I think this entry should be amended to better reflect the fact that Atticus is actually a Greco-Roman name. This is for etymological reasons, but also because the name (as Attikos) has been borne by ancient Greeks. In other words: it was not only borne by Romans in the form of a cognomen.Also note that while for Romans the name was derived from the Latin adjective Atticus (as it contains the Latin adjectival suffix -icus), this was most likely not the case for the Greeks. For them, it was derived from the Greek adjective Ἀττικός (Attikos) meaning "Attic, Athenian". Yes, it actually was an authentic Greek word, as is shown by the fact that it contains the Greek adjectival suffix -ikos. For more information, please see and compare:Greek adjective Attikos: - http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=*)attiko%2Fs&la=greek&can=*)attiko%2Fs0 (in English) - https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%88%CF%84%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82#Ancient_Greek (in English) - https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82#Ancient_Greek (in English; this is about the adjectival suffix)Latin adjective Atticus: - http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=Atticus&la=la&can=Atticus0 (in English) - https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Atticus#Latin (in English) - https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-icus#Latin (in English; this is about the adjectival suffix)All in all, I guess you could say that the word and name Atticus can both directly come from Latin as well as be a latinization of the Greek word and name Attikos.For more information about Attikos as a Greek given name, please see:- https://www.trismegistos.org/nam/detail.php?record=2396 (in English; also click on "Attestations by century", which shows that the name was used in the centuries BC) - see the entry for Attikos at Pavlos' Etymologica: http://web.archive.org/web/20120325073831/http://www.etymologica.com/page42.htm (in English) - 2nd-century Greek Platonist philosopher Attikos, who is better known as Atticus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atticus_(philosopher) (in English; some of the other language versions refer to him by his native Greek name)Last but not least: since this name was used by real people (such as Titus Pomponius Atticus, died in 32 BC) many centuries before Harper Lee used it for her book, the usage of "Ancient Roman" and/or "Ancient Greek (Latinized)" should be added to this entry. Keeping it only in the "Literature" section is a bit misleading, as it would make the average person inclined to think that it was not used before Harper Lee's character or worse, that she had pretty much invented the name herself. [noted -ed]
Also note that while for Romans the name was derived from the Latin adjective Atticus (as it contains the Latin adjectival suffix -icus), this was most likely not the case for the Greeks. For them, it was derived from the Greek adjective Ἀττικός (Attikos) meaning "Attic, Athenian". Yes, it actually was an authentic Greek word, as is shown by the fact that it contains the Greek adjectival suffix -ikos. For more information, please see and compare:
Greek adjective Attikos:
- http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=*)attiko%2Fs&la=greek&can=*)attiko%2Fs0 (in English)
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%88%CF%84%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82#Ancient_Greek (in English)
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82#Ancient_Greek (in English; this is about the adjectival suffix)
Latin adjective Atticus:
- http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=Atticus&la=la&can=Atticus0 (in English)
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Atticus#Latin (in English)
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-icus#Latin (in English; this is about the adjectival suffix)
All in all, I guess you could say that the word and name Atticus can both directly come from Latin as well as be a latinization of the Greek word and name Attikos.
For more information about Attikos as a Greek given name, please see:
- https://www.trismegistos.org/nam/detail.php?record=2396 (in English; also click on "Attestations by century", which shows that the name was used in the centuries BC)
- see the entry for Attikos at Pavlos' Etymologica: http://web.archive.org/web/20120325073831/http://www.etymologica.com/page42.htm (in English)
- 2nd-century Greek Platonist philosopher Attikos, who is better known as Atticus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atticus_(philosopher) (in English; some of the other language versions refer to him by his native Greek name)
Last but not least: since this name was used by real people (such as Titus Pomponius Atticus, died in 32 BC) many centuries before Harper Lee used it for her book, the usage of "Ancient Roman" and/or "Ancient Greek (Latinized)" should be added to this entry. Keeping it only in the "Literature" section is a bit misleading, as it would make the average person inclined to think that it was not used before Harper Lee's character or worse, that she had pretty much invented the name herself. [noted -ed]