Names (and original names) of Popes












Name Nerds main

Looking for a Papal Name? Look no further! These are the names of popes since the first one was appointed around the year 30 CE. Some of the popes have been sanctified or beatified, and those are indicated under their Latin name (St = saint, Bl = blessed (beatified; not quite a saint yet) or SD (servo Dei-- "servant of god"-- possibly on the road to start the sanctification process)

Here are some papal onomastic fun facts...
1. Pope Francis is the first pope to take a new name since Pope Lando in the year 913 (Every pope since then has had the name of a pope before him unless you count John Paul I & II, but there had been both popes named Paul and John previously)

2. The most common names for Popes are: John (22 Pope Johns), then Benedict and Gregory (16 each), Clement (14), followed by Stephen (10), Boniface (9), Alexander/Innocent/Leo/Urban (8), then Pius (7), Adrian/Paul (6), Celestine/Nicholas/Sixtus (5), Anastasius/Eugene/Honorius/Sergius (4).

3. Due to clerical error, there are no Popes named John XX, Martin II, or Martin III. There was no Pope Boniface VII, but instead two anti-popes with that name. Ditto Benedict X.

4. The longest span between a Pope I and a Pope II with the same name are Pius I (140-155) and Pius II (1458-1464)-- a span of 1,309 years! Next is Marcellus I and II, though Marcellus II was pope for only 22 days, his predecessor was 1,246 years before him. Julius I and II with 1,161 years between them.

5. The shortest reigning pope was Urban VII, who, though he died of malaria 12 days into his papacy, managed to institute a smoking ban throughout all churches of the world.

Name Latin Name Papal Term Personal Name
Adeodatus I  St. Deusdedit 615-618 Adeodatus (Adeodat or Deusdedit)
Adeodatus II Adeodatus Secundus 672-676 Adeodatus (Adeodat)
Adrian I  Hadrianus 772-795 Hadrianus
Adrian II  Hadrianus Secundus 867-872 Adriano
Adrian III  St. Hadrianus Tertius 884-885 Adriano
Adrian IV  Hadrianus Quartus 1154-1159 Nicholas Breakspear
Adrian V  Hadrianus Quintus 1276-1276 Ottobuono Fieschi
Adrian VI  Hadrianus Sextus 1522-1523 Adriaan Floriszoon Boeyens
Agapetus I   St. Agapetus 535-536 Agapetus (Agapet)
Agapetus II  Agapetus Secundus 949-955 Agapito (Agapet)
Agatho  St. Agatho 678-681 Agáthōn (Agaton)
Alexander I  St. Alexander 105-115 Alexander
Alexander II  Alexander Secundus 1061-1073 Anselmo da Baggio
Alexander III  Alexander Tertius 1159-1181 Rolando Bandinelli
Alexander IV  Alexander Quartus 1254-1261 Rinaldo dei Conti di Jenne
Alexander VI  Alexander Sextus 1492-1503 Roderic Llançol i de Borja
Alexander VII  Alexander Septimus 1689-1691 Fabio Chigi
Alexander VIII  Alexander Octavus 1689-1691 Pietro Vito Ottoboni
Anacletus (Cletus) St. Anacletus 76/79 - 88/91 Anákletos (Klétos) (Anaclet or Clet)
Anastasius I St. Anastasius 399-401 Anastasius Maximus (Anastase Maxime)
Anastasius II Anastasius Secundus 496-498 Anastasius (Anastase)
Anastasius III Anastasius Tertius 911-913 Anastasio (Anastase)
Anastasius IV  Anastasius Quartus 1153-1154 Corrado Demitri della Suburra
Anicetus St. Anicetus 155-166 Aníkētos (Anicet)
