Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Augustus

Augustus is a Latin name from the adjective “augustus” which means “great, magnificent”. This adjective in turn comes from the Latin verb “augere” meaning “to increase”. Most notably, the title Augustus (“majestic”) was given to Octavian (the adopted-son of Julius Caesar) who was the first Emperor of the Roman Empire in the Second Triumvirate (following the Roman Republic). Emperor Augustus emerged as the victor after more than a century of turmoil; he defeated Antony and Cleopatra and ruled alone from 27 BC to 14 AD laying the foundation for the Roman Empire’s golden age. From that point on, all subsequent Emperors of Rome fancied themselves “Augustus”. August is also the eighth month of the calendar year, originally called Sextillus (so named in the 8th century BC when the Roman calendar was only ten months and Sextillus (sex=six) was the sixth month). Just as the Roman Senate had named a month (July) after Julius Caesar, they also decided to name a month after his grandnephew and adopted-son Augustus. The Senate chose this particular month to honor Augustus because it has been “so fortunate to this empire” (it was the month under Augustus when Egypt came under the empire’s control and the month when civil wars ended). The month was lengthened from 30 days to 31 days so no claim could be made that Augustus got shortchanged with an inferior month. Augustus, Augusta and August are all names that English-speaking countries have used since the 18th century. August (pronounced OW-guwst) is mainly used in Scandinavia, Germany and Poland, but it’s also more popular in the United States than the more formal Augustus.

All About the Baby Name – Augustus

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME AUGUSTUS

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 AUGUSTUS

Augustus is a large scale name – magnificent and powerful, ancient and erudite – and just so in-your-face “great and magnificent” that we just can’t help but to love it in all of its pretentious glory. Augustus has mimicked the same behavior as August on the American male naming charts throughout the years; although August has generally been the more popular choice. But we like Augustus even more. Why? Well, you always have the option to shorten it to August (or Auggie or Gus for that matter). But in his full and original Latin format, the great Augustus feels even greater to us than Maximus (which is the Latin superlative “greatest”). It seems like a name that would stand proud and tall on any birth certificate. Ok, so this name is not for everyone. Some parents might feel that it’s just a tad too ostentatious, but therein lies his charm. It feels like the name of a professor, poet, CEO or high ranking military general. Someone destined for “magnificence” and one whose demeanor is steadfast and venerable. The name fell off the U.S. naming charts during the 1970s and 80s, but he appears to be making a mild return. Augustus has shown an overall increase so far in this new century, but it’s still a very uncommon name.

Quick Facts

ON AUGUSTUS

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Latin

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

688

PRONUNCIATION:

ə-GUS-təs

SIMPLE MEANING:

Great, magnificent (to increase)

Characteristics

OF AUGUSTUS

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Augustus

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME AUGUSTUS

Augustus Gloop is one of the five ticket-winning children in Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (later adapted into two movies, in 1971 and 2005), which affords him a trip to the fabulous candy paradise of Willie Wonka, as well as a lifetime supply of sweets. Alas, poor Augustus is described as an enormously fat child with avaricious eyes set in a “doughball” of a head, whose “hobby” is eating, in which he is encouraged by his indulgent mother. Upon arriving at the chocolate factory, Augustus immediately seals his doom by falling into the chocolate river from which he is greedily attempting to drink. He is then sucked up by one of the ceiling pipes that transmit the chocolate to other rooms where it is processed. And he is processed all right – he is squeezed into a thin boy by the pipe, and of course he also loses his chance to inherit the factory. But maybe that is the best thing that could have happened to poor Augustus Gloop!

Augustus “Gus” McCrae is one of the two main characters in Larry McMurtry’s 1985 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Lonesome Dove, which was made into an Emmy winning television mini-series in 1989, with Robert Duvall as Augustus McCrae. He is an aging former Texas ranger who organizes a cattle drive from Texas to Montana with his best friend, and runs into all the expected and unexpected adventures on the way. This Augustus is one of fiction’s finest characters – he is a warm and caring man, attractive to men and women alike. He is good-natured and easy-going, with a comic’s timing and a raconteur’s style. Of course, he is also somewhat lazy and evasive, and this just adds to his charm. His favorite things in life are women, booze and gambling, and he is a renowned sharpshooter. Well, we all know what happens to great characters, don’t we? And it happens to Gus McCrae. Against the backdrop of this recreation of our mythical West, Augustus meets his end with courage and dignity, and extracts a promise from his friend that he will bring him back to his beloved Texas to rest in eternity. All in all, Augustus McCrae has lived life to the fullest.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME AUGUSTUS

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Augustus


Popular Songs

ON AUGUSTUS

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Famous People

NAMED AUGUSTUS

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Children of Famous People

NAMED AUGUSTUS

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Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME AUGUSTUS

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