Tag Archives: Latin Names

Callistus, Callista

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443px-François_Boucher_012Origin: Greek/Late Latin
Meaning: “most beautuful.”

Callistus and Callista is a Late Latin form of the Greek Καλλιστοσ (Kallistos) meaning “most beautiful” which is ultimately derived from the Greek feminine name Kalliste or Kalliste.

In Greek mythology, Callisto was the daughter of King Lycaon of Arcadia, she was a hunting companion or nymph of the goddess Artemis, and took an oath to remain a virgin. Zeus disguised himself as Artemis in order to get close to the virgin, upon embracing the false image of Zeus, Zeus took on his true form and raped Callisto. When Artemis discovered that one of her virgin maids was pregnant and defiled, she turned Callisto into a bear and Callisto gave birth to her son Arcas. Zeus placed Callisto and her son in the constellation Ursa Minor. Later, Kallisto became an epithet for the goddess Artemis Kalliste. A moon of Jupiter was also named in the nymph’s honour.

In later years, the masculine form of Callistus was borne by three popes, also known as Callixtus, one of which was canonized a saint. His designated name-day is October 14.

The feminine version is borne by actress Calista Flockhart (b.1964). It was also borne by a 19th-century American female Baptist missionary Calista Vinton (1807-1864).

Spelled Callista, it is the name of a genus of molusc, and an orchid genus. It was also the name of the title character in the 1855 novel by John Henry Newman (Callista). A fictionalized version of Christians in ancient Rome.

Kallista is the name of a suburb of Melbourne Australia, and Kalista is the name of a village in Bulgaria.

Other forms of the name include, male versions:

  • Calistu (Corsican)
  • Kalist (Croatian/Slovak)
  • Calixus (Danish)
  • Kallistus/Kalixtus (German)
  • Kallistos (Greek)
  • Callisto (Italian)
  • Callixtus/Callistus (Late Latin)
  • Kalikstas (Lithuanian)
  • Kalikst (Polish)
  • Calisto/Calixto (Spanish/Portuguese)

Female forms include

  • Kalliste/Kallisto (Classic Greek)
  • Calista (English spelling, has been in usage since at least the 18th-century. Also used in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries)
  • Callista (Late Latin/Italian)
  • Kallisti (Modern Greek)
  • Kalista/Kaliksta (Bulgarian, Czech/Slovak, Croatian, Polish)
  • Calixta (Spanish/Portuguese)

English nickname options include Calla and Callie.

Maximilian

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Durer Maximilian I 1518 BRGender: Masculine
Origin:  Latin
Meaning: “one who is great.”

The name is derived from the Roman cognomen Maximilianus which refers to someone of greatness. The name was borne by a 3rd century martyr. It was borne by several other Christian martyrs, including Maximilian of Lorch, a Christian martyr of Austrian heritage and Maximilian of Antioch. The name was especially popular amongst the Habsburgs, starting with Frederick III who gave it to his son Maximilian I (1459-1519) to honour the two ancient Roman generals Fabius Maximus and Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, in this case the name was suppose to be a blend of Maximus and Aemilianus. It was also borne by Maximilian II of the Holy Roman Empire, another Habsburg (1527-1576). Maximilian I Duke Bavaria (1573-1651), Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria (1662-1726), Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria (1727-1777), Maximilian I of Bavaria (1756-1825), Maximilian II of Bavaria (1811-1864), Prince Maximilian of Baden (1867-1929) and Maximilian I of Mexico (1832-1867). It was also borne by a 20th-century Polish Catholic priest who was killed at Auschwitz known as St. Maximilian Kolbe.

