Category Archives: Latin Names

Tarquin

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Tarquin the Elder consulting Attus Nevius the Augur by Sebastiano Ricci
  • Origin: Etruscan
  • Meaning: Unknown
  • Gender: Male

Tarquin is the English form of Tarquinius, the Latin family name of a powerful Etruscan dynasty that ruled early Rome. The name’s exact Etruscan root is uncertain, but it may derive from the ancient city of Tarquinii (modern Tarquinia) in central Italy, itself probably from an older Etruscan personal or place name.


Two Roman kings bore this name: Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome, and Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh and last king, whose overthrow in 509 BCE led to the founding of the Roman Republic.


While rare, Tarquin appears in English records from the Renaissance onward, often chosen for its aristocratic and classical resonance. Italian retains Tarquino as a given name. The name has also been used in literature and drama —Shakespeare famously tells the story of “The Rape of Lucrece” by Tarquin. It was recently used as the name of Tarquin Blackwood in Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles.

Modern bearers include British journalist Tarquin Hall (b. 1969), the middle name of American actor, Timothy Tarquin Hutton (b. 1960).


Today Tarquin feels distinctive and slightly theatrical, blending ancient Roman history with a sleek, modern sound. If you are looking for a fuller name for Quinn, this may be the perfect choice for you.

International variations include:

  • Tarkinio (Basque)
  • Tarquini, Tarquí (Catalan)
  • Tarkvinije Тарквиније (Croatian, Serbian)
  • Tarquinius (Dutch, Latin)
  • Tarquin (English, French)
  • Tarquinio, Tarquino (Italian, Spanish)
  • Tarkvinijus (Lithuanian)
  • Tarkwiniusz (Polish)
  • Tarquínio, Tarquino, Tarquim (Portuguese)
  • Tarkvinij (Slovene)

Female Forms

Its Italian feminine form of Tarquinia was borne by Italian Renaissance singer, Tarquinia Molza (1542-1617). This would also make a fabulous fuller version for the nickname Quinn. Another Italian female form is Tarquina.

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Neilos, Nilus, Nilo, Nile, Nila

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  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: “Nile River.”
  • Eng (NYE-lus); Grk (NAY-lose); It (NEE-lo)

The name ultimately comes from Greek Νεῖλος (Neílos), the ancient Greek name of the River Nile.

In Ancient Egyptian, the river was called jtr-w (Iteru, “Great River”). The Greek form Neílos may reflect a Semitic root n-h-r, meaning “river,” which is also the source of Hebrew nahar and related words.

In Greek mythology, Neilos was personified as the river-god of the Nile, one of the Potamoi (river deities).

The Latinized form Nilus became a well-known monastic name and is borne by several Christian saints, including St. Nilus the Syrian, a disciple of St. John Chrysostom, and St. Nilus of Sinai.

Nil is the Slavic form used for males. In Turkey, the same name arose independently as a female given name of the same etymology.

In Italian, it may also be used as a short form of Danilo.

An Italian feminine form is Nila.

Nile is an English name that was often used in reference to the surname. It may make an interesting modern adaptation for parents looking for a cool but modern saints name.

Other forms include:

  • Nilos, Nylos ܢܝܠܘܣ,Ⲛⲓⲗⲟⲥ, نيلوس (Assyrian, Coptic, Egyptian-Arabic)
  • Nil Ніл Ніл (Belarusian, Catalan, French, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Ukrainian)
  • Neilos Νείλος (Greek)
  • Nilo (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish)
  • Nilus (English, German, Latin)
  • Nile (English)

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Phyllis, Phillyda

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  • Origin: Greek Φυλλίς
  • Meaning: “leaves; foliage.”
  • Gender: Female

The name appears in Greek mythology. It is connected to a woman who killed herself when her love for Demophon was not returned. She was transformed into an almond or hazelnut tree, depending on the legend. It comes directly from the Greek word, Φυλλίς, meaning, “leaves, foliage,” which shares a root with the words chlorophyll and phyllotaxis. Its Turkish form of Filiz comes from the same root but the meaning slightly changes to “sprout; root.”

It also appears as the name of a minor river god of Bithynia.

It came into widespread use in England in the 16th-century and later spread to the rest of the Anglosphere.

Early Puritan records occasionally include Phyllis/Phillis, reflecting classical learning even among settlers. Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784), the first published African-American female poet, is a striking historical bearer.

An 18th-century English short form was Lissie or Lissy.

