ACCALIAfRoman Mythology (?), English (Rare) According to questionable sources, such as baby name books and websites, this was another name for Acca, the human foster-mother of Romulus and Remus in Roman legend, also known as Acca Larentia (see ACCA)... [more]
ACHATESmRoman Mythology, Greek Mythology Perhaps derived from the name of a river in Sicily, Italy, or from the name of the type of rock often found there. This is the name of two separate characters in Roman and Greek mythology.
ADEONAfRoman Mythology The Roman goddess who guides the child back home, after it has left the parental house for the first time and monitored its coming and going in learning to walk.
AEQUITASm & fRoman Mythology Means "equity, equality, fairness" in Latin. During the Roman Empire, Aequitas as a divine personification was part of the religious propaganda of the emperor, under the name Aequitas Augusti, which also appeared on coins... [more]
AGENORIAfRoman Mythology Goddess who endowed a child with the capacity to lead an active (actus) life. Her name is presumably derived from the Latin verb ago, agere, egi, actum, "to do, drive, go."
ALATORmCeltic Mythology, Roman Mythology An epithet of Mars found on an altar at South Shields in England, and on a votive plaque found in Hertfordshire in England. There is disagreement of its meaning, with some academics interpreting it as "hunstman" and others as "cherisher"... [more]
ALEMONAfRoman Mythology Roman birth deity that feeds the embryo or generally nourished growth in utero.
ALEMONIAfRoman Mythology Perhaps related to Greek ἀλήμων (ălēmon) "a wanderer, rover". In Roman mythology, ALEMONA or Alemonia was a minor, tutelary goddess of the fetus, the entity responsible for feeding the unborn child (i.e., nourishing growth in utero).
ANGITIAfRoman Mythology A Roman snake-goddess who was especially worshipped by the Marsi, a tribe in central Italy.
ANNONARIAfRoman Mythology Means "she who supplies corn" in Latin, derived from annona "yearly produce", "crop, harvest" or "corn, grain" (also the name of a Roman goddess who personified the year), which was ultimately from annus "year"... [more]
AVENTINUSmRoman Mythology This name can be traced to the Aventine Hill, allegedly one of the Seven Hills that Ancient Rome was founded upon. Aventinus of Alba Longa was a mythical king said to have been buried there. It is debated as to whether the hill was named for the figure, or vice versa... [more]
AVERRUNCUSmRoman Mythology In ancient Roman religion, Averruncus or Auruncus is a god of averting harm. AULUS Gellius says that he is one of the potentially malignant deities who must be propitiated for their power to both inflict and withhold disaster from people and the harvests.... [more]
CAELIFERmRoman Mythology From a poetic Latin epithet of the Greek god ATLAS which meant "supporting the heavens", from caelum "heaven" and ferre "to bear, to carry, to bring"... [more]
CAELUSmRoman Mythology The name of the god of the sky in Roman mythology. Meaning "sky" or "the heavens." Origin of the English word "celestial"
CANDELIFERAfRoman Mythology The cyclical place of the goddess Candelifera, "She who bears the candle," is uncertain. It is sometimes thought that she provides an artificial light for labor that occurs at night. A long labor was considered likely for first-time mothers, so at least a part of the birthing process would occur at night... [more]
CARMENTAfRoman Mythology From Latin carmen "song, verse, enchantment, religious formula", from canere "to sing" (the notion is of chanting or reciting verses of magical power). In Roman legend Carmenta was a goddess of prophecy and childbirth, the mother of Evander by MERCURY... [more]
CARNAfRoman Mythology The goddess who makes strong muscles, and defends the internal organs from witches or strigae.
CATIUSmRoman Mythology God invoked for sharpening the minds of children as they develop intellectually
CINXIAfRoman Mythology Roman goddess of conception. She functions within the belt (cingulum) that the bride wears to symbolize that her husband is "belted and bound" (cinctus vinctusque) to her. It was tied with the knot of HERCULES, intended to be intricate and difficult to untie... [more]
CONSEVIUSmRoman Mythology The god of propagation and insemination, from con-serere, "to sow." It is a title of JANUS as a creator god or god of beginnings.
CUBAfRoman Mythology Goddess who helped the child transition from cradle to bed.
