- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: “awaited; expected.”
- Gender: Male
- It pron (prose-DOH-chee-mo)
Prosdocimus is a Late Latin form of the Greek Προσδόκιμος (Prosdokimos), derived from prosdokein, meaning “the awaited; the expected,” allegedly used for a long awaited child.
The name is best known from Saint Prosdocimus, a 1st-century Christian bishop and missionary of Greek origin, who evangelized the region around Patavium (Padua) in northern Italy. He is venerated as the first bishop and patron saint of Padua, and a major church, the Basilica di San Prosdocimo, adjoining the Abbey of Santa Giustina, bears his name. His cult was established early in the Christian era and remained locally important throughout the Middle Ages.
Because of the saint’s regional veneration, the given name Prosdocimo remained rare and was used mainly in the Veneto, occasionally appearing in baptismal records in Padua and neighboring areas. Outside northern Italy it has always been exceptional, preserved chiefly in ecclesiastical or hagiographic contexts.
The designated name-day is November 7th.
International Variations
- Būrūsdūsīmus بروسدوسيموس (Arabo-Coptic)
- Prosdòcim (Catalan)
- Prosdocime (French)
- Prosdozimus (German)
- Prosdokimos Προσδόκιμος (Greek)
- Prosdecimus (Late Latin)
- Prosdocym (Polish)
- Prosdócimo (Portuguese)
- Prosdociy, Prodocim Просдоций, Просдоцим (Russian)
- Prosdócimo (Spanish)
Sources