Where Do the Names of the Months Come From?
We use their names every single day. But where did January, February, March and the rest actually come from? Some come from ancient gods, some from Roman festivals, and some were simply renamed after powerful leaders.
Before we had twelve months
The calendar we use today has been changed and adjusted many times. The names we use come mostly from ancient Rome — and some of them tell us a surprising story about what the year used to look like.
Believe it or not, at one time there were only ten months in the year. That is why September means "7th month", October means "8th", November "9th" and December "10th" — even though they are now months 9, 10, 11 and 12!
January — The Month of Janus
January is named after Janus, the Roman god of doors, gates and beginnings. Janus was shown with two faces — one looking forward into the coming year, and one looking back at the year that had just passed.
February — The Purification Festival
February gets its name from Februa or Februarius — an ancient Roman festival of purification and cleansing that took place at this time of year.
March — Month of Mars
March was named after Mars, the Roman god of war. In the oldest Roman calendar, March was actually the first month of the year — the time when armies began campaigning again after winter.
April — Opening or Aphrodite
April may come from the Latin word aperire meaning "to open" — referring to flowers and buds opening in spring. Alternatively, it may be named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
May — Goddess of Growth
May is believed to be named after Maia, an ancient goddess of growth, fertility and the earth — fitting for the time of year when plants grow strongly.
June — Juno or Youth
June is most often linked to Juno, queen of the Roman gods and protector of women. It may also come from the Latin word iuniores meaning "young people".
July — Named After Julius Caesar
Originally called Quintilis ("the fifth month"), it was renamed July in honour of Julius Caesar after his assassination — the month of his birth.
August — Named After Augustus
Originally called Sextilis ("the sixth month"), it was renamed August in honour of Augustus Caesar, the first Roman Emperor. He chose this month because it marked several of his greatest victories.
September — The 7th Month
September comes from septem meaning "seven". In the old ten‑month calendar it really was the 7th month — and the name simply stayed even after January and February were added!
October — The 8th Month
From octo meaning "eight". Just like September, the name remembers the time when the year began in March.
November — The 9th Month
From novem meaning "nine". Attempts were made to rename it after different Roman Emperors — but none of those names stuck.
December — The 10th Month
From decem meaning "ten". The last month of the old ten‑month year — and the name has survived unchanged for well over two thousand years.
Two thousand years and still counting
So there you have it — half our months are named after gods and festivals, two were renamed after Emperors, and the last four — September through December — are simply numbered according to a system that was abandoned long ago.
The names have survived empires, revolutions, calendar reforms and the passing of centuries. We still speak the language of the ancient Romans every single time we write the date.
And that is why September means "seven" — even though it is now the ninth month of the year.