DECLUNAfRoman Mythology An important goddess (or perhaps god, known as DECLUNUS) of the Volscians, an ancient people of Italy who were frequently at war with the Romans and subsequently conquered and assimilated... [more]
DECLUNUSmRoman Mythology An important god (or perhaps goddess, known as DECLUNA) of the Volscians, an ancient people of Italy who were frequently at war with the Romans and subsequently conquered and assimilated... [more]
DEIPHOBEfGreek Mythology, Roman Mythology Feminine form of DEIPHOBOS. In Greek and Roman mythology, Deiphobe was a daughter of the seer Glaukos, an oracle of Apollo at Cumae in Italy, and later became known as the Cumaean Sybil... [more]
DIANUSmRoman Mythology Masculine form of DIANA. This was the name of an obscure god in Roman mythology. Some experts theorize that Dianus is not a separate god on his own; they claim that Dianus is merely a different name for Ianus (see JANUS).
DISCORDIAfRoman Mythology Means "discord, dissension" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of strife, equivalent to the Greek goddess ERIS.
DOMIDUCAfRoman Mythology The goddess Domiduca protects children on the way back to their parents' home. Her male counterpart was DOMITIUS, Domidius or Domiducus, from domus, "house," and eo, ire, itum, "to go."... [more]
EDUSAfRoman Mythology A goddess who enables the taking of nourishment. The variations of her name may indicate that while her functional focus was narrow, her name had not stabilized; she was mainly a divine force to be invoked ad hoc for a specific purpose... [more]
EGERIAfRoman Mythology Possibly connected to Greek αἴγειρος (aigeiros) meaning "black poplar", a type of tree (species Populus nigra). In Roman mythology this was the name of a nymph best known for her liaisons with Numa Pompilius, the legendary second king of Rome (after Romulus)... [more]
ERYCINAfRoman Mythology Epithet of the Roman goddess Venus which meant "of Eryx", ERYX being a mountain on Sicily famous for a temple dedicated to Venus on its summit.
FABULINUSmRoman Mythology The god who invoked the first instance of articulate speech, whose name derives form fari, "to speak"; cf. fabula.
FAVONIUSmAncient Roman, Roman Mythology Roman family name of disputed origin. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is from Latin favere "to favor"; Ernest Klein says, by dissimilation from *fovonius, literally "the warming wind", from fovere "to warm"... [more]
FLUONIAfRoman Mythology Derives from fluo, fluere, "to flow," is a form of JUNO who retains the nourishing blood within the womb. Women attended to the cult of Juno Fluonia "because she held back the flow of blood (i.e., menstruation) in the act of conception" and pregnancy... [more]
FULGORAfRoman Mythology From Latin fulgur meaning "lightning", which is derived from fulgeo "to flash, lighten, shine". In Roman mythology this was the name of the goddess who presided over lightning, equivalent to the Greek goddess ASTRAPE.
GRADIVUSmRoman Mythology An epithet of the Roman god MARS meaning "he who marches (into battle)" from Latin gradus "step, pace, gait, stride, walk". 'Mars Gradivus had a temple outside the Porta Capena on the Appian road, and it is said that king NUMA appointed twelve Salii as priests of this god.'
INUUSmRoman Mythology Meaning, "entry." The phallic god MUTUNUS Tutunus, and PERTUNDA enable sexual penetration. Inuus, sometimes identified with FAUNUS, embodies the mammalian impulse toward mating... [more]
INVIDIAfAncient Roman, Roman Mythology This was the Roman equal of demigoddess NEMESIS, who ruled over revenge. From the Latin word invidere meaning "to look against, to look at in a hostile manner".
LARENTIAfRoman Mythology Apparently derived from the Latin term Lares referring to minor guardian gods, the origin of which is unknown. There may be a connection to Latin larva "ghost, spectre" or larvo "to enchant, bewitch"... [more]
LEVANAfRoman Mythology The goddess Levana lifts the baby (from levare "to lift), who was ceremonially placed on the ground after birth in symbolic contact with Mother Earth. The midwife then cut the umbilical cord and presented the newborn to the mother, a scene sometimes depicted on sarcophagi... [more]
LIBERAfRoman Mythology Roman goddess of wine, fertility, and freedom who empowers the woman to release her semen. See also LIBER.
LIBERTASfRoman Mythology Derived from the Latin noun libertas meaning "freedom, liberty". In Roman mythology, Libertas was the name of the goddess of liberty.
LUAfRoman Mythology Lua was a Roman goddess who expiated blood shed in battle and to whom soldiers sacrificed captured weapons.... [more]
LUPERCUSmRoman Mythology, Ancient Roman Personal name from Medieval Latin “lŭpus”, meaning “wolf”. Lupercus in Roman mythology was considered a pastoral deity invoked to protect the fertility. In his honor were celebrated on February 15, in a cave on the Palatine Hill... [more]
MARICAfRoman Mythology In Roman mythology, Marica was a nymph, the mother of Latinus. Latinus was fathered by Faunus, who was also occasionally referred to as the son of Marica. The sacred forest near Minturnae was dedicated to Marica... [more]
MEDITRINAfRoman Mythology Roman goddess of wine and health, possibly created to explain the Roman holiday of Meditrinalia (Oct. 11); generally taken to mean 'healer'
MENAfRoman Mythology Along with JUNO, assured menstrual flow, and during pregnancy redirected its flow to feed the developing child.