In recent years, in the United States, the name has grown significantly in popularity, it currently comes in at # 300 of the Top 1000 Male Names. It is popular in other countries, especially in Germany and in Sweden. In Sweden, it was the 88th most popular male name in 2007. Its designated name-day is October 12. Other forms of the name include (listed alphabetically by nationality):

  • Maximilián (Czech/Slovak)
  • Maximiliaan (Dutch)
  • Maximilien (French)
  • Miksa (Hungarian)
  • Massimiliano (Italian)
  • Maksymilian (Polish)
  • Maksimiljan/Makso (Serbo-Croatian/Slovenian)
  • Maximiliano (Spanish/Portuguese)
  • Maksimilian/Maks (Russian/Ukrainian)

Feminine forms include:

  • Maximiliana (Czech/Slovak, German, Spanish, Portuguese)
  • Maximilienne (French)
  • Massimiliana (Italian)
  • Maksymiliana (Polish)

A common diminutive is Max

Aurelia, Aurelius

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thumbnailOrigin: Latin
Meaning: “golden”

Originally a Roman gens name, Aurelius is from the Latin meaning, “golden; gilded.”

The name is borne by several famous personages throughout history, the earliest being the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and its feminine form, by his daughter Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla. Aurelia is also the name of the mother of Julius Caesar, (Aurelia Cotta), Tacitus proclaimed her the ideal Roman Matron. The Via Aurelia was named for an ancestor of her’s, Aurelius Cotta. The Via Aurelia is an ancient road that runs through Rome. Other famous Aurelias include Portuguese painter Aurélia de Souza (1867-1922), famous Romanian gymnast Aurelia Dobre (b.1972) and the mother of famed poetess, Sylvia Plath.

The Latinate form is popular in all the Latin based countries: Italy, Portugal and Spain including South America, as is its masculine counterpart, Aurelio.  Aurelia is also quite prevalent in Poland. In addition, Aurelia shares her name with a genus of jellyfish, an asteroid and it is also used as a synonym for a chrysalis.

Other feminine forms of the names and cognates are:

  • Aorell (Breton)
  • Aurelija (Croatian/Lithuanian)
  • Aurélie (Czech: ow-REL-yeh)
  • Zlata. Zlatka, Zlatica (Czech/Slovakian: these names are often used as cognates for the Latin Aurelia, but literally mean “gold” in Czech and Slovakian)
  • Aurélie (French: the name came in as the 74th most popular female name in Belgium in 2006 and the 89th most popular female in France in 2003. oh-hray-LEE)
  • Aureliane/Auriane (French: obscure)
  • Aranka (Hungarian: this is another one that literally means “gold” in Hungarian but is used as a form of Aurelia)
  • Aurélia (Hungarian/Portuguese/Slovakian)
  • Rella/Relli (Hungarian: originally diminutive forms, now used as independent given names, they even have their own name day, which is October 15).
  • Auksė (Lithuanian: literally means “gold” in Lithuanian but is often used as a cognate)
  • Aura/Aurelia/Aurica (Romanian)

Hungarian diminutive forms are: Aura, Aurácska and Aurika.

Its masculine forms include:

  • Aurelian (English/Romanian)
  • Aurèle (French)
  • Aurélien (French: in France, he came in as the 88th most popular male name in 2006).
  • Aurel (German, Romanian and Czech)
  • Aurél (Hungarian/Romansch/ Bavarian)
  • Aurelianus (Latin)
  • Auksys (Lithuanian)
  • Aureliusz (Polish)
  • Oral (Romansch)
  • Aureliano (Spanish)

Its designated name-day in some countries is September 25, and the name is borne by several saints.

Regula

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “rule; law”
(REG-oo-LAH).

This name may seem unusual to the common English speaker, but when in Switzerland, specifically in the German speaking parts, you will find quite a few of them of varying ages.

It is safe to say that the name is a “Swiss German” classic. She is even apart of a lyric in Florian Ast’s, (a Swiss pop singer), song entitled Sex. Sung in the traditional schwyzertuutsch, the main dialect spoken in Germanic Switzerland. To see the lyrics, in which you will see a variety of very popular Swiss German female names, you can see the text here, http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/ast_florian/.

