We’ve all heard of the Latin language and most of us have Latin names that date back nearly 3,000 years, but how many of us actually know where the Latin language came from and how it evolved?
It’s okay – most people can’t answer that question, but we’ll give you the lowdown.
For starters, Latin names originated in the Latium region of central Italy – where Rome is today. In fact, Latin (as well as Greek) was one of the primary languages of ancient Romans and the Roman Empire.
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It evolved from the earlier Italic languages spoken by the people in the Italian Peninsula, and eventually spread throughout Europe and parts of Africa and the Middle East as the Romans expanded their empire.
Over time, the Latin language developed into a variety of different forms.
For example, Classical Latin was primarily used in literature and formal communication (mostly as a form of writing), while Vulgar Latin was the colloquial (common) form spoken by the general population.
But the evolution didn’t stop there.
After the Western Roman Empire fell, Latin was used as a scholarly and liturgical language in Western Europe, and eventually inspired a variety of new languages – which are considered Romance languages.
Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian are all Romance languages.
With that said, it’s no wonder why Latin names are so popular today. Most of the languages we speak (outside of English) are Latin derivatives and most of our families originated from Western Europe.
Handsome & Popular Latin Names for Boys
Are you pregnant with a baby boy? Are you putting together a list of baby boy names that you like? Does your family have Latin roots or a history of using Latin names? Do you have a soft spot for Latin names?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions, then you’re going to love these Latin names for boys.
And for those who don’t know the gender yet – first off, we applaud you because the temptation to know is real. Secondly, there’s nothing wrong with having a list of potential boy names handy – just in case!
Don’t worry – we’re going to list 25 of our favorite Latin names for boys, their origins, meanings, and famous people with that name. And if you keep scrolling, we’ll share some Latin names for girls, as well!
25. Lucas
Origin: Latin, Greek
Meaning: From Lucania, Light
Famous People: Lucas Moura (Brazilian footballer), Lucas Till (American actor), Lucas Black (American actor), Lucas Pouille (French tennis player), Lucas Grabeel (American actor, singer, and songwriter)
24. Leo
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Lion
Famous People: Leo tolstoy (Russian author), Leo DiCaprio (American actor), Leo Fender (American inventor), Leo Messi (Argentine footballer), Pope Leo I (5th century pope AKA Leo the Great)
23. Julian
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Youthful, Jove’s Child
Famous People: Julian Assange (Australian founder of WikiLeaks), Julian Casablancas (American musician), Julian Edelman (American football player), Julian Lennon (British musician), Julian Schnabel (American painter and filmmaker)
22. Anthony
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Priceless One, Highly Praiseworthy
Famous People: Anthony Hopkins (Welsh actor), Anthony Bourdain (American chef and author), Anthony Joshua (British boxer), Anthony Mackie (American actor), Anthony Pederson (American actor and comedian)
21. Miles
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Soldier, Merciful
Famous People: Miles Davis (American jazz trumpeter), Miles Teller (American actor), Miles Kane (British musician), Miles Brown (American actor), Miles Bridges (American basketball player)
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20. Adrian
Origin: Latin
Meaning: From Hadria (a town in Northern Italy)
Famous People: Adrian Peterson (American football player), Adrian Grenier (American actor), Adrian Brody (American actor), Adrian Smith (English guitarist of Iron Maiden), Adrian Newey (British Formula One engineer)
19. Roman
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Citizen of Rome
Famous People: Roman Polanski (French-Polish filmmaker), Roman Abramovich (Russian billionaire, owner of Chelsea F.C.), Roman Reigns (American wrestler), Roman Harper (American football player), Roman Coppola (American filmmaker and producer)
18. Christian
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Follower of Christ
Famous People: Christian Bale (British actor), Christian Slater (American actor), Christian Eriksen (Danish footballer), Christian Pulisic (American soccer player), Christian Horner (British Formula One team principal)
17. Silas
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Wood, Forest
Famous People: Silas Weir Mitchell (American actor), Silas Young (American pro wrestler), Silas Kiplagat (Kenyan middle-distance runner), Silas Nacita (American football player), Silas Mitchell (American neurologist and author)