MENSmRoman Mythology Meaing, "mind" he was the god who provides a child with its intelligence.
MISERIAfRoman Mythology Probably means "misery" in Latin. Miseria was the Roman Goddess of misery and woe and is the Roman equivalent of her Greek counterpart OIZYS.
MISERICORDIAfSpanish, Roman Mythology Means "compassion" in Latin, ultimately from miser "poor, wretched" and cor "heart". In Roman mythology Misericordia was the personification of mercy, pity and compassion, equivalent to the Greek goddess ELEOS... [more]
NARIAfRoman Mythology, Celtic Mythology Meaning unknown. Naria was a Gallo-Roman goddess worshiped in western Switzerland. While what she was goddess of is a mystery officially, it can be deduced from the sole image of her that she may have been a goddess of good luck and blessings, as her image was done in the generic style of FORTUNA, the Roman goddess of luck.
NEPTUNINEfRoman Mythology Feminine form of NEPTUNE used by Roman poet Catullus (64. 28) to refer to the Greek nymph THETIS, because she was a granddaughter of Poseidon, the Greek Neptune.
NOCTILUCAfRoman Mythology, Literature From Latin noctilūca meaning "something that shines by night" - thus also "moon" and "lantern" - from nox "night" and luceo "to shine". It may be an epithet of the Roman goddess JUNO... [more]
NOXm & fEnglish (Rare), Roman Mythology Derived from Latin nox "night", Nox is the Roman equivalent of Greek NYX. As an English name, it is a variant of KNOX.
NUMERIAfRoman Mythology Derived from Latin numerus meaning "number". In Roman mythology, Numeria is the goddess who grants young children the ability to count.
NUNDINAfRoman Mythology Nundina presides over the dies lustricus, the purification day when the child was given a name (praenomen). This occurred on the eighth day for girls and the ninth day for boys, a difference PLUTARCH explains by noting that "it is a fact that the female grows up, and attains maturity and perfection before the male." Until the umbilical cord fell off, typically on the seventh day, the baby was regarded as "more like a plant than an animal," as Plutarch expresses it... [more]
NYMPHAfRoman Mythology, Ancient Greek (Latinized) Latinized form of the Greek name Νυμφη (Nymphe) meaning "bride". Nymphe was one of the twelve Horae, Greek goddesses of the hours, who presided over the "bath-hour". In the New Testament, Saint Paul mentions either Nympha or NYMPHAS in one of his epistles... [more]
OPSfRoman Mythology Derived from the Latin noun ops which can mean "power, might, influence" as well as "aid, help, support" and "wealth, abundance, riches, resources." In Roman mythology, Ops (also called Opis) is a fertility goddess who is the wife of SATURN and mother of (among others) JUPITER and JUNO.
ORCUSmRoman Mythology Likely a Roman transliteration of HORCUS. In Roman mythology, Orcus was a god of the underworld and the punisher of broken oaths.
OSSIPAGOfRoman Mythology A god who built strong bones, from ossa, "bones," + pango, pangere, "insert, fix, set."
PARCAfRoman Mythology One of the three goddesses of fate in relation to birthing. See also NONA and DECIMA. Parca or Partula oversees partus, birth as the initial separation from the mother's body (as in English '"postpartum")... [more]
PAVENTIAfRoman Mythology The name of a minor Roman goddess, who protects against childhood fears (pavor), protects against sudden fright and comforts those who have been frightened.
PERTUNDAfRoman Mythology Pertunda enabled sexual penetration. Pertunda is the female personification of the verb pertundere, "to penetrate", and seems to be a name for invoking a divine power specific to this function.
PILUMNUSmRoman Mythology Meaning, "staker." The god who grants the pestle necessary for making flour from grain. He ensured children grew properly and stayed healthy. Ancient Romans made an extra bed after the birth of a child in order to ensure the help of Pilumnus... [more]
PREMAfRoman Mythology Prema is the insistent sex act, from the verb primo, primere, to press upon. Although the verb usually describes the masculine role, Augustine calls Prema dea Mater, a mother goddess.
PYRAMUSmGreek Mythology (Latinized), Roman Mythology From the Greek Πυραμος (Pyramos), taken from the name of the river Pyramos and derived from Greek πυρ (pyr) "fire" or πυρος (pyros) "wheat". In classical mythology, he was the lover of THISBE.