The name doesn’t seem to get much usage out of Switzerland, and surprisingly, it’s even unusual in the French and Italian speaking parts of Switzerland. I always found it rather odd that an obscure name of Latin origins should be popular in a very minor part of the world, especially in a German speaking area, while being virtually unheard of in say, Italy or Spain, where the languages are Latin based.

Further research brought me to the legend of Ss. Felix & Regula, two 3rd century saints who were martyred in what is now Zurich.

The story is rather interesting, the saints, being long dead, later played a huge role in Swiss Religious-Politics during the time of the Reformation, when the adherents of Huldrych Zwingli, raided the monastery of Ss. Felix & Regula, and exhumed the graves of both the saints, they ran off with the bones, attempting to throw them into the river, somehow, a pious Catholic man of Uri managed to rescue the bones where he buried them in the village of Andematt. The skulls of both saints can be seen there till this day, and carbon dating later proved that one skull dated to the Middle Ages, while the other consisted of two different skull fragments, one part dating back to the Middle Ages, and the other dating, interestingly enough, back to Roman times.

The legend of the saints themselves is even more gory. Ss. Felix and Regula were siblings who happened to be members of the Egyptian Theban legions who were stationed in Valais Switzerland. Many of the members converted to Christianity, all to the consternation of the Roman Empire. When an execution was posted for the Christians of the legions, Ss. Felix and Regula fled to what is now Zurich. There they were caught and beheaded.

According to legend, their headless bodied walked several paces before collapsing down on a patch of dirt where they were later buried and a monastery erected in their honour.

Before the Reformation, the monastery was a huge pilgrimage site for Catholics across Switzerland. Apparently, where 40% of the country remains Catholic, the legend of the two saints still holds, as Saint Regula continues to inspire Swiss parents to name their daughters after her.

She has a pleasant appeal, strong, yet distinctively feminine, she might make an interesting alternative to Regina, with the nickname of Regi to boot.

Other associations with the name include the Regula Benedicti, (the Rules of St. Benedict) a 7th century document written by St. Benedict of Nursia which gives out precepts on how to live a monastic life. The book is still used by modern day Christians monks and nuns as a source of inspiration.

There is also a masculine version: Regulus, which is the name of a character in the Harry Potter novels a la JK Rowling.

Two other forms include the French, Régula and the Italian, Regola.

Afra

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin/German
Meaning: “African.”
(AHF-rah).

This exotic two syllable name is most notably attributed to a 4th-century German saint. According to legend, Afra was a Cypriot princess who somehow ended up in Augsburg Germany. There she worked as a high paying prostitute. Afra was later converted to Christianity by a visiting bishop. When the Roman authorities were executing Christians, Afra hid the bishop in her home. However, Afra was caught and burnt at the stake, along with her former co-workers, Ligna, Eunonia and Eutropia, which are three other obscure name worth noting. The name has been in usage in Germany for quite awhile, especially in the Catholic regions such as Bavaria. St. Afra’s relics are still kept in St. Ulrich’s and St. Afra’s Abbey in Augsburg. In 1298, a small town in Germany was named for the saint, known as Tafferot, its coat of arms depicts a woman amidst burning embers. Nameday is August 7th.

Lydia

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin/Greek
(LID-dee-uh)

Lydia has a sweet feminine vibe. Its classic without sounding too stuffy. Lydia could work just as well on a five month old as it would on a 55 five year old. It has the same feel as the popular Olivia and it wouldn’t be surprising if Lydia soon took Olivia’s place. Lydia currently stands as the 120th most popular female name in the United States.

As for Lydia’s history, it first appears as a given name in the New Testament. It was the name of a woman who had converted to Christianity after befriending St. Paul. Some scholars believe that Lydia was not her actual name, rather, it was a nickname to denote her place of origins, (Lydia in Asia Minor).