It frequently appears in Elizabethan and Restoration poetry and drama. Poets such as Ben Jonson and Andrew Marvell used “Phyllis” as a stock name for a beloved in pastoral verse. Later modernists like Ezra Pound continued this tradition. This usage helped keep it familiar to English speakers for centuries.

It marked its presence in baroque operas (e.g., Handel’s Acis and Galatea includes a character named Phyllis) and in folk songs of the British Isles.

Victorian painters of the Pre-Raphaelite school sometimes chose the Phyllis and Demophon story for mythological canvases.

In the United States, it appeared in the Top 100 Female Names between 1915-1958, peaking at #24 in 1929. In the U.K., it came in at #14 in 1914, #4 in New Zealand in 1911, and #29 in 1922 in Canada.

Its Turkish offshoot of Filiz appeared in the Turkish Top 100 between 1980-1996, peaking at #11 between 1980-1982.

Today, the name is considered dated in the English-speaking world.

Phillyda, pronounced /ˈfɪl.ɪ.də/ in English is an alternate form.

Other forms include:

  • Filida Филлида (Bulgarian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian)
  • Fílide, Fil·lis (Catalan)
  • Fyl(l)is (Czech, Polish, Slovak)
  • Phyllis (Dutch, English, German, Classical Greek, Scandinavian)
  • Phillida (English)
  • Phillis (English)
  • Phyllis, Phyllide (French)
  • Fýllis (Greek – Modern)
  • Fillide, Filide (Italian)
  • Phillidis (Latin)
  • Filis, Filija (Latvian, Lithuanian)
  • Fílide, Fílis (Portuguese)
    • Fílide, Filis (Spanish)
    • Filiz (Turkish)
    • Fillida Філліда (Ukrainian)

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Pacificus, Pacifico, Pacifica, Pacifique

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Pacificus is a Late Latin name derived from pax, meaning “peace,” or “peaceful” more specifically.

It’s Italian form of Pacifico was borne by a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi and an 18th-century Italian saint. The designated name-day for the latter is September 24th.

Its feminine form of Pacifica has been in use in Italy since at least the 16th-century.

Its French form of Pacifique is a unisex name and experienced some usage in France at the turn of the 20th-century. It appeared in the French Top 1000 Most Popular Male Names between 1901-1909, peaking at #446 in 1909. Today, the name is an obsolete gem.

Today, Pacific, with the nickname Pace, may make an unusual place and nature name for a boy. Though rare, it is the legit English translation of this name.

Forms include

Male

  • Pacific (English)
  • Pacifique (French)
  • Pacificus (German, Late Latin)
  • Pacyfik (Polish)
  • Pacífico (Portuguese, Spanish)

Female

  • Pacifique (French)
  • Pacifica (Italian)
  • Pacyfika (Polish)
  • Pacífica (Portuguese, Spanish)

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Numa

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Numa Pompilio and Egeria by Giani Felice
  • Origin: Uncertain
  • Gender: Male

The name is borne in history by Numa Pompilius (circ 8th-century C.E), the second King of Rome. Since he was of Sabine origin, it has been suggested his name was Sabine. However, its meaning has been lost to time. Others have linked it with the Oscan, Nium, also of unknown meaning. It has also been linked with the Greek nomos (νόμος), meaning, “custom; law.”

The name experienced usage in France in the late 19th-century. It appeared among the top 1000 Most Popular Males Names in France between 1900 and 1925. The name peaked at #266 in 1909. It also experienced a revival in Italy around the same time. It was used sporadically in England and the United States.

Notable bearers include French artist, Numa Ayrinhac (1881-1951) and French football player, Numa Andoire (1908-1994).

An obscure French vernacular form is Nume.

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Leontius, Léonce

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  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: “lion-like.”
  • Gender: Male
  • Eng Pron (lee-ON-shus)

The name is derived from the Greek genitive λέοντος (leontos), meaning, “belonging to a lion; lion-like.”

It was borne by an 8th-century Byzantine emperor and several saints.

The designated name-day is January 13th.

An early English form is perhaps, Leontes, which appears in Shakespeare’s play, The Winter’s Tale (1610).

Léonce is its unisex French form. It appeared in the French Top 1000 Male Names between 1900-1969, and peaked at #95 in 1909. It simultaneously appeared in the French Top 1000 Female Names between 1900-1940 and peaked at #187 in 1915.

Léonce also appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 Male Names between 1887-1895, peaking at #819 in 1887.

