August
Meaning
"exalted, venerable" (from Augustus); one of Sweden's most popular boys' names in recent years and a rising vintage revival in the US
Goes by Auggie, Gus
The story
August traveled from a title to a calendar page and finally to the nursery. In 27 BCE, the Roman Senate granted Octavian the title Augustus, a word carrying the sense of venerable or majestic. The month later took the emperor's title, so every late-summer calendar still repeats it. As a personal name, August developed its own European life, especially in German and Scandinavian families, and three kings of Poland bore it. That history can sound grand, yet the name has an easy everyday side: Gus and Augie remove any trace of ceremony. It also works neatly as a word name without pretending the month is its oldest source. A child named August can inherit the warmth of the season, the dignity of an ancient title, or simply a strong six-letter sound. Few names move so naturally between imperial Rome, a family calendar, and a nickname called across the kitchen.
August around the world
One shared root links 7 names across 5 languages.
Shared root: from Latin augustus "exalted, venerable", the imperial title behind Augustus, Augustine, and their kin
The constellation
More branches
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. August peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
66 people · the #55,051 first name in Brazil · median age 20
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet August
Most people given the name August in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The August deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where August truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how August fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Names like August · Nicknames for August · Middle names for August · Global crossover names
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