Fantinus

This was the name of two saints, namely Fantinus the Elder (294-336) and Fantinus the Younger (c. 927-1000). Both hailed from the deep south of what is now Italy: Fantinus the Elder was born either on the island of Sicily or in the mainland region of Calabria (sources disagree), whilst Fantinus the Younger is certain to have been born somewhere in Calabria.

Fantinus the Elder was born to pagan parents named Fantius and Deodata. His name is probably a derivative of his father's name, as combining Fantius with the Latin suffix -inus results in Fantinus, which then literally means "of Fantius".

Several centuries later, Fantinus the Younger was born into a Christian family that was Greek-speaking, but not necessarily ethnic Greek. After all, in his day, Calabria was under Byzantine rule, which means that the Greek culture and language was the norm. His birth name was Phantinos, which is properly latinized to Phantinus, but yet, for some reason he is better known under the alternate spelling Fantinus.