Publius

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Boy · Latin

Publius

Say it: PUB-lee-us

Try it with your surname

Meaning

Often linked to populus 'the people', but the connection is not certain.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

A common Roman praenomen, abbreviated P., that vanished with the Roman naming system.

Its wave through time

No birth counts are recorded for this name in the records loaded here: it has been given to fewer than five babies a year, or not at all, since records began.

Through the ages

  1. Ancient Rome750 BC to AD 476

Used by

Latin

The family of the name

ItalianPublio
SpanishPublio

Famous bearers

  • Publius Vergilius Maro, the poet Virgil
  • Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Roman general

Names worth a look

Where this comes from

  • Roman literature and history (Livy, Cicero, Tacitus and others)
  • Roman inscriptions and tombstones

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.