Other masculine forms

  • Liyonṭiyos ܠܝܘܢܛܝܘܣ (Assyrian)
  • Leoncio (Asturian, Spanish)
  • Leontzio (Basque)
  • Leonti, Leontiy, Leonty Леонтий (Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian)
  • Lleonci (Catalan)
  • Leontios Ⲗⲉⲟⲛⲧⲓⲟⲥ, Λεοντιος (Coptic, Greek)
  • Leontius (Dutch, English, German, Latin)
  • Leontes (English)
  • Léonce (French)
  • Leonte ლეონტე (Georgian)
  • Leonzio (Italian)
  • Leoncjusz (Polish)
  • Leôncio (Portuguese)
  • Leontie (Romanian)
  • Leontije (Serbo-Croatian)
  • Leonziu (Sicilian)

Feminine forms include

  • Léonce (French)
  • Léoncette (French)
  • Léoncie (French)
  • Léoncine (French)
  • Léonte (French)
  • Leontia (Greek, Latin, Romanian)
  • Leonzia (Italian)
  • Leoncja (Polish)
  • Leôncia (Portuguese)

Another possible female off-shoot is Léontine – popular in France from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, it is pronounced [le.ɔ̃.tin]. It is debated whether it is a direct feminine form of Leontius or related to a Latin source meaning, “from Lentini.” A future entry will be written completely dedicated to Léontine.

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Mamilian

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  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: unknown
  • Gender: Male

The name is derived from the Roman gens name, Mamilius. Its meaning is uncertain. It may relate to the Latin mamilla meaning, “breast; nip; tit” or to mar, meaning “the shining one, splendid one.” It has also been linked with the Celtic mam (strength) and hil (seed).

The most notable bearer is Saint Mamilian of Palermo (San Mamiliano), a 5th-century bishop and martyr venerated in Sicily. The designated name-day is September 15, which on the island of Giglio, there is a yearly festival held in the saint’s honor.

Other forms include:

  • Mamiliá (Catalan)
  • Mamilian (English, German, Polish)
  • Mamilien (French)
  • Mamiliano (Italian)
  • Mamilianus (Latin)
  • Mamilianu (Sicilian)

Feminine forms would include:

  • Mamiliana (Italian)
  • Mamilienne (French)

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Apollinaris, Apollinaire

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  • Origin: Greek Ἀπολλινάρις
  • Meaning: “of Apollo.”
  • Gender: Masculine

The name is from the classical Greek, related to Apollo. It was borne by several early Christian saints. The most notable being St. Apollinaris of Ravenna, a Syrian Christian missionary to Ravenna who was martyred there and thereafter became the city’s patron saint.

The French form Apollinaire is linked to the Franco-Polish poet, Guillaume Apollinaire. He lived from 1880 to 1918. He was born Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki.

Apolinary was common in Poland during the late 19th-century and early 20th-centuries, it is now obsolete. Diminutives include: Apolinek, Apollinek, Apolin, Apollin, Polin, Polinary, Polinarek, Polinaruś, Poli, and Polik.

In Italy, Apollinare was mainly used in the Romagna region due to it being the name of their patrion saint, but it has since fallen out of use.

Apollinaire sporadically appeared in the French Top 1000 between 1900 and 1926 and peaked at #403 in 1923. In 2024, 5 babies were given this name.

Neither its masculine form nor its feminine form had much usage in the English-speaking world. It was mostly used in families of Greek or Eastern European background during the late 19th-century.

Designated name-days include July 20th, July 23rd, and September 12th

Other forms include

  • Abolinarius أبونيناريوس (Arab Christian)
  • Apolighnar Ապողլինար (Armenian)
  • Apolinar Ապոլինար (Armenian, Spanish)
  • Apolinaris ܐܦܘܠܝܢܪܝܣ (Assyrian)
  • Apoliñari (Basque)
  • Apalinariy Апалінарый (Belarusian)
  • Appolinariy Апполінарій (Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Rusyn, Russian)
  • Apol·linar, Apol·linari (Catalan)
  • Apollinaris Ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲓⲛⲁⲣⲓⲥ (Coptic, Dutch, English, German, Greek, Scandinavian)
  • Apollinari (Corsican, Sardinian)
  • Apolinár (Czech, Slovak)
  • Apollinaire (French)
  • Apolinario (Galician, Spanish)
  • Apo’linar აპოლინარ (Georgian)
  • Apollinarios Ἀπολλινάριος (Greek)
  • Apollinár (Hungarian)
  • Apollinare (Italian)
  • Apolenaris (Late Latin)
  • Apolinārs (Latvian)
  • Apolinaras (Lithuanian)
  • Apollinarju (Maltese)
  • Apolinary (Polish)
  • Apolinário (Portuguese)
  • Apolinàri (Provençal)
  • Pulinéra (Romagnol)
  • Apollinari (Romansh)
  • Apolinariu (Romanian)
  • Apolinarije (Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian)
  • Apołinare (Venetian)

Its feminine form is Apollinaria, which is also borne by an early Christian saint.

