Ancient names for baby boys

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Written by Mary Fetzer

From the Roman Empire to Ancient Egypt, we've gathered some of the oldest baby boy names we could find. Pop-culture faves such as The Hunger Games and Harry Potter have revived names like Flavius, Seneca, Lucius and Severus. Will Amadeus, Caesar and Nero ever again be popular?

Amadeus: Lover of God (Latin); Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was in influential Classical composer
Apollos: the name of a Greek god; Saint Apollos was an important follower of Jesus, particularly in Corinth
Augustus: Great (Latin); Augustus was the first Roman emperor (27BC - 14AD).
Brutus: Heavy, dull (Latin); Marcus Junius Brutus was best known for his part in the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Caesar: Long-haired (Latin); Gaius Julius Caesar was the most prominent Roman of all time
Cicero: Chick pea (Latin); Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher
Cornelius: Strong-willed (Latin); a Roman surname
Decimus: Tenth son (Latin); Decimus Clodius Septimius Albinus Augustus was proclaimed emperor of Rome upon the murder of Pertinax in 193.
Demetrius: One who loves the earth (Greek); Demetrius of Phalerum governed Athens for 10 years, during which he introduced important legal reforms. Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix was a Roman dictator from 82BC to 81BC.
Flavius: Yellow, Blond (Latin); Titus Flavius Josephus was a 1st-century Jewish historian (and a popular character in The Hunger Games)

Boy names inspired by U.S. Presidents

Justus: Just, Righteous (Latin); the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury
Lazarus: God will help (Hebrew); Saint Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus Christ
Lucius: Light, Illumination (Latin); Lucius Annaeus Seneca was tutor and advisor to Nero.
Magnus: Great (Latin); Magnus (died 235) was a Roman usurper
Marcellus: Young warrior (Latin); a name hugely popular in Roman history
Maximus: Greatest (Latin); a name of many Roman usurpers and soldiers
Nero: Stern (Latin); Nero Claudius Caesar Augusts Germanicus was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68.
Octavius: Eighth (Latin); Octavius Mamilius was the seventh and last King of Rome
Philo: Loving (Greek);Philo of Alexandria was a leader of the Hellenistic Jewish community in Egypt.
Primus: First (Latin); Saint Primus was a Roman martyr killed in 297.

Old-fashioned baby names

Quintus: Fifth (Latin); a popular male forename in ancient Rome
Remus: Unknown meaning (Latin); one of the twins central to Rome's foundation myth
Romulus: Citizen of Rome (Latin); one of the twins central to Rome's foundation myth
Rufus: Red-haired (Latin); Gaius Asinius Rufus was a Roman senator
Seneca: People of the Standing Rock (Latin); Lucius Annaeus Seneca was tutor and advisor to Nero.
Severus: Stern (Latin); Septimius, Alexander and Flavius Valerius Severus were all Roman emperors of the Severan dynasty
Theon: Godly (Greek); Theon of Alexandria was a Greek scholar and mathematician
Tiberius: Of the Tiber (Latin);Tiberius was Roman Emperor from 14 - 37.
Titus: Giant (Greek); Titus was Roman Emperor from 79 - 81.
Urban: Of the City (Latin); Urban was the name of eight early Roman Catholic Popes.