16. Dominic
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Belonging to the Lord
Famous People: Dominic West (British actor), Dominic Cooper (British actor), Dominic Thiem (Austrian tennis player), Dominic Purcell (Australian actor), Dominic Monaghan (British actor)
15. August
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Great, Magnificent
Famous People: August Wilson (American playwright), August Diehl (German actor), August Strindberg (Swedish playwright), August Busch IV (American businessman, CEO of Anheuser-Busch), August Zirner (American-Austrian actor)
14. Vincent
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Conquering
Famous People: Vincent van Gogh (Dutch painter), Vincent Price (American actor), Vincent Cassel (French actor), Vincent D’Onofrio (American actor), Vincent Kompany (Belgian football manager)
13. Felix
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Happy, Fortunate
Famous People: Felix Mendelssohn (German composer), Felix Baumgartner (Austrian skydiver), Felix Hernandez (American baseball player), Felix Magath (German football manager), Felix Mallard (Australian actor and musician)
12. Patrick
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Nobleman
Famous People: Patrick Stewart (British actor), Patrick Dempsey (American actor), Patrick Ewing (Jamaican-American basketball player), Patrick Swayze (American actor and dancer), Patrick Kane (American hockey player)
11. Victor
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Conqueror
Famous People: Victor Hugo (French writer), Victor Cruz (American football player), Victor Garber (Canadian actor), Victor Oladipo (American basketball player), Victor Wanyama (Kenyan footballer), Victor Wembanyama (French basketball player)
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10. Maximus
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Greatest
Famous People: Maximus Decimus Meridius (fictional character in ‘Gladiator’), Maximus Prime (fictional character in ‘Transformers’), Maximus Thrax (Roman emperor), Maximus of Tyre (Greek philosopher), Maximus Planudes (Greek monk)
9. Atticus
Origin: Greek, Latin
Meaning: Man of Attica (region around Athens)
Famous People: Atticus Shaffer (American actor), Atticus Ross (British musician and composer), Atticus Mitchell (Canadian actor), Atticus Finch (fictional character in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’), Atticus Lish (American novelist)
8. Martin
Origin: Latin
Meaning: War-like
Famous People: Martin Luther King Jr. (American civil rights leader), Martin Scorsese (American filmmaker), Martin Sheen (American actor), Martin Freeman (British actor), Martin Garrix (Dutch DJ and record producer)
7. Cesar
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Long-Haired, Head of Hair
Famous People: Cesar Chavez (American labor leader and civil rights activist), Cesar Millan (Mexican-American dog behaviorist), Cesar Azpilicueta (Spanish footballer), Cesar Romero (American actor), Cesar Cielo (Brazilian swimmer)
6. Dante
Origin: Italian, Latin
Meaning: Enduring
Famous People: Dante Alighieri (Italian poet), Dante Basco (American actor), Dante Bichette (American baseball player), Dante Fowler Jr. (American football player), Dante Lam (Hong Kong film director)
5. Onyx
Origin: Greek, Latin
Meaning: Precious Gemstone
Famous People: Onyx Solace Morissette-Treadway (daughter of Alanis Morissette), Onyx Carter (son of Iggy Azalea and Playboi Carti)
4. Saint
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Holy
Famous People: Saint West (son of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West), Saint Jhn (American-Guyanese rapper), Saint-John Perse (French poet and diplomat), Saint Etienne (city in eastern-central France), Saint Nicholas (early Christian bishop of Greek descent)
3. Luciano
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Light, Bringer of Light
Famous People: Luciano Pavarotti (Italian operatic tenor), Luciano Spalletti (Italian football manager), Luciano Berio (Italian composer), Luciano Huck (Brazilian TV host), Luciano Narsingh (Dutch footballer)
2. Fabian
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Bean Grower
Famous People: Fabian Delph (English footballer), Fabian Forte (American singer and actor), Fabian Cancellara (Swiss cyclist), Fabian Schar (Swiss footballer), Fabian Picardo (Chief Minister of Gibraltar)
1. Hugo
Origin: Germanic
Meaning: Mind, Intellect
Famous People: Hugo Weaving (Australian actor), Hugo Lloris (French footballer), Hugo Chavez (former President of Venezuela), Hugo Boss (German fashion designer), Hugo Black (American Supreme Court Justice)
Beautiful & Popular Latin Names for Girls
Are you about to welcome a baby girl into your family? Are you starting a list of potential names for your perfect little girl? Did you go with Latin names for your sons? Do you want the same for your daughter?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions, then you’ve come to the right place.