Other feminine forms include:

  • Abolinarya أبوليناريا (Arab Christian)
  • Apoghlinaria Ապողլինարիա (Armenian)
  • Apolinaria Ապոլինարիա, აპოლინარია (Armenian, Galician, Georgian, Polish, Romanian, Spanish)
  • Apolinaryja, Apolinariya,ܐܦܘܠܝܢܪܝܐ, Аполлинария (Assyrian, Bulgarian, Russian, Rusyn, Ukrainian)
  • Apalinariya, Apalinaryja, Апалінарія (Belarusian)
  • Apollinaria Ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲓⲛⲁⲣⲓⲁ, Ἀπολλιναρία (Coptic, Corsican, German, Greek, Lithuanian, Romansh, Sardinian)
  • Apolinária (Czech, Portuguese, Sardinian, Slovak)
  • Apollinarie (French)
  • Apollinária (Hungarian)
  • Apolinārija (Latvian)
  • Apollinarja (Maltese)
  • Apolinària (Provençal)
  • Apolinarija (Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian)

A traditional feminine diminutive form in Russian is Polina. Polish diminutives include: Apollinka, Apollina, Apolinka, Apolla, Apola, Pola, Polka, Polcia, Polina, and Polinka. Modern Greek diminutives include: Nαρία (Naría), Πόλλα (Pólla), or Λίνα (Lina). Potential English short forms would include: Apple, Pollie, Polly, and Narey, or Narie.

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Poemen

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  • Origin: Greek Ποιμήν
  • Meaning: “shepherd.”
  • Gender: Male

The name comes from the Greek Ποιμήν (poimen) meaning, “shepherd.”

In Greek Mythology, the earlier form of Poemenius is known as the name of a satyr. He led the god Dionysos’ satyr troops in a war against India.

It was borne by a 4th-century desert father and Christian saint, known in the Coptic Church as Abba Poemen.

Other forms include:

  • Bayman بیمن (Arabic Egyptian, used by Copts)
  • Pimen Пимен Пимен (Bulgarian, Polish, Russian, Serbian)
  • Poimen ⲡⲓⲙⲏⲛ Ποιμήν (Coptic, German, Greek)
  • Poemen Поемен (English, French, Latin, Ukrainian)
  • P’imen პიმენ (Georgian)
  • Poimén (Hungarian)
  • Pimeno (Italian, Spanish)
  • Pimenus, Poemenius (Latin)
  • Pojmen (Polish)

In Poland, the designated name-day is September 9th

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Ot(h)mar, Ottmar, Ottomar, Audomar, Omer

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  • Origin: Germanic
  • Meaning: “wealth, fortune; fame.”
  • Gender: Masculine

The root name is the Frankish Audomar, which is composed of the elements aud (wealth, fortune), and mari (fame).

It was borne by an 8th-century saint and monk, an abbot of St. Gall, Switzerland and a 7th-century Frankish saint, after whom the French commune of St-Omer was named.

The designated name-day is September 8th.

Other forms include:

  • Otmar (Alemmanish, Catalan, Czech, German, Polish, Romansh)
  • Eadmær (Anglo-Saxon)
  • Audomarus (Dutch, Late Latin)
  • Odomar (Dutch)
  • Edmar (English, Swedish)
  • Ottomar (Estonian, German, Scandinavian)
  • Audomar (French, Frankish, Polish)
  • Adémar, Adhémar (French)
  • Audomar (French, German)
  • Omer (French)
  • Ottmar (German)
  • Otmár (Hungarian)
  • Ómar (Icelandic)
  • Ademaro (Italian)
  • Ödhmar (Old Norse)
  • Onmé (Picard)
  • Ademar, Adhemar (Portuguese)
  • Ademir (Portuguese – Brazilian)
  • Omeru (Sicilian)
  • Otmaro (Spanish)

French feminine forms which had some use in the 19th-century are Amérine, Omère and Omérine

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