Name of the Week: Julius

Well, someone forgot to, em, write their Name of the Week post sometime this weekend, so someone is posting it a little bit late this week. And someone may have picked just a random name since, y'know, she didn't have time to search through all of the many names (I'm seriously running out, y'all...I need suggestions) and pick a fun one.

Anyway. Julius is, currently, that secondary character that no one really knows all that much about, personality-wise. At least, at the moment. (Spoiler alert, y'all... He gets a book of his own.) Funny thing is, he was that adorable kid brother--you know, that one we all have--but as I've gotten to know him more, I've realized that he's a great source of conflict, especially in Bound and Determined. So it'll definitely be fun to see Rina's beloved brother/cousin make her mad enough to spit nails.

What's interesting is that, like with his father Maverick, I gave his name little thought and just wrote it in when I first started with The Lady Pirate, which later became Held Captive.

I really have no idea how, why, when, or where any of it. Julius was just...Julius.

His name, though, has some very interesting origins and meanings.

Now, it's pretty obvious that there are some serious Latin roots--Julius Caesar, anyone? But, there's also a lot more to say about Jules.

Yes, 'tis a Roman family name, but it's actually (they think) derived from the Greek ἴουλος (ioulos), which means "downy-bearded." *cue excessive laughter* Now, there are also many sources which report that Julius is tied to the name of Roman god Jupiter--which I would say is probably the most likely, in my opinion, and is also the most widely accepted origin. (Maybe both ioulos and Jupiter have similar roots?) In Roman mythology, the form Julus was also common.

During the Middle Ages, the name was rather rare, despite having been borne by several saints and a pope. It wasn't until the Renaissance that it was revived in Italy and France, and from there transported to England. Julius, and other forms, exist in many languages--from the obvious Romance languages like Italian, French, and Spanish, to Czech, Ukrainian, Polish, Danish, and German. The common feminine forms are Julie/Julia (which exist in the above languages as well), Julian/Julianne, and Juliet.

Now, if the "downy-bearded" thing isn't true, then the Jupiter origins would result in Julius meaning something along the lines of "follower/servant of Jupiter" or "sky father," which comes from (1) Jupiter's role in mythology and (2) the Greek god Zeus.

So, maybe I wasn't thinking when I named my character Julius, but it fits, don't you think? And whether his name is mythological or bearded, it's definitely a beautiful name.

If y'all have any suggestions for the next Name of the Week, please let me know in the comments.

And--keep your eyes out for what's coming up soon--a week full of goodies at the end of this month in honor of Prisoner at Heart's 1-year anniversary on October 29th!