QUERELLAfRoman Mythology Means "complaint, lamentation" in Latin. In Roman mythology Querella was the personification of mockery, blame, ridicule, scorn, complaint and stinging criticism, equivalent to the Greek daemon Momos (who was expelled from heaven for ridiculing the gods).
ROBIGOfRoman Mythology A minor god in Roman mythology, the name comes from the 'wheat rust' that Romans were asking protection from (the 'wheat rust' being a red fungus that could infest crops). The festival Robigalia, where they sacrificed non-edible animals, was held on April 25th... [more]
ROBIGUSmRoman Mythology A minor god in Roman mythology, the name comes from the 'wheat rust' that Romans were asking protection from (the 'wheat rust' being a red fungus that could infest crops). The festival Robigalia, where they sacrificed non-edible animals, was held on April 25th... [more]
RUMINAfRoman Mythology A goddess who protected breastfeeding mothers, and possibly nursing infants. Her domain extended to protecting animal mothers, not just human ones. Rumina promoted suckling. This goddess received libations of milk, an uncommon liquid offering among the Romans.
SENTIAfRoman Mythology In Roman mythology, Sentia is the goddess of child development and the bringer of awareness into young children. The English word "sentient" meaning "able to perceive or feel things", is derived from her name.
SENTINUSmRoman Mythology God who gives sentience or the powers of sense perception (sensus). Augustine calls him the sensificator, "creator of sentience."
SIVARTmRoman Mythology The first name of Sivart creates a shrewd, aggressive, business nature, intent on personal gain.... [more]
SPESfRoman Mythology Means "hope" in Latin. She was the Roman personification of hope.
STATINAfRoman Mythology The goddess who gives the baby fitness or "straightness," (i.e. the ability to live) and the father held it up to acknowledge his responsibility to raise it. Unwanted children might be abandoned at the Temple of Pietas or the Columna Lactaria... [more]
SUADAfRoman Mythology Related to Latin suadere meaning "to urge, persuade" from Proto-Indo-European *swad- (related to suavis "sweet"). She was the Roman personification of persuasion, seduction and charming speech, equivalent to the Greek goddess or daemonPEITHO.
SUBIGUSmRoman Mythology Subigus is the god (deus) who causes the bride to give in to her husband. The name derives from the verb subigo, subigere, "to cause to go under; tame, subdue," used of the active role in sexual intercourse, hence "cause to submit sexually".
TELLUSfRoman Mythology Means "the earth, globe" in Latin. In Roman mythology Tellus was the mother goddess who personified the earth, equivalent to the Greek goddess GAIA.
TRIVIAfRoman Mythology Means "a place where three roads meet" in Latin, derived from tri- "three" and via "road". In Roman mythology this was the name of the goddess of the night and crossroads, usually associated with witchcraft and sorcery as well as ghosts and childbirth... [more]
VAGITANUSmRoman Mythology A god who opened the newborn's mouth for its first cry. The name is related to the Latin noun vagitus, "crying, squalling, wailing," particularly by a baby or an animal, and the verb vagio, vagire.
VERITASfRoman Mythology Means "truth" in Latin. She was the Roman personification of truth, equivalent to the Greek entity ALETHEA.
VERTICORDIAfRoman Mythology Means "turner of hearts" from Latin vertere "to turn, turn about" and cor "heart" (genitive cordis). This was an epithet of the Roman goddess VENUS.
VESPERm & fRoman Mythology, Popular Culture Roman equivalent of HESPEROS. Roman mythology was strongly influenced by Greek mythology, meaning that the ancient Romans had incorporated many elements from Greek mythology into their own... [more]
VICTRIXfRoman Mythology Means "a female victor" in Latin (corresponding to masculine victor "conqueror"; see VICTOR). This was an epithet the Roman goddess VENUS ("Venus the Victorious").
VIRGINIENSISfRoman Mythology The goddess CINXIA functions within the belt (cingulum) that the bride wears to symbolize that her husband is "belted and bound" (cinctus vinctusque) to her... [more]
VITUMNUSmRoman Mythology God whom endows the fetus with vita, "life" or the vital principle or power of life (see also quickening). Augustine calls him the vivificator, "creator of life," and links him with SENTINUS (following) as two "very obscure" gods who are examples of the misplaced priorities of the Roman pantheon... [more]
VOLUPTASfRoman Mythology In Roman mythology, Voluptas was the beautiful daughter born from the union of Cupid and Psyche. She is known as the goddess of sensual pleasures whose Latin name means "pleasure" or "bliss".