Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Atticus

Atticus is an old Roman (Latin) nickname meaning “man of Attica”. Attica is a place name; dating back to Antiquity, it is the region in Greece which surrounds Athens. The name was made most famous by author Harper Lee as the protagonist of her 1960 novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Lee modeled her character Atticus Finch after her own attorney father, someone she greatly loved and admired for his articulation and respect for the law. She used the name Atticus after Titus Pomponius Atticus, a Roman citizen who lived in the first century B.C. and, according to Lee herself, was "a wise, learned and humane man." Titus Pomponius Atticus is most remembered in history as the closest friend of philosopher and orator Cicero. Cicero dedicated his treatise on friendship (“Laelius de Amicitia”) to Atticus; so highly regarded was he. Born in Rome around 110 B.C. and educated as a young man in Athens, Titus Pomponius Atticus actually gave himself the nickname “Atticus” (Man of Attica) after falling in love with the culture and society of Athens, one of the most important cities of the ancient world. Atticus was also remembered as a man of stylish taste, sound intellect and financial acumen. But for Harper Lee, it was mainly his wisdom and humanity that inspired the name of her great literary hero, Atticus Finch.

All About the Baby Name – Atticus

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME ATTICUS

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME ATTICUS

Oddly enough, the name Atticus did not appear on the U.S. popularity charts until 2004. We would have expected to see the name emerge in 1960 when “To Kill a Mockingbird” was actually first published. Clearly, the name’s usage is inspired by the literary reference – just as Demi Moore and Bruce Willis named their second daughter Scout (Atticus’ daughter in the novel) in 1991. Perhaps they didn’t know it then, but they were ahead of their time in terms of trend-setting. Naming children after literary characters appears to be coming into fashion as the 21st century gets underway. We are seeing an increase in popularity with names like Atticus, Romeo, Rhett, Holden and Sawyer. These names are still only used in moderation and appear to be restricted to the more erudite parents, but they are definitely loaded with weighty significance and charm (thanks to their respective places in literature). Atticus, in particular, is one of the greatest heroes of American literature and an enduring symbol of decency, fairness, wisdom and legal acumen. It’s for the latter reason why we think Atticus is a great name for the son of attorney parents.

Quick Facts

ON ATTICUS

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Latin

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

404

PRONUNCIATION:

AH-tә-cus

SIMPLE MEANING:

Man of Attica

Characteristics

OF ATTICUS

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Atticus

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ATTICUS

Atticus Finch is the widowed father of two children in Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning 1960 novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, and he is forever seen as Gregory Peck, who portrayed him in the 1962 movie of the same name, and who won an Oscar for it. (And we don’t know ANYBODY who doesn’t want to have had him for a father!) Called “Atticus” by his motherless children, he is the rock-solid foundation of their lives, a responsibility he takes seriously and sensitively. And as an attorney, he is a paragon of righteous, but self-effacing, equity. He takes on the case of defending the wrongly accused Tom Robinson, and faces down the wrath of the ignorant racists among the townspeople. Working and living in the pre-civil rights environment of the deep South, Atticus rises to the challenges of teaching his children how to behave with fairness and dignity, and how to respect the individual rights of all people without exception. His best lesson is in the way he leads his own life, and by that example he earns the undying respect, not only of his children, but of all his devoted readers and admirers. It’s almost impossible to believe he is a fictional character.

Jeremy (or "Jem" as he's known) is the young boy, the brother of Scout and son of Atticus, in Harper Lee’s 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. He was portrayed by Phillip Alford in the immensely successful 1962 movie of the same name. Jem is a very appealing youth, the good-but-not-perfect son, the preening but affectionate older brother. He strives to live up to his father’s ideals, and he tries to pass on some of his hard won “wisdom” to his little sister (not without a bit of grandstanding). The outcome of what is essentially a civil rights trial that his father is defending has a profound effect upon him and his evolving sense of what is good and right in the world. At the novel’s end we are left with the sense that while Jem may have been temporarily disillusioned, his familial background is strong enough to allow him to recover from a loss of innocence, to mature to a deeper understanding of the ways of the world, and to determine to better them wherever possible. He is a boy whom any parent or sibling would be proud to claim.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ATTICUS

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Atticus


Popular Songs

ON ATTICUS

Atticus Finch
a song by Paint it Black

Famous People

NAMED ATTICUS

Atticus Shaffer (actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ATTICUS

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Atticus

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ATTICUS

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Atticus