Who were the Catholic popes before the current Francis I who used names not of Latin, Greek or Jewish origin? Particularly, names of Germanic origin, like Francis.
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Hormisdas is of Persian origin, and he possibly took the name to honor a Persian noble named Hormizd. In the tenth century we had a Pope Landus, or Lando, and various sources say that this name is of Anglo-Saxon origin. Lando was also his given name, however, and I find it unlikely than an Italian from Sabina would have been given an Anglo-Saxon name. What can be said is that he was the last pope to have taken an original name, until Francis. Incidentally, francis seems to have been the Latin name for the Celts or the Suebi, and not Germanic as you suggest. |
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Wikipedia has a complete list of Papal names. Counting this week's Francis, 81 different names have been used. There are some names that arguably may be Italian rather than Latin (eg:Lando), but none with undisputed roots outside of those three languages. Note that etymology Online actually lists Francis as French in origin, which would make it of Romantic (ultimiately Roman) origin, not Germanic.
Thus Francis might not count either. |
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