us · məˈkroʊbiəs
Meaning: long-lived (literally ‘long’ + ‘life’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The author of the Saturnalia, a feast of classical learning; the name encodes longevity directly.

Montanus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: mon-TAY-nus · mɒnˈteɪnəs
Meaning: of the mountains, mountainous
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Natalis

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: nuh-TAH-lis · nəˈtɑːlɪs
Meaning: of birth, natal
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

– **Norbanus** — Roman clan name; rare and complete.

Optatianus

Origin: Latin (Optatus + the -ianus suffix)
Pronunciation: op-tah-tee-AH-nus · ˌɒptætiˈɑːnəs
Meaning: belonging to/descended from Optatus (ultimately ‘wished for, desired’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Christian poet who wrote poems shaped like objects; the meaning is pure longing made manifest.

Optatus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: op-TAH-tus · ɒpˈtɑːtʊs
Meaning: wished for, longed for
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

North African bishop; direct and heartfelt in the way Roman names could be.

Paternus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: puh-TUR-nus · pəˈtɜːrnəs
Meaning: fatherly, of a father
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Peregrinus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: peh-reh-GREE-nus · ˌpɛrɪˈɡriːnəs
Meaning: foreigner, one journeying from abroad; pilgrim
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Philippus

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: fih-LIP-əs · fɪˈlɪpəs
Meaning: lover/friend of horses
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Philip the Apostle and Philip the Arab — the emperor born in modern Syria — in their formal Latin forms.

Protasius

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: proh-TAY-zee-us · proʊˈteɪ.zi.əs
Meaning: first, foremost
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Milanese martyr discovered by Ambrose under a basilica floor; rare and ancient.

Rutilius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: roo-TIL-ee-us · ruːˈtɪliəs
Meaning: reddish, golden-red
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rutilius Namatianus, who wrote the last great classical Latin poem as he sailed back to Gaul after Rome was sacked; an elegy built into a name.

Sapidus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SAP-ih-dus · ˈsæpɪdəs
Meaning: flavorful, savory; by extension wise
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rarest of rare; it means exactly what you want intelligence to mean.

Saturninus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: sat-er-NYE-nus · ˌsætərˈnaɪnəs
Meaning: of Saturn, saturnine
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Sperantius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: speh-RAN-shee-us · spɛˈrænʃiəs
Meaning: hoping, one who hopes
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Tacitianus

Origin: Latin (derived from Tacitus)
Pronunciation: tas-it-ee-AH-nus · ˌtæsɪtiˈeɪnəs
Meaning: of/belonging to Tacitus (ultimately ‘silent’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Extended form of Tacitus; for parents who love the historian enough to go further.

Venantius

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: veh-NAN-shee-us · vɪˈnænʃiəs
Meaning: hunting; a hunter
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Verecundus

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: vehr-eh-KUN-dus · ˌvɛrɪˈkʌndəs
Meaning: modest and bashful; restrained by a sense of shame or respect
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

St. Verecundus of Milan; a name that names the virtue of knowing one’s limits.

Zeno

Origin: Greek (via Italian/Latin)
Pronunciation: ZEE-noh · ˈziːnoʊ
Meaning: of Zeus; belonging to Zeus
Popularity: #2,413 and rising (#2,611 → #2,413, 2024)

The Eastern Emperor and the founder of Stoicism shared this name; it is complete in three letters.

Zenobius

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Meaning: life of Zeus (a compound of the Greek root for Zeus and the word for ‘life’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings