July was named in honor of Julius Caesar. Quintilis, which was his birth month, was renamed July when he died. Quintilis means “fifth month” in Latin, which represents where this month originally fell in the Roman calendar.
July. July was the birth month of Julius Caesar, for whom the month was renamed following his death in 44 B.C. Previously, July was called “Quintilis,” which is Latin for “fifth” and referred to the fact that, with the calendar year beginning in March, July was the fifth month.
The months of January and February were added to the calendar and the original fifth and sixth months were renamed July and August in honour of Julius Caesar and his successor Augustus. These months were both given 31 days to reflect their importance, having been named after Roman leaders.
The month of August got its name from the Ancient Romans who named this month for Augustus Caesar. Augustus made adjustments to the calendar since the extra day that was supposed to be every four years was actually every three years. He also named August after himself since Julius Caesar named July after himself.
September (from Latin septem, "seven") or mensis September was originally the seventh of ten months on the ancient Roman calendar that began with March (mensis Martius, "Mars' month").
MAY. Named for the Roman goddess Maia, who oversaw the growth of plants. Also from the Latin word maiores, “elders,” who were celebrated during this month. Maia was considered a nurturer and an earth goddess, which may explain the connection with this springtime month.
April takes its name from the Latin word aperire, meaning 'to open' (just like flowers do in spring). Here's a beautifully detailed watercolour drawing of a vase of flowers by French artist Antoine Jules Pelletier. The Romans called the month Aprilis. Antoine Jules Pelletier (fl.
Where did the name March come from? The name March is ultimately derived from the Latin word Martius (named after Mars, the Roman god of war). Martius was the name of the first month in the original Roman calendar. Along with January, May, and June, March is one of several months named after a god.
The first is that the month is named after the Roman goddess Juno, the goddess of marriage and the wife of the supreme deity Jupiter; the second is that the name comes from the Latin word iuniores, meaning "younger ones", as opposed to maiores ("elders") for which the preceding month May (Maius) may be named.
Where did the word February come from? Since other months, like January, are named after Roman gods, you'd be forgiven for thinking February was named after the Roman god Februus. But, the word February comes from the Roman festival of purification called Februa, during which people were ritually washed.
October, 10th month of the Gregorian calendar. Its name is derived from octo, Latin for “eight,” an indication of its position in the early Roman calendar. This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.
NOVEMBER: The name for this month comes from the Roman word for “ninth” – nonus – as it was the ninth month of the Roman year.
December, twelfth month of the Gregorian calendar. Its name is derived from decem, Latin for “ten,” indicating its position in the early Roman calendar.
The origins of some months were debated even by the Romans themselves. One tradition had it that Romulus named April after the goddess Aphrodite, who was born from the sea's foam (aphros in Ancient Greek).
July, seventh month of the Gregorian calendar. It was named after Julius Caesar in 44 bce. Its original name was Quintilis, Latin for the “fifth month,” indicating its position in the early Roman calendar.
Contrary to popular belief the months of July and August were NOT added, they simply were renamed. The month Quintilis (fifth) became July and, years later, Sextilis (sixth) became August. So January and February are the real culprits for the disparity of the names of the months vs. its position on the year.
April is a feminine given name taken from the month of the same name. It was the most popular month name given to girls in the United States between 1960 and 2000. It was most well used in the Southern United States, where the spring season begins earlier than other regions of the country.
The meaning of October comes from the Latin word Octo meaning eight. The old Roman calendar started in March, so October was the eighth month. When the Roman senate changed the calendar in 153 BCE, the new year started in January, and October became the tenth month.
The seventh month of the year was called September, from septem, a Latin word meaning "seven." The name was spelled Septembre when it was borrowed from early French into Middle English, but eventually the English spelling was changed to that of the original Latin.
The meaning of September comes from ancient Rome: Septem is Latin and means seven. The old Roman calendar started in March, making September the seventh month. When the Roman senate changed the calendar in 153 BCE, the new year started in January, and September became the ninth month.
The modern Gregorian calendar has roots in the Roman calendar, specifically the calendar decreed by Julius Caesar. So, the names of the months in English all have Latin roots. Note: The earliest Latin calendar was a 10-month one, beginning with March; thus, September was the seventh month, October, the eighth, etc.
The word, “November”, is derived from the Latin word “novem” meaning “nine” because it was the ninth month of the Roman calendar and December, derived from the Latin word “decem” meaning “ten”, was originally the tenth month.
May is an English feminine given name. It is derived from the name of the month, which comes from Maia, the name of a Roman fertility goddess. The name May is also used as a pet form of Mary and Margaret.
James is a classic, traditional and Biblical name (Saint James, of course, was one of Jesus' 12 apostles) meaning "supplanter" or "replacer." It's derived from the Latin Jacomus which also means "may God protect."
Why Is December Not the Tenth Month? The meaning of December stems from the Latin word decem, meaning ten. The old Roman calendar started in March, making December the tenth month. When the Roman senate changed the calendar in 153 BCE, the new year started in January, and December became the twelfth month.