It’s the beginning of August and summer is almost over. Hence is why I have decided to write about the August names.
The root of these names is the Latin verb augere meaning “to increase.” Augustus was a title given to Octavian, the first Emperor of the Roman Empire.
Augustus as a title implied a person with great reverence and awe, usually suggesting “venerated” or “exhalted.” The name eventually spun off as a first name, and even left an impact on our month names. In the Roman Empire, the month of Sexitilis’ name was changed to August in honour of the Emperor Octavian. Its feminine version is the austere and rather severe, version of Augusta. Both Augustus and Augusta have a lot of potential. Augustus fits right in with the other “old man” dramatic chic names that seem to be rising up the charts. Think Jasper, Atticus and Leo. There is a certain nobility and sophistication to the name. Its feminine version has the same vibe, fitting right in with other current trends, such as Sophia, Matilda and Eleanor.
We also have the much shorter version of August, which has been used across central Europe for centuries. August seems to be climbing up the American charts, he currently comes in at # 482, while the more formal version of Augustus has ways to go, coming in at # 795. If August still feels too wordy to you, then you might like August with an e, Auguste is the French form.
Of course, how could we ever forget the saintly and scholarly Augustine. The name Augustine is a derivative of the Latin, Augustinus. It has the same meaning as Augustus.
The name was borne by the renowned Catholic Theologian and Doctor of the Church, Augustine of Hippo. Either pronounced (uh-GUS-tin) or (AW-guh-STEEN) the name does not even appear in the top 1000. Parents may find the –stine ending too feminine. It would make a great middle name, or a great alternative to the more common Austin.
Other forms of the name include:
Augustus Forms
- Augustu (Asturian/Sicilian)
- Avqust (Azeri)
- Aogust (Breton)
- August (Catalan)
- August (Croatian/English/German/Letzeburgish/Occitanian/Polish/Romanian)
- Augustus(Czech/Danish/Dutch/English/Finnish/Frisian/Estonian/German/Latin/Norwegian/Swedish)
- Guus (Dutch: originally a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name)
- Aukusti/Aku/Aki (Finnish)
- Auguste (French)
- Ágost (Hungarian)
- Ágústus (Icelandic)
- Augustale (Italian: obscure)
- Ágastas (Irish/Gaelic)
- Augusts (Latvian)
- Ësti (Letzebergish: initially a diminutive form)
- Gust/Gusti (Letzebergish: initially diminutive forms)
- Augustas (Lithuanian)
- Ágošt (Prekmurian)
- Aujußß (Ripoarisch)
- Aokuso (Samoan)
- Augosts (Samogaitian)
- Austu (Sardinian)
- Avgust (Slovene)
- Augusto (Spanish/Italian/Portuguese/Aragonese/Basque)
- Awgust (Sorbian/Turkmen)
- Ågusse (Walon)
German diminutives are Gustel, Gustl, Gusti and Augi. Slovenian diminutives are: Gustek, Gustel, Gustelj and Gusti
Feminine forms include:
- Augusta (Czech/Danish/Dutch/English/German/Italian/Portuguese/Spanish)
- Gusta/Guusje/Guuske (Dutch: initially diminutive forms, used as independent given names)
- Auguste (German: final E is pronounced)
- Auguszta/Ágosta (Hungarian)
- Ágústa (Icelandic)
- Avgusta (Slovene)
Augustine Forms
- Augustini (Albanian)
- Agostín (Aragonese)
- Avqustin (Azeri)
- Aogustin (Breton)
- Agustí (Catalan)
- Augustín (Czech/Slovak)
- Augustijn (Dutch)
- Augustine (English)
- Austin (English: a medieval contracted form of Austin, in the United States, this is the most prevalent form of the August names, in 2008, he was the 55th most popular male name, between 1997-1998, he was the 9th most popular male name)
- Gus (English: sometimes used as an independent given name)
- Augustin (French/Basque/Croatian/Danish/Norwegian/Romanian)
- Agostiño (Galician)
- Ágoston (Hungarian)
- Ágústínus (Icelandic)
- Agaistín (Irish/Gaelic)
- Agostino (Italian)
- Augustinus (Latin/Dutch/Frisian/Estonian/Finnish/German/Swedish)
- Augustīns (Latvian)
- Augustinas (Lithuanian)
- Wistin (Maltese)
- Agustin (Piedmontese)
- Augustyn (Polish)
- Agostinho (Portuguese)
- Aujustin (Ripoarisch)
- Augostėns (Samogaitian)
- Austinu (Sardinian)
- Avguštin (Slovene)
- Agustín (Spanish/Asturian)
- Awstin (Welsh)
Feminine forms include
- Austine (English)
- Augustine (French/German)
- Agostina (Italian)
- Augustina (Latin)
- Augustyna (Polish)
- Austina (Sardinian)
- Agustina (Spanish)
