List of English translated personal names

This list is a subsection of the list of English exonyms:

The list does not include names which are commonly translated by the common set of English first names:

• names of saints (John of the Cross), popes (John Paul II),
• royalty, nobility and emperors (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Napoleon)

It also does not include:

• pseudonyms and stagenames (such as the librettist Metastasio)
• naturalised name changes (such as George Frideric Handel born Georg Friedrich Händel, naturalised British subject in 1727, Arnold Schoenberg, born Arnold Schönberg, US citizen in 1941)^[1]

Modern convention is not to translate modern personal names.^[2]

• John Abeel (c.1732–1836), English/Dutch name of Seneca diplomat Gaiänt'wakê; also used the more literal English translation "Cornplanter," which is in more common use today
• Georgius Agricola (1494–1555) Latin name of German mineralogist Georg Bauer or Georg Pawer.
• Rodolphus Agricola (1444–1485), Latin name of German humanist Roelof Huysman.
• Alchabitius (d.967) Latin name of astrologer Abu al-Saqr al-Qabisi.
• Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), Italian theologian, Tommaso d'Aquino
• Averroës (d.1198), Latin name of Ibn Rushd, Abu-i-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad, greatest Aristotelian philosopher of the Muslim world.
• Avicenna (980–1037 CE) Latin name of Ibn Sina.
• Theodore Beza (1519–1605), French theologian – Latinized surname from French Théodore de Bèze.
• George Brankovic (1461–1516), Đorđe Branković, Serbian despot
• Joseph Brant (1743–1807), English name of Seneca warrior Thayendanegea
• John Cabot (1450–1499), Italian navigator and explorer under the commission of Henry VII of England – from Venetian Zuan Chabotto.
• John Calvin (1509–1564), Swiss-French theologian – from French Jean Calvin
• Catiline (108–62 BCE), politician and conspirator – from Latin Lucius Sergius Catilina, anglicised cognomen
• Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), navigator and explorer – from Italian Cristoforo Colombo
• Comenius (1592–1670) Latin surname form of name of Czech religious reformer Jan Amos Komenský
• Copernicus (1473–1543), astronomer – Latinised name, in his youth Niclas Koppernigk^[3]
• Peter of Bruys (fl. 1117 – c. 1131), French preacher – from Pierre de Bruys
• Peter Damian (c. 1007 – 1072), Italian cardinal – from Italian Pietro Damiani, Latin Petrus Damiani.
• Francis David (c. 1510 – 1579), old anglicization of Hungarian non-trinitarian Ferenc Dávid.
• Denis the Carthusian (1402–1471), Dutch mystic Denys van Leeuwen.
• George Enyedi (1555–1597), old anglicization of Hungarian bishop György Enyedi (Unitarian), in Latin Georgius Eniedinus
• Hugo Etherianis (1115–1182) Italian secretary in Constantinople, Latin Hugh Etherianus from Italian Ugo Eteriano.
• Grotius (1583– ) Latin name of Dutch writer Hugh de Groot.
• Henry of Ghent (c. 1217 – 1293), French Augustinian, from Latin Henricus de Gandavo, French Henri de Gand.
• Homer (c. 8th – 7th century BCE), poet – from Greek Ὅμηρος (Hómēros).
• Horace (65–8 BCE), poet – from Latin Quintus Horatius Flaccus, anglicised nomen gentile.
• John of Damascus (645 or 676 – 749) Syrian monk and priest, Greek Ἰωάννης ὁ Δαμασκηνός Iōannēs ho Damaskēnos, from Arabic Yuḥannā Al Demashqi.
• John Hus (1369–1415), Czech religious reformer – now more normally referred to by Czech name Jan Hus.
• Flavius Josephus (37–93 or 100 CE) Latin name of Greek-language Jewish writer Joseph ben Matthias.
• Thomas à Kempis (1380–1471), German theologian – English use of French name, from German de:Thomas von Kempen.
• Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), real Swedish name of the Swedish biologist, who later wrote his name in French style as Carl von Linné
• Livy (59 BCE–17 CE), historian – from Latin Titus Livius Patavinus, anglicised nomen gentile.
• Peter Lombard, (c. 1096 – 1164) Italian theologian – Latin Petrus Lombardus, Italian Pietro Lombardo
• Ferdinand Magellan (c. 1480 – 1521) navigator and explorer – from Portuguese Fernão de Magalhães.
• Maimonides (1135–1204) Greek name of Mosheh ben Maimon (משה בן מימון) of Cordova who wrote in Arabic as Mūsā ibn Maymūn.
• Maresius (1599–1673) Latin surname of French Reformer Samuel Des Marets.
• Mercator (1512–1594), Latin surname of Flemish cartographer Gheert Cremer.
• Nahmanides (1194 – c. 1270), Greek name of Moshe ben Nahman, Catalan rabbi.
• Nostradamus (1503–1566) Latin surname of French seer Michel de Nostredame
• Ovid (43 BCE–17/18 CE), poet – from Latin Publius Ovidius Naso, anglicised nomen gentile.
• Paul of Venice (1368–1428) Italian theologian – Latin Paulus Venetus, Italian Paolo da Venezia.
• Peter of Ravenna (c. 1448 – 1508) Italian jurist – Pietro da Ravenna
• Petrarch (1304–1374), poet – Latin surname of Francesco Petrarca.
• Regiomontanus (1436–1476), Latin surname of German mathematician Johannes Müller von Königsberg
• William of Salicet (1210–1277) Italian surgeon Guglielmo da Saliceto
• Salmasius (1588–1653), Latin surname of French classical scholar Claude Saumaise.
• George Santayana (1863–1952), English name of Spanish-American writer Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás
• Michael Servetus (1511–1553), Latin name of Spanish non-trinitarian Miguel Servet.
• Nicolas Steno (1638–1686), anatomist, geologist and bishop (and saint) – abbreviation of Latin Stenonis from Danish Niels Stensen.
• Stephanus (1503–1559), Latin surname of French printer Robert Estienne first to print the Bible divided into standard numbered verses.
• Stunica (d.1531), Latin surname of Spanish humanist Diego López de Zúñiga (theologian)
• