Papal Names
Updated Mon Jan 29 2024
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Papal names range from the totally normal (Paul, Alexander) to the wild and extravagant (ever met a Telesphorus?). Popes traditionally choose a new regnal name upon election — one of a saint or that of a previous pope.
The 56th pope, John II, who ruled the Catholic Church in the sixth century, was the first to not use his given name. It was Mercurius, after Mercury — a pagan god. Ever since, most popes have gone by a new name.
Along with John and Alexander, other papal names currently in the US Top 250 include Adrian, Felix, Leo, Marcus, Nicholas, Theodore, Victor, and Zachary. The most common name among popes is John, which has been used 23 times, followed by Benedict and Gregory at 16 each.
The selection of Pope Francis I has added a new name to the list of papal names, which began in the year 32 with St. Peter. Pope Francis is the first pope to choose a unique regnal name since Pope Lando in the year 913.
Here are some other names of popes that are still usable today — many of them worn by multiple bearers. The names are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Felix
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"happy, fortunate"Description:
Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.
- Theodore
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
As unlikely as it may seem, Theodore is a hot new hit name, vaulting into the Top 10 in 2021 for the first time ever. Friendly nickname Theo may be responsible for some of that, though there are plenty of baby boys given Theo as their full name too. Add their numbers together, and the two names jump to Number 6.
- Leo
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"lion"Description:
Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
- Alexander
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.
- Zachary
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"the Lord has remembered"Description:
Zachary, a Top 20 name throughout the 90s, is now sliding down the rankings though it remains in the Top 200. With its ancient roots and modern feel, it's easy to understand why Zachary has been such a longtime winner.
- Caius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"rejoice"Description:
Caius is classical and serious but also has a simple, joyful quality. There was a third century pope named Caius, as well as an early Christian writer, several Shakespearean characters, and a Twilight vampire. We would pronounce the name to rhyme with eye-us though at Cambridge University in England, where it's the name of a college, it's pronounced keys.
- Adrian
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"man of Adria"Description:
Adrian is one of those names that’s easy to picture on all kinds of people. From an active and energetic five-year-old to your great grandpa, from the coolest, breeziest guy you know, to the quiet, serious one, it’s no wonder Adrian has always made the US Top 500 since the early 20th century.
- Lucius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"light"Description:
Lucius is an old Roman clan name that has lots of religious and literary resonance, yet is still vital today. It was the name of three popes, appears in several Shakespeare plays, and, like all the names beginning with 'luc' relates to the Latin word for light.It was one of a limited number of forenames used in ancient Rome, and because of its meaning was often given to boys born at dawn.
- John
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to tire of this straight-arrow, almost anonymous John Doe of names, replacing it with fancier forms like Jonathan and the imported Sean and Ian.
- Peter
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"rock, stone"Description:
Peter is derived from the Greek Petros, meaning "rock" or "stone." One of the most important figures in the Christian hagiography is Saint Peter, keeper of the Gates of Heaven. Born Simon bar Jonah, he was given the nickname Peter by Jesus, to signify that he would be the rock on which Christ would build Christianity. Centuries later, there was Peter the Great, the czar who developed Russia as a major European power.
- Nicholas
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"people of victory"Description:
Nicholas is derived from the Greek Nikolaos, a name that evolved from the components nikē, meaning "victory", and laos, "people." It shares origins with Nike, the name of the Greek goddess of victory. Nicholas is also a New Testament name that is well-used in literature, such as in Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby.
- Linus
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"flax"Description:
Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be yes.
- Francis
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"Frenchman or free man"Description:
Since this was the name chosen by the current Roman Catholic pope, Francis has come into the spotlight.
- Victor
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"conqueror"Description:
Victor is one of the earliest Christian names, borne (as Vittorio) by several saints and popes, symbolizing Christ's victory over death. It has been quietly in the Top 200 since 1880, but just recently has taken on a cool edge by fashionable parents in London and seems ripe for a similar reevaluation here too.
- Paul
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"small"Description:
To the thousands of girls who screamed the name of their favorite Beatle in the 1960s, the boys' name Paul had a thrillingly unique image, but to the rest of the world, then and now, it's a name that's so simple and yet so widely diffuse that it could belong to almost anyone. Paul is an ancient name for boys -- popular in Roman and medieval times -- that's not very fashionable now, which can work in its favor, scarcity balancing simplicity.
- Cornelius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"horn"Description:
Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert.
- Marcus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"warlike"Description:
Though ancient, Marcus now sounds more current than Mark, in tune with today's trend towards us-ending Latinate names.
- Martin
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"warlike"Description:
Martin is one of those names like Arthur and Vincent and George that is in the process of throwing off its balding middle-aged image to start sounding possible again, used in full without the dated Marty nickname.
- Julius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"youthful, downy-bearded"Description:
Immortal through its association with the ancient Caesar (it was his clan name), Julius may still lag behind Julian, but is definitely starting to make a comeback, and in fact feels more cutting edge, in line with the current trend for Latin -us endings.
- Benedict
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Parents who like Ben and Benjamin but find those forms too popular sometimes consider Benedict as a more distinctive choice. Unlike the Old Testament Benjamin, Benedict is the name of the saint who formed the Benedictine Order and of fifteen popes,including a recent one.