What Are the 12 Months Named After?

Each day of the week was named after a god. How about other units of time, say… months?
Well, it turns out that the 12 months of the year were also named after gods. But not all of them – some months were named after political figures, another after a ritual, and others were simply called by their ranking. Let me explain.

Let’s begin with:

January

Ianuarius

January is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings. Because of that, he’s the god of duality as well. Janus was depicted with 2 faces, each facing the opposite direction. Janus also represented gates, transitions, passage and time. Most Roman gods have a Greek predecessor or equivalent but not Janus. Janus was uniquely Roman. The choice of name is fitting because January begins the year. Interestingly, January is also one of the lasts to be added to the calendar. A ‘last’ that turned into ‘first’. Prior to that, the Roman calendar (under Romulus) only had 10 months. Then, a reform approved by Julius Caesar, added 2 more months to it.

statue of a bearded man's head with 2 faces facing the opposite direction — Marble bust of Janus – Roman copy after a Greek original. Vatican Museum

February

Februarius

It was named after a purification ritual called Februa, which occurred on the 15^th of that month. It was a day of purging and cleansing to encourage a new healthy and fertile spring. During that ancient Roman period, the following month, March, would have been the first month of the year, when the spring equinox occurs. This purification rite was like a preparation to best introduce the new year.

March

Martius

The Romans named the first month of the year (at the time) after their number one patron god, Mars (Greek, Ares). He was the son of the king and queen of the gods, Jupiter and Juno respectively (Greek, Zeus and Hera). Mars was the god of war. It may seem odd that the Romans related this war god to their “pater” (father), but unlike the ancient greeks who saw Ares as a destructive, they saw Mars’s military power as protective. Mars was the protector of Rome.

Broken bronze figurine of a man dressed in military clothes, representing the god Mars. Parts missing. — Ancient Roman bronze figurine of Mars

April

Aprilis

There are 2 theories for April’s etymology. The first is that it comes from the name Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty, love and procreation. Aphrodite would be a perfect description for the month of birth and blooming.
The other theory is that it comes from the Latin ‘apero/aperire’ which means ‘opening’, which suggests the action of a blooming flower. Both theories could be correct.

Painting of goddess Venus as a fair lady in a yellow dress, surrounded by flowers. Lions and a man in the background. — Venus and Anchises – Walker Art Gallery

May

Maius

May comes from Maia, a Greek goddess who over time has become associated with growth, mother earth and the great mother. She was born from Atlas – the titan who holds the sky on his shoulders – and of Pleione, an ocean nymph. Another association with the etymology of May is the Latin word “maiores”, which means “elders”.

June

Iunius

In his poem “Book of Days”, written in 8 AD, Ovid gives more than 1 possible inspirations for the name of this month. 1) It is named after Juno, the queen-wife of Jupiter, who represents marriage, love, childbirth and protection. 2) June is associated with “iunior” which means young. In this same logic, May would have come from “maiores” for older. It’s likely that Juno’s name is linked to the meaning of youth.

colorful wall painting of a queen wearing a diadem, veil and wedding like dress. — Wall painting of the wedding of Jupiter and Juno (Zeus and Hera) – Napoli, Museo Archeologico Nazionale

July

Iulius

This month is not named after any gods or religious rite, but after the Roman general, Julius Caesar, by the Roman state. July would have been his birth month. Before the renaming, it was called Quintillis (five) because it was the 5^th month of the year in the older Roman calendar. March was the first. Thanks to Caesar (and his astronomer), the calendar was corrected to sync better with the sun’s cycle.

Painting of portrait of Roman general Julius Caesar. The month of July is named after him. — Libby, Alexandra. “Julius Caesar” (2017). In The Leiden Collection Catalogue, 3rd ed. Edited by Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. and Lara Yeager-Crasselt. New York, 2020

August

Augustus

The Roman state named this month after Caesar’s nephew, Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. Before the renaming, it was called Sextillis (6) as it was the sixth month of the year.