Anterus Anterus 235-236 Anthērós (Anter)
Benedict I Benedictus 575-579 Benedictus
Benedict II St. Benedictus Secundus 684-685 Benedictus Sabellus (Benedict Savel)
Benedict III Benedictus Tertius 855-858 Benedetto
Benedict IV Benedictus Quartus 900-903 Benedetto
Benedict V Benedictus Quintus 964-964 Benedetto
Benedict VI Benedictus Sextus 973-974 Benedetto
Benedict VII Benedictus Septimus 974-983 Benedetto
Benedict VIII Benedictus Octavus 1012-1024 Teofilatto dei, Conti di Tuscolo
Benedict IX Benedictus Nonus 1032-1044, 1045-1045, 1047-1048 (was pope 3 times) Theophylactus (Teofilatto) of Tusculum
Benedict XI  Bl. Benedictus Undecimus 1303-1304 Niccolò Boccasini
Benedict XII  Benedictus Duodecimus 1334-1342 Jacques Fournier
Benedict XIII  Servo Dei Benedictus Tertius Decimus 1721-1724 Pietro Francesco Orsini
Benedict XIV  Benedictus Quartus Decimus 1740-1758 Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini
Benedict XV Benedictus Quintus Decimus 1914-1922 Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista Della Chiesa
Benedict XVI Benedictus Decimus Sextus 2005-2013 Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger
Boniface I St. Bonifatius 418-422 Bonifacius
Boniface II Bonifatius Secundus 530-532 Bonifacius
Boniface III Bonifatius Tertius 607-607 Bonifátios Kataadiókēs
(Boniface Cataadioce)
Boniface IV Bonifatius Quartus 608-615 Bonifacius
Boniface V Bonifatius Quintus 619-625 Bonifátios Foummínēs
(Boniface Fummin)
Boniface VI  Bonifatius Sextus 896-896 Bonifacio
Boniface VIII  Bonifatius Octavus 1294-1303 Benedetto Caetani
Boniface IX  Bonifatius Nonus 1389-1404 Pietro Tomacelli Cybo
Caius (Gaius) St. Caius 283-296 Gáios (Cay or Gay)
Callixtus I St. Callistus 217-222 Callixtus (Callixt)
Callixtus II Callistus Secundus 1119-1124 Gui de Bourgogne
Callixtus III  Callistus Tertius 1455-1458 Alfonso de Borja
Celestine I St. Caelestinus 422-432 Caelestinus (Celestine)
Celestine II  Caelestinus Secundus 1143-1144 Guido da Castello
Celestine III  Caelestinus Tertius 1191-1198 Giacinto Bobone Orsini
Celestine IV  Caelestinus Quartus 1241-1241 Goffredo Castiglioni
Celestine V  Caelestinus Quintus 1294-1294 Pietro Angelerio
Clement I  St. Clemens 88-99 Clemens (Clement)
Clement II  Clemens Secundus 1046-1047 Suidger von Morsleben-Hornburg
Clement III  Clemens Tertius 1187-1191 Paolo Scolari
Clement IV  Clemens Quartus 1265-1268 Gui Faucoi
Clement V  Clemens Quintus 1305-1314 Raymond Bertrand de Gouth/ de Goth/de Got
Clement VI  Clemens Sextus 1342-1352 Pierre Roger
Clement VII  Clemens Septimus 1523-1534 Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici
Clement VIII  Clemens Octavus 1592-1605 Ippolito Aldobrandini
Clement IX  Clemens Nonus 1667-1669 Giulio Rospigliosi
Clement X  Clements Decimus 1670-1676 Emilio Bonaventura Altieri
Clement XI  Clemens Undecimus 1700-1721 Giovanni Francesco Albani
Clement XII  Clemens Duodecimus 1730-1740 Lorenzo Corsini
Clement XIII  Clemens Tertius Decimus 1758-1769 Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico
Clement XIV Clemens Quartus Decimus 1769-1774 Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli
Conon Conon 686-687 Kónōn
Constantine  Costantinus or Constantinus 708-705 Kōnstantínos (Constantine)
Cornelius St. Cornelius 251-253 Cornelius (Cornelly)
Damasus I St. Damasus 366-384 Damasus (Damase)
Damasus II  Damasus Secundus 1048-1048 Poppo de' Curagnoni
Dionysius St. Dionysius 257-258 Dionýsios (Dennis)
Donus Donus 676-678 Donus (Don)
Eleuterus St. Eleutherius 174-189 Eleútheros (Eleuter)
Eugene I  St. Eugenius 654-657 Eugenius
Eugene II  Eugenius Secundus 824-827 Eugenio Savelli (Eugene Savel)
Eugene III  Bl. Eugenius Tertius 1145-1153 Pietro dei Paganelli di Montemagno
Eugene IV  Eugenius Quartus 1431-1447 Gabriele Condulmer
Eusebius St. Eusebius 309-310 Eusébios (Eusebe)
Eutychian  St. Eutychianus 275-283 Eutychianus
Evaristus St. Evaristus 99-105 Eváristos (Evarist)
Fabian St. Fabianus 236-250 Fabianus
Felix I St. Felix 269-274 Felix
Felix III (II) St. Felix Tertius (Secundus) 483-492 Felix Anicius (sometimes known as Felix II)
Felix IV (III) St. Felix Quartus (Tertius) 526-530 Felix (Sometimes known as Felix III)
Formosus Formosus 891-896 Formoso (Formose)
Francis Franciscus 2013- Jorge Mario Bergoglio
Gelasius I St. Gelasius 492-496 Gelasius (Gelase)
Gelasius II  Gelasius Secundus 1118-1119 Giovanni dei Caetani
Gregory I  St. Gregorius Magnus 590-604 Gregorius Anicius
Gregory II  St. Gregorius Secundus 715-731 Gregorius Sabellus (Gregory Savel)
Gregory III  St. Gregorius Tertius 731-741 Grēgórios
Gregory IV  Gregorius Quartus 827-844 Gregorio
Gregory V  Gregorius Quintus 996-999 Bruno von Kärnten (Brune of Carinthia)
Gregory VI  Gregorius Sextus 1045-1046 Giovanni Graziano Pierleoni
Gregory VII  St. Gregorius Septimus 1073-1085 Ildebrando Aldo-brandeschi di Soana
Gregory VIII  Gregorius Octavus 1187-1187 Alberto de Morra
Gregory IX  Gregorius Nonus 1227-1241 Ugolino dei Conti di Segni
Gregory X  St. Gregorius Nonus 1271-1276 Tebaldo Visconti
Gregory XI  Gregorius Undecimus 1370-1378 Pierre Roger de Beaufort
Gregory XII  Gregorius Duodecimus 1406-1415 Angelo Correr
Gregory XIII  Gregorius Tertius Decimus 1572-1585 Ugo Boncompagni
Gregory XIV  Gregorius Quartus Decimus 1590-1591 Niccolò Sfondrati
Gregory XV  Gregorius Quintus Decimus 1621-1623 Alessandro Ludovisi
Gregory XVI Gregorius Sextus Decimus 1831-1846 Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari
Hilarius St. Hilarius 461-468 Ilários (Hilar)
Honorius I  Honorius 625-628 Onṓrios (Honore)
Honorius II  Honorius Secundus 1130-1143 Lamberto Scannabecchi da Fiagnano
Honorius III  Honorius Tertius 1216-1227 Cencio Savelli
Honorius IV  Honorius Quartus 1285-1287 Giacomo Savelli
Hormisdas St. Hormisdas 514-523 Hormisdas (Hormisde)
Hyginus St. Hyginus 136-140 Ygínos (Hygin)
Innocent I St. Innocentius 401-417 Innocentius
Innocent II  Innocentius Secundus 1130-1143 Gregorio Papareschi
Innocent III  Innocentius Tertius 1198-1216 Lotario dei, Conti di Segni
Innocent IV  Innocentius Quartus 1243-1254 Sinibaldo Fieschi
Innocent V  Innocentius Quintus 1276-1276 Pierre de Tarentaise
Innocent VI  Innocentius Sextus 1352-1362 Étienne Aubert
Innocent VII  Innocentius Septimus 1404-1406 Cosimo Gentile Migliorati
