The name comes directly from the English virtue word pertaining to the idea of self-control and self-constraint.
The name is often associated as a Puritan name, and it did become popular in 16th-century England around the time of the Protestant Reformation, as well as in France, perhaps among Huguenot families, in the form of Tempérance.
In recent years, the name has come back into the spotlight due to the TV series Bones, which is based on the books written by Kathy Reichs.
Common short forms are Tempe, Tempie, Pency.
A Latin form, which was often referenced by St. Augustine in his works is Temperantia.
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