Many Latin names are phonetically pleasing and have a lyrical quality to them, but they also have a rich historical background – and are often associated with Roman mythology, literature, and historical figures.
Not only that, but there are a variety of Latin names to choose from, ranging from classic and traditional to unique and modern – giving parents many options to find the perfect name that resonates with them.
Here are some of our personal favorite Latin names for girls.
25. Olivia
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Olive Tree (symbol of peace and fruitfulness)
Famous People: Olivia Newton-John (British-Australian singer and songwriter), Olivia Wilde (American actress), Olivia Colman (British actress), Olivia Munn (American actress), Olivia Holt (American actress), Olivia Rodrigo (American singer-songwriter)
24. Ava
Origin: Hebrew, Latin
Meaning: Life, Bird, Living One
Famous People: Ava Gardner (American actress), Ava DuVernay (American filmmaker), Ava Max (American singer), Ava Samboro (American actress and model), Ava Kolker (American actress)
23. Luna
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Moon
Famous People: Luna Blaise (American actress and singer), Luna Lauren Velez (American actress), Luna Schweiger (German actress), Luna Bijl (Dutch fashion model), Luna Haruna (Japanese singer and model)
22. Emily
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Rival, Industrious
Famous People: Emily Blunt (British actress), Emily Dickinson (American poet), Emily Ratajkowski (American model and actress), Emily Deschanel (American actress), Emily VanCamp (Canadian actress)
21. Nora
Origin: Latin, Greek
Meaning: Honor, Light
Famous People: Nora Ephron (American screenwriter), Nora Roberts (American author), Nora Zehetner (American actress), Nora Arnezeder (French actress and singer), Nora Aunor (Filipino actress and recording artist)
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20. Aurora
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Dawn
Famous People: Aurora Aksnes (Norwegian singer-songwriter), Aurora Perrineau (American actress), Aurora Bautista (Spanish actress), Aurora Miranda (Brazilian actress and singer), Aurora Cunha dos Santos (Brazilian footballer)
19. Stella
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Star
Famous People: Stella McCartney (British fashion designer), Stella Stevens (American actress and model), Stella Maxwell (Belgian model), Stella Tennant (British model), Stella Adler (American actress)
18. Victoria
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Victory
Famous People: Victoria Beckham (British singer and fashion designer), Victoria Justice (American actress), Victoria Wood (English comedian and actress), Victoria Azarenka (Belarusian tennis player), Victoria Principal (American actress)
17. Emilia
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Rival
Famous People: Emilia Clarke (British actress), Emilia Fox (British actress), Emilia Jones (British actress), Emilia Wickstead (New Zealand-born fashion designer), Emilia McCarthy (Canadian actress and dancer)
16. Valentina
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Strong, Healthy
Famous People: Valentina Tereshkova (Russian cosmonaut), Valentina Cervi (Italian actress), Valentino Shevchenko (Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian MMA fighter), Valentina Lodovini (Italian actress), Valentina Nafornita (Moldovan operatic soprano)
15. Vivian
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Alive
Famous People: Vivian Vance (American actress), Vivian Leigh (British actress), Vivian Dsena (Indian TV actor), Vivian Hsu (Taiwanese singer, actress, and model), Vivian Wu (Chinese actress)
14. Ariana
Origin: Greek, Latin
Meaning: Very Holy
Famous People: Ariana Grande (American singer), Ariana DeBose (American actress), Ariana Richards (American actress), Ariana Berlin (American artistic gymnast), Ariana Rockefeller (fashion designer and heiress)
13. Julia
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Youthful, Downy
Famous People: Julia Roberts (American actress), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (American actress and comedian), Julia Stiles (American actress), Julia Gillard (former Prime Minister of Australia), Julia Ormond (British actress)
12. Cecilia
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Blind