Innocent VIII  Innocentius Octavus 1484-1492 Giovanni Battista Cybo
Innocent IX  Innocentius Nonus 1591-1591 Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti
Innocent X  Innocentius Decimus 1644-1655 Giovanni Battista Pamphilj
Innocent XI  Bl. Innocentius Undecimus 1676-1689 Benedetto Odescalchi
Innocent XII  Innocentius duodecimus 1691-1700 Antonio Pignatelli
Innocent XIII  Innocentius Tertius Decimus 1721-1724 Michelangelo dei Conti
John I St. Ioannes 523-526 Ioannes
John II Ioannes Secundus 533-535 Mercurius
(Mercury) (changed name because it was the name of a Roman god)
John III Ioannes Tertius 561-574 Ioannes Catelinus
(John Catelin)
John IV Ioannes Quartus 640-642 Iōánnēs
John V Ioannes Quintus 685-686 Iōánnēs
John VI Ioannes Sextus 701-705 Iōánnēs
John VII Ioannes Septimus 705-707 Iōánnēs
John VIII Ioannes Octavus 872-882 Giovanni
John IX Ioannes Nonus 898-900 Giovanni
John X  Ioannes Decimus 914-928 Giovanni
John XI  Ioannes Undecimus 931-935 Giovanni
John XII Ioannes Duodecimus 955-963 Ottaviano dei Conti di Tuscolo (Octavian of Tusculum)
John XIII Ioannes Tertius Decimus 965-972 Giovanni dei Crescenzi (John of Crescentii)
John XIV Ioannes Quartus Decimus 983-984 Pietro Canepanova (Peter Canepanova)
John XIX Ioannes Nonus Decimus 1024-1032 Romano dei, Conti di Tuscolo
John XV Ioannes Quintus Decimus 985-986 Giovanni di Gallina Alba (John of Great Gallina)
John XVII Ioannes Septimus Decimus 1003-1003 Siccone Secchi
John XVIII Ioannes Octavus Decimus 1003-1009 Giovanni Fasano
John XXI  Ioannes Vicesimus Primus 1276-1277 Pedro Julião (a.k.a. Petrus Hispanus and Pedro Hispano)
John XXII  Ioannes Vicesimus Secundus 1316-1334 Jacques d'Euse; Jacques Duèse
John XXIII St. Ioannes Vicesimus Tertius 1958-1978 Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli
John Paul I Ioannes Paulus Primus 1978-1978 Albino Luciani
John Paul II St. Ioannes Paulus (Magnus) Secundus 1978-2005 Karol Józef Wojtyla
Julius I St. Iulius 337-352 Iulius (Jules)
Julius II  Iulius Secundus 1503-1513 Giuliano della Rovere
Julius III  Iulius Tertius 1550-1555 Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte
Lando Lando 913-914 Lando (Landon)
Leo I  St. Leo Magnus 432-440 Leo (Leon)
Leo II St. Leo Secundus 682-683 Léōn (Leon)
Leo III St. Leo Tertius 795-816 Léōn (Leon)
Leo IV St. Leo Quartus 847-855 Leone (Leon)
Leo V Leo Quintus 903-903 Leone (Leon)
Leo VI Leo Sextus 928-928 Leone (Leon)
Leo VII Leo Septimus 936-939 Leone (Leon)
Leo VIII Leo Octavus 964-965 Leone (Leon)
Leo IX  St. Leo Nonus 1049-1054 Bruno von Count of Dagsbourg (Egisheim-Dagsburg)
Leo X  Leo Decimus 1513-1521 Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici
Leo XI  Leo Undecimus- "Papa Lampo"  1605-1605 Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici
Leo XII Leo Duodecimus 1823-1829 Count Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiore Girolamo Nicola Sermattei della Genga
Leo XIII Leo Tertius Decimus 1878-1903 Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci
Liberius Liberius 352-366 Liberius (Liber) is a saint in the Eastern Orthodox churches, but not in the Roman Catholic church.