Lydia is a Greek word for an ancient country, known in Assyrian as Luddu, this particular’s country’s culture and language has been lost to history and speculation. The Greeks talked quite a bit about it, and in the Bible it is often refered to as Lud.

Lydia has multiple forms, including:

  • Lidiya Лидия (Bulgarian/Russian: Lidochka is a Bulgarian diminutive form)
  • Lídia (Catalan/Hungarian/Portuguese/Spanish)
  • Lýdie (Czech: LEED-yeh)
  • Lydia Λυδια (English/Estonian/Greek)
  • Lii/Ly (Estonian)
  • Liidia/Liidi (Estonian)
  • Lyydia/Lyyti (Finnish)
  • Lydie (French: LEE-DEE)
  • Lida (Hungarian)
  • Licia (Italian: lee-CHEE-ah).
  • Lidia (Polish/Italian/Romansch: a Polish diminutive form is Lidka.)
  • Livli (Sami)
  • Lýdia (Slovakian)
  • Lidija (Slovene/Croatian: diminutive forms are, Lidonka, Lidunka and Liduška)

In other Continental European countries, the name is usually rendered the same as it is in English. In German speaking countries its pronounced (LUY-dee-ah). Its designated name day is August 3rd.

August

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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)

Camilla

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Unknown
(kah-MIL-lah)

Camilla, a little stodgy, a little dramatic, and a little British nobility, most of the English speaking world would probably associate her with Camilla Parker-Bowles, now the legitimate wife to Prince Charles.

Then we have Camille, a classy French feminine name that brings to mind pastellic landscapes and Claude Monet, but wait, Camille is actually a masculine name!

The origins of Camilla goes back to the very foundations of Rome itself.

In Roman mythology, Camilla of the Volsci was a pre-Roman princess. Her father, Metabus, was deposed by his own people; running for his life, along with his infant daughter, he tied Camilla to a spear and consecrated her to the goddess Diana, in hopes that the goddess would intercede for his only child’s life. In exchange, he promised that Camilla would be Diana’s loyal servant and forever remain a virgin in the goddess’ honour. Attached to the spear, Metabus threw Camilla to the otherside of the River Amasenus, and Camilla survived unscathed.

In Virgil’s the Aeneid, it is confirmed that Camilla is the loyal servant of Diana, but also a great warrior. It is said that she is so swift, that she can run across a body of water without getting her feet wet. She allied herself with the other pre-Roman peoples in order to defeat the Trojans who had recently taken refuge in Rome and were gradually taking power.Camilla was killed by Arruns in battle, and Diana in rage had another servant of hers, Opis, kill Arruns to avenge Camilla’s death.

In later years, Camilla became a Roman cognomen being masculinized to Camillus. The exact origins and meaning of the name are unclear. It is believed that it is of Etruscan origins and that its meaning has been lost to history.

In France, Camille was a male name, (and still is considered a male name but has recently become more common on females). It wasn’t until the turn of the century that its usage on females arose. In France’s top 100 female names of 2006, Camille came in at # 7. Even so, for the sake of policy, this blog will list Camille as a masculine name.

Notable males with this include, Camille Saint-Saëns, a famous composer. Camille Nimr Chamoun, former president of Lebanon. Nicholas Camille Flammarion, a French astrononomer. Camille Desmoulins, a close associate of Georges Danton, (he was a journalist who played a role in the French Revolution), as well as French impressionist painter, Camille Passarro.

Its notable female bearers cannot go unignored. It was borne by French sculptor, Camille Claudel, and it is also borne by American feminist, Camille Paglia.

Camilla has other masculine forms. In Polish and Czech it is Kamil (kah-MEEL) and it is fairly popular name in both countries, as is its feminine counterpart, Kamila.

Lebanese Christians also favor this name because it works well in the Arabic language, yet fits into the edicts of their faith. While St. Camillus de Lellis, (whose feast day is July 14), is a popular Catholic saint, Kamil also coincides with the Arabic word meaning “whole; complete; or perfect,” so for many Middle Eastern Christians, its a 2-for-1 name.

