Latin Baby Names

Derived From The Latin
Roman names or Latin names are taken from the Latin language which was dominant during the Great Roman Empire's power. Prominently used from about 700 B.C. until 300 A.D. during ancient Rome and spread throughout southern Europe. Most names were Latin in origin, however, many included Greek and Etruscan origins, as well.

Latin Roman Naming Customs
Latin Rome's naming custom was segregated, as many other naming customs are, by gender. A first name (praenomen) and clan name (nomen) was customary for Roman Republic males in early Rome. A family name (cognomen) began being officially required upon citizenship documents around 100 B.C. A nickname (agnomen) was also commonly used by some Romans.

A complete name could also include patronyms or filiation. These paternal line tribal designations came from the grandfather and the father's names, as well as a tribal name.

The Latin Language
Although Latin is considered by linguistics to be a "dead" language (not spoken actively any longer), many homeschoolers have begun using online Latin language courses as foreign language elective studies. Latin origins can be found at the root of words spanning across numerous languages, including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. Many popular names used in several countries today are actually variants derived from older Latin names or words.

English Derived From Latin
The entire English vocabulary is inundated with words of Latin origin which have been directly adopted into English at different times. Principal periods for English Latinization  (taking from the Latin) are:

Latin Catholic missionaries introduce Christianity to England, 596 A.D.
16th Century Revival for Classical Learning (seeing a 21st century revival in home schools)
Modern literature and it's writers

A French-Latin element exists in English largely due to the French being the mouth delivering the Latin impression in the 11th century, when England was conquered by France. Examples for this Latin translated to English by way of the French impression are listed in the table below.

Laurence “from Laurentum” is derived from the cognomen, Laurentius. 3rd century martyr from Rome, became Saint Laurence, the deacon who was roasted alive for presenting the poor and the sick when asked to hand over the church's treasures. His subsequent popularity in the Christian naming customs contributed to the numerous variant spellings for this name. After the 19th century, the spelling Lawrence has been more commonly used in America than any other variant.

Another typical Latin to French to English transformation for Latin names is Adrian. The name is a form of Hadrianus from the name Hadrian. In Latin, Hadrianus was a cognomen (family name) which meant the guy was "from Hadria". Hadria was a northern Italian town which gave it's name to the sea, the Adriatic Sea. The famous Roman emperor from the 2nd century who built a massive wall across part of Britain, Publius Aelius Hadrianus, aka Hadrian, was a bearer, as well as 6 popes (as well as the only English & Dutch popes- Adrian IV & Adrian VI. It's a name which has been used in England from the Middle Ages, and became popular in modern times in several countries.

Below is a table representing a few of the Top 40 Baby Names from around the world which are Latin derivatives. An overview which may surprise readers, and make them wonder just how many names are REALLY originate from the country which claims it.