Linus St. Linus 64/68 - 76/79 Linus (Lin)
Lucius I St. Lucius 253-254 Lucius (Luce)
Lucius II  Lucius Secundus 1144-1145 Gherardo Caccianemici dall'Orso
Lucius III  Lucius Tertius 1181-1185 Ubaldo Allucignoli
Marcellinus St. Marcellinus 296-304 Marcellinus (Marcellin)
Marcellus I St. Marcellus 308-309 Marcellus (Marcel)
Marcellus II Marcellus Secundus 1555-1555 Marcello Cervini degli Spannochi
Marinus I Marinus 882-884 Marino (Marin)
Marinus II Marinus Secundus 942-946 Marino (Marin)
Mark Marcus 336-336 Marcus
Martin I St. Martinus 649-655 Martinus
Martin IV Martinus Quartus 1281-1285 Simon de Brion - there were no Popes Martin II and III because Marinus I & I were mistakenly thought to have been Martins.
Martin V Martinus Quintus 1417-1431 Oddone Colonna
Miltiades (Melchiades) St. Miltiades 311-314 Miltiades (or Melchiades)
(Miltiade or Melchiade)
Nicholas I  St. Nicolaus Magnus 858-867 Niccolò
Nicholas II  Nicolaus Secundus 1058-1061 Gerard de Bourgogne
Nicholas III  Nicolaus Tertius 1277-1280 Giovanni Gaetano Orsini
Nicholas IV  Nicolaus Quartus 1288-1292 Girolamo Masci
Nicholas V  Nicolaus Quintus 1447-1455 Tommaso Parentucelli
Paschal I  St. Paschalis 817-824 Pasquale Massimi (Paschal Maxime)
Paschal II  Paschalis Secundus 1099-1118 Raniero Ranieri
Paul I  St. Paulus 757-767 Paulus
Paul II  Paulus Secundus 1464-1471 Pietro Barbo
Paul III  Paulus Tertius 1534-1549 Alessandro Farnese
Paul IV  Paulus Quartus 1555-1559 Giovanni Pietro Carafa
Paul V  Paulus Quintus 1605-1621 Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici
Paul VI Bl. Paulus Sextus 1963-1978 Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini
Pelagius I Pelagius 556-561 Pelagius (Pelage)
Pelagius II Pelagius Secundus 579-590 Pelagius (Pelage)
Peter St. Petrus 30/33 - 64/68 Šimon Kêpâ (Simon Peter)
Pius I St. Pius 140-155 Pius (Pie)
Pius II  Pius Secundus 1458-1464 Enea Silvio Piccolomini
Pius III  Pius Tertius 1503-1503 Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini
Pius IV Pius Quartus 1559-1565 Giovanni Angelo Medici
Pius V  St. Pius Quintus 1566-1572 Antonio Ghislieri
Pius VI Pius Sextus 1775-1799 Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi
Pius VII Servo Dei Pius Septimus 1800-1823 Count Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti
Pius VIII Pius Octavus 1829-1830 Francesco Saverio Castiglioni
Pius IX Bl. Pius Nonus 1846-1878 Count Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti
Pius X Pius Decimus 1903-1914 Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto
Pius XI Pius Undecimus 1922-1939 Achille Ambrogio Damiano Ratti
Pius XII Ven. Pius Duodecimus 1939-1958 Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli
Pontian St. Pontianus 230-235 Pontianus