Famous People: Cecilia Bartoli (Italian opera singer), Cecilia Cheung (Hong Kong actress), Cecilia Roth (Argentine actress), Cecilia Suarez (Mexican actress), Cecilia Vega (American journalist and TV anchor)
11. Natalia
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Christmas Day
Famous People: Natalia Vodianova (Russian supermodel), Natalia Dyer (American actress), Natalia Tena (British actress), Natalia Oreiro (Uruguayan actress and singer), Natalia Lafourcade (Mexican singer, songwriter, and musician)
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10. Vera
Origin: Latin, Slavic
Meaning: True, Faith
Famous People: Vera Wang (American fashion designer), Vera Farmiga (American actress), Vera Miles (American actress), Vera Zvonareva (Russian tennis player), Vera-Ellen (American dancer and actress)
9. Diana
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Divine
Famous People: Princess Diana (British royal), Diana Ross (American singer and actress), Diana Rigg (British actress), Diana Krall (Canadian jazz pianist and singer), Diana Wynne Jones (British author)
8. Octavia
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Eighth
Famous People: Octavia Butler (American science fiction writer), Octavia Spencer (American actress), Octavia E. Butler (American author), Octavia Hill (British social reformer), Octavia Selena Alexandru (Romanian actress)
7. Mabel
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Lovable
Famous People: Mabel Normand (American silent film actress and comedian), Mabel (British-Swedish singer), Mabel King (American actress and singer), Mabel Dodge Luhan (American patron of the arts and writer), Mabel Albertson (American actress)
6. Joanna
Origin: Hebrew, Greek
Meaning: God is Gracious
Famous People: Joanna Lumley (British actress), Joanna Gaines (American home renovation expert), Joanna Cassidy (American actress), Joanna Newsom (American musician, singer, and songwriter), Joanna Page (Welsh actress)
5. Camilla
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Young Ceremonial Attendant
Famous People: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (member of the British royal family), Camilla Cabello (Cuban-American singer), Camilla Belle (American actress), Camilla Luddington (British actress), Camilla Parker Bowles (wife of Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall)
4. Poppy
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Red Flower
Famous People: Poppy Delevingne (British model and actress), Poppy Montgomery (Australian-American actress), Poppy Drayton (British actress), Poppy Corby-Tuech (French-British actress), Poppy Harlow (American journalist and CNN anchor)
3. Serena
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Tranquil, Serene
Famous People: Serena Williams (American tennis player), Serena van der Woodsen (fictional character in ‘Gossip Girl’), Serena Scott Thomas (British actress), Serena Reeder (American actress), Serena Deeb (American pro wrestler)
2. Francesca
Origin: Italian
Meaning: Free, Frenchman
Famous People: Francesca Annis (British actress), Francesca Schiavone (Italian tennis player), Francesca Lia Block (American author), Francesca Hayward (British ballet dancer), Francesca Eastwood (American actress and model)
1. Sylvia
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Forest, Wooded
Famous People: Sylvia Plath (American poet and novelist), Sylvia Earle (American marine biologist and explorer), Sylvia Sidney (American actress), Sylvia Browne (American author), Sylvia Kristel (Dutch actress)
How Many Latin Names Made Your Baby Name Shortlist?
The Latin language is essentially the mother of all Romance languages – and French, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Portuguese are like its sons and daughters. Together, they’re one big, happy family.
With that said, it’s no wonder why so many mothers love giving their children Latin names.
And since the Romance languages are spoken all over the world, it’s no wonder why we see so many new babies being born with Latin names every year – in fact, some of you might have Latin names, too!
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Whether you’re having a baby boy or baby girl, we wish you the very best in your quest for a baby name – and if the Latin names above didn’t give you enough inspiration, check out our blog for more ideas!