There is also the Italian male form of Camillo and the Spanish Camilo.

Camellia is often times seen as a cognate of Camilla. Its actually a botanical name that really has no etymological relations to the ancient name. It was named for botanist Rev. George Joseph Kamel.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Kamilia (Bielorusian)
  • Kamila (Bosnian/Czech/Slovak/Polish)
  • Camilla (Danish/English/German/Italian/Latin/Norwegian/Swedish)
  • Kamilla (Finnish/Icelandic/Hungarian)
  • Kamilė (Lithuanian)
  • Kamilija (Lithuanian)
  • Kamilijana/Kamilijona (Lithuanian)
  • Camila (Spanish/Portuguese)

Masculine forms include:

  • Kamil (Czech/German/Polish)
  • Camille (French)
  • Kamill/Kamilló (Hungarian)
  • Camillo (Italian)
  • Camillus (Latin)
  • Kamilas/Kamilis (Lithuanian)
  • Kamilijus (Lithuanin)
  • Camilo (Spanish/Portuguese)

Possible nickname options are Cammie, Cam, Milla, and Millie.



Stella

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “star.”

This pretty, vintagy appellation with the stellar meaning was first introduced as a given name way back in the 16th-century. Sir Philip Sidney gave this name star-power when he used it for one of his sonnets Asphodel & Stella. To further boosts the name’s popularity, it has references to the Virgin Mary, derived from one of the many epithets to the mother of Christ, Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), is a sort of poetic reference to Mary as a guiding light for lost souls. Due to these connotations, the name caught on big time in places as far south as Spain and all the way east in Poland. Despite its literary references in England, the name never really caught on, in fact, in Great Britain today, Stella is the name of a ledger, which makes the name somewhat of a turn off for British parents. While in the United States, the name has had somewhat of a history since the turn of the century. Thanks to an influx of Polish immigrants, the name became very popular in the United States, Stella being a very popular Polish given name at that time, either being an anglicization for Stela or Stanislawa. Due to its enormous popularity among the Polish community, the name became a sort of stereotype name for Polish women from the 1920s-30s. Today, the name has lost those stereotypes, but for the granddaughters and great grandaughters of those very same immigrants, the name has held a lot of charm and appeal, holding fuzzy warm memories of old world grandmas for a whole new generation of parents. This might explain its sudden resurgence in popularity. In 1999, Stella sat at a mere # 725 of the Top 1000 names in the United States. Fast forward 9 years and it nows sits at # 186 of the top 1000 female names of 2008, and will probably rise. It has the same feel as other popular vintagy names such as Ava, Grace and Sophia. So don’t be surprised to see little Stellas coming to a school near you very soon. Though the name has Polish roots for many Americans, the name is considered rather old fashioned in Poland these days, meanwhile just further north in Sweden, the name has caught on quite a bit. It came in at # 33 in 2007 among the Top 100 female names of Sweden. Down under, in Australia, the name comes in at # 99. If you are concerned about the possible future over popularity of this name, then you might like the more unusual alternatives of Estelle, Estella and the Spanish Estrella (es-STRAY-yah). There is the Portuguese elaborate form of Stelina, and there is the Romanian Steliana, though that has a completely different etymology from Stella, it is derived from the Greek Styliani which is a feminine form of Stylianos meaning “piller.”

Other pop culture references are Stella Dubois Kowalski from Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Called Desire. It is also borne by the daughter of Paul and Linda Macartney.
Its designated name day is July 14.

Calidia

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: debated
(kuh-LID-dee-uh)

The name is from an old Romen nomen, a feminine form of Calidius. Its either possibly derived from calidi, the name of a hot Roman winter drink, or it may be derived from calidus, meaning “warm; hot; fiery” or “having a warm climate.”