Augustus

Latin
"great, magnificent"

Augustus Origin and Meaning

The name Augustus is a boy's name of Slavic, Latin origin meaning "great, magnificent".

Parents are beginning to look at imposing, somewhat fusty-sounding names like this one with fresh eyes: they definitely make a strong statement.

Augustus originated as a title given by the Roman Senate to the first Roman Emperor, Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, in 27 B.C. and adopted by him as a name. In the U.S., Augustus reached a high of Number 175 in 1880, fell off the list in 1970, then made a return appearance in 1991, and is now on the rise once more.

Augustus Snodgrass is a character in Charles Dickens' novel The Pickwick Papers, and George Bernard Shaw wrote a play titled "Augustus Does His Bit." Augustus John was a famed British portrait painter, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens a well-known sculptor.

No starbaby Augustuses as yet, but Dixie Chick Emily Robson used Augustus as a middle name for her son, and Dan Aykroyd did the same---for his daughter.

The diminutive form, Augustine, is also an interesting option; variant Augustin was used by model Linda Evangelista; and then there is always über-popular August.

# 488 in the US

Augustus Rank in US Top 1000

# 331 on Nameberry

Augustus Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Augustus Popularity

Famous People Named Augustus

  • Augustus Caesar
    Roman Emperor
  • Augustus I
    III, Kings of Poland
  • Augustus Owsley Stanley
    American politician; 38th Governor of Kentucky
  • Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin
    English architect
  • Augustus Leopold Egg
    English painter
  • Augustus Edwin John
    Welsh painter
  • Augustus Art Prew
    English actor
  • Augustus Frederick
    Duke of Sussex, Prince of the U.K.; son of King George III
  • Augustus Frederick d'Este
    son of Augustus, Duke of Sussex; first known person diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
  • Augustus Emmett Maxwell
    U.S. Congressman from Florida
  • Augustus Caesar Dodge
    U.S. Senator from Iowa
  • Augustus Hall
    U.S. Congressman from Iowa
  • Augustus Octavius Bacon
    U.S. Senator from Georgia
  • Augustus De Morgan
    British mathematician
  • Augustus Wall Callcott
    English painter
  • Augustus Frank
    U.S. Congressman from New York
  • Augustus Thomas
    American playwright
  • Augustus Montague Toplady
    English cleric and hymn writer
  • (Henry) Augustus Lukeman
    American sculptor
  • Augustus Schell
    American politician; chairman of the Democratic Party
  • Augustus Williamson Bradford
    American politician; 32nd Governor of Maryland
  • Augustus Young
    Irish poet
  • Augustus "Gus" Kenworthy
    American skier
  • Augustus Newnham Dickens
    brother of novelist Charles Dickens
  • Adam Augustus Wylie
    American actor
  • Augustus Purcell
    son of actor Dominic Purcell; twin sister Lily,Rose
  • Augustus Goggins (b. 2011)
    son of actor Walton Goggins
  • Augustus George Moon (b. 2013)
    son of blogger Kerrie Moon
  • Augustus Juppiter Corgan (b. 2015)
    son of singer Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins
  • Augustus Henry Macon (b. 2016)
    son of actor Peter Macon
  • Augustus Alexis Arquette (b. 2017)
    son of actor David Arquette
  • Charles Augustus Robison
    son of musician Emily Robison
  • Lucian Augustus Coppola Cage
    son of Weston Cage & Danielle Friedman

Augustus in Pop Culture

  • Augustus Gloop
    gluttonous character in Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"
  • Augustus "Gus" McCrae
    character in Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove"
  • Augustus "Gus" Waters
    character in John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars"
  • Augustus Maywho
    character in Dr. Seuss Universe
  • Augustus Highcastle
    main character in G.B. Shaw's "Augustus Does His Bit"
  • Augustus Rookwood
    character in the Harry Potter series
  • Augustus Faversham
    character in radio series "The Penny Dreadfuls Present..."
  • Augustus Haynes
    character on TV's "The Wire"
  • Augustus Hill
    narrator on TV's "Oz"