Romanus Romanus 897-897 Romano Marino (Roman Marin)
Sabinian Sabinianus 604-606 Sabinianó
Sergius I St. Sergius 687-701 Sérgios (Serge)
Sergius II Sergius Secundus 844-847 Sergio (Serge)
Sergius III Sergius Tertius 904-911 Sergio (Serge)
Sergius IV Sergius Quartus 1009-1012 Pietro Nartino Boccadiporco
Severinus Severinus 640-640 Severinus (Severin)
Silverius St. Silverius 536-537 Silverius (Silvery)
Simplicius St. Simplicius 468-483 Simplicius (Simplice)
Siricius St. Siricius 384-399 Sicirius (Sirice)
Sisinnius Sisinnius 708-708 Sisínios (Sisinny)
Sixtus I St. Xystus 115-125 Xystus (Sixt)
Sixtus II St. Xystus Secundus 257-258 Síxtos (Sixt)
Sixtus III St. Xystus Tertius 432-440 Xystus (Sixt)
Sixtus IV  Xystus Quartus 1471-1484 Francesco della Rovere
Sixtus V  Xystus Quintus 1585-1590 Felice Peretti di Montalto
Soter St. Soterius 166-174 Soterius (Soter)
Stephen (pope Elect) Stephanus 752-757 Stephanus - died before receiving consecration, but sometimes called Stephen II
Stephen I St. Stephanus 254-257 Stéfanos
Stephen III Stephanus Tertius 768-772 Stéfanos
Stephen IV Stephanus Quartus 816-817 Stefano
Stephen V Stephanus Quintus 885-891 Stefano
Stephen VI Stephanus Sextus 896-897 Stefano
Stephen VII Stephanus Septimus 929-931 Stefano Gabrielli (Stephen Gabriel)
Stephen VIII Stephanus Octavus 939-942 Stefano
Stephen IX  Stephanus Nonus 1057-1058 Frederich, Herzog von Lothringen
Sylvester I St. Silvester 314-335 Silvester
Sylvester II Silvester Secundus 999-1003 Gerbert d'Aurillac (Gerbert of Aurillac)
Sylvester III Silvester Tertius 1045-1045 Giovanni dei Crescenzi Ottaviani
Symmachus St. Symmachus 498-514 Sýmmakhos (Symmach)
Telesphorus St. Telesphorus 125-136 Telesfóros (Telespher)
Theodore I Theodorus 642-649 Theódōros
Theodore II Theodorus Secundus 897-897 Teodoro
Urban I St. Urbanus 222-230 Urbanus (Urban)
Urban II  Bl. Urbanus Secundus 1088-1099 Odon de Lagery
Urban III  Urbanus Tertius 1185-1187 Uberto Crivelli
Urban IV  Urbanus Quartus 1261-1264 Jacques Pantaléon
Urban V  Bl. Urbanus Quintus 1362-1370 Guillaume (de) Grimoard
Urban VI  UrbanusSextus 1378-1389 Bartolomeo Prignano
Urban VII  Urbanus Septimus 1590-1590 Giovanni Battista Castagna
Urban VIII  Urbanus Octavus 1623-1644 Maffeo Barberini
Valentine Valentinus 827-827 Valentino Leone (Valentine Leon)
Victor I Victor Secundus 189-199 Victor
Victor II St. Victor 1055-1057 Gebhard II von Calw-Dollnstein-Hirschberg
Victor III  Bl. Victor Tertius 1086-1087 Dauferio o Desiderio
Vigilius Vigilius 537-555 Vigilius (Vigil)
Vitalian St. Vitalianus 657-672 Vitalianus
Zachary St. Zacharias 741-752 Zakharías (Zachary)
Zephyrinus St. Zephyrinus 199-217 Zephyrinus (Zephyrin)
Zosimus St. Zosimus 417-418 Zṓsimos (Zosime)

 

 For more papal fun, see: Names of Antipopes