Name of the Week

 

Stately and scholarly Ignatius has been rare for decades,
but can its refined style ignite a revival?

 

Origin:

Ignatius is a later form of Egnatius, a name of one of the Roman gens. The origin of Egnatius is uncertain – it is predominantly presumed to be Etruscan in origin – but at some point the spelling was altered thanks to an assumption that it derived from the Latin ignis "fire."

Usage:

St Ignatius of Antioch (fl. 1st century) was the third Bishop of Antioch, and a student of John the Apostle, who was widely venerated within the Eastern Orthodox Church and later the Roman Catholic Church. Much of the early use of the name, especially in Spain and Russia, was thanks to his cult.  Another influential saint to bear the name was Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Jesuits. He was born Íñigo López de Loyola but later came to be known as Ignatius. The origin of Íñigo itself is disputed. Some maintain that Íñigo is the Basque form (Loyola is situated in the Basque Country) of Ignatius, whereas others support the idea that Íñigo is the Spanish form of the Basque name Eneko "my little one," which is thought to also be the route of the Provencial Jenico. What we do know is that, in his letters, the saint first signed his name as Íñigo, but later (after 1537) letters in Spanish were signed Íñigo and letters in Italian or Latin were signed Ignacio (Ignatius). This suggests that either Íñigo himself adopted a more familiar name when travelling and corresponding across Europe (as Íñigo would have been unknown outside of Spain) or that copyists later interpreted Íñigo as Ignatius and changed the form to suit.  Either way, from that point on Íñigo and Ignatius became linked, and it is thanks to Ignatius of Loyola that both names spread across Catholic countries. Ignace in France and Ignatz in Germany became quite common. Ignatius has also been the first name of all the the Syrian Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch since the 15th century. In Britain, however, both Ignatius and Inigo were confined mostly to Catholic families in the 16th century, such as Welsh-born architect Inigo Jones (1573–1652). In the late 19th century, the Tractarian movement helped influence the use of the name beyond Catholic families, though usage of the name was by no means common. Birth registrations for the name Ignatius in England and Wales are as follows: 1840-9: 31 1850-9: 49 1860-9: 58 1870-9: 79 1880-9: 93 1890-9: 84 1900-9: 78 1910-9: 42 1920-9: 53 1930-9: 21 1940-9: 5 1950-9: 17 Since 1996, Ignatius has only ranked eight times: 1997 (#2859, 3 births), 1999 (#2934, 3 births), 2000 (#3036, 3 births), 2004 (#1878, 8 births), 2009 (#3744, 4 births), 2010 (#3865, 4 births), 2011 (#4647, 3 births) and 2012 (#3987, 4 births). Though it is rare, the fact that it has ranked consecutively for the last four years perhaps suggests that Ignatius is ready to make more regular appearances in nursuries.

Famous Bearers:

History:  * Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35–117), third Patriarch of Antioch, considered a saint by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. * Ignatius of Constantinople (c. 797–877), Patriarch of Constantinople, considered a saint by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. * Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), founder of the Society of Jesus, considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. * Ignatius of Laconi (1701–1781), Capuchin friar, considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. * Ignatius Sancho (1729–1780), British writer. * Ignatius Bonomi (1787–1870), British architect. * Ignatius Brianchaninov (1807–1867), Russian Orthodox saint, bishop and ascetical writer. * Ignatius Scoles (1834–1896), British architect, priest and writer. * Sir Ignatius Chirol (1852–1929), journalist, author, historian and British diplomat. Contemporary: * Ignatius Jones (b. 1957), Australian singer and producer. Celebrity Babies: * Ignatius Upton (b.2008), son of Cate Blanchett. Other: * 3562 Ignatius, a main-belt asteroid.

Variants:

Iñaki (Basque), Ignasi (Catalan), Ignác (Czech), Ignaas (Dutch), Ignace (French), Ignatz (German), Ignác (Hungarian), Ignazio (Italian), Ignas (Lithuanian), Ignacy (Polish), Inácio (Portuguese), Ignacio (Spanish)

Pronunciation:

ig-NAY-shəs [key]

Possible diminutives:

Iggy, Gus, Nash, Nate

Sibling Names:

Octavia     Candida     Imelda     Leonora     Magdalen     Clarissa  Barnaby     Ptolemy     Augustine    Peregrine     Jovian     Prosper

Name Lists:

Resonant Roman   Upright Elegance   Gothic Victoriana

 

If you like Ignatius you may also like:   Inigo, Octavius, Aloysius, Lazarus, Constantin, Atticus, Thaddeus, Severin, Leonidas, Xavier

 

Thanks to Ebony for requesting Ignatius.