Message: "Calpurnia." - Behind the Name

Calpurnia.

by Jörmungandr (Lucille)

2/16/2008, 5:54 AM

The third wife of Julius Caesar was named Calpurnia Pisonis, and I thought that was an interesting name. Her father was called Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, so obviously she was named after him.

Does anyone have an idea of what Calpurnius or Calpurnia might mean? Both names remind me of Copernicus (as in: Nicolaus Copernicus), so maybe there is some relation (etymologically speaking, ofcourse).

Thank you for your reply. :)

Please take a minute to vote: http://www.babynames.com/namelist/9570305

#Calpurnia

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- Satu (_satu_) +1

2/21/2008, 11:31 PM

I found this in the book "Dizionare dei Nomi":

Calpurnia derives from Latin calpurnias, from the word calpar = 'chalize, cup'

- Jörmungandr (Lucille)

2/28/2008, 2:20 PM

Thank you for your answer! :-)

Made you look. ;)

- Magica De Spell +3

2/18/2008, 2:06 PM

in ancient rome its tippical for first born gdaughters to take their father name (like Julia daughter of Julius Ceasar and Antonia daughter of Marc Antony )

- Siri (guest) +2

2/18/2008, 3:55 PM

And how does this help?

She already knows that, she was asking about the meaning. This isn't at all helpful.

- Anneza

2/21/2008, 11:45 PM

Anything that tries to shed light on the many amazing features of ancient Roman naming habits, specifically of their daughters, is welcome, actually. A lot of people don't realise that if Cicero, say, had had six daughters they would all have been named Tullia, labelling them simply as the daughter(s) of Marcus Tullius Cicero. And nobody really knows how the Romans coped: Big Tullia, Little Tullia, Tullia Tertia, Happy Tullia, Fat Tullia, Baby Tullia? Seems logical, but there's no proof at all that I'm aware of. (The one daughter he actually had was known to him as Tulliola, which is Dear Little Tullia.)

- Jörmungandr (Lucille)

2/19/2008, 9:11 AM

Still, I appreciate her effort. It's the thought that counts. :)

Made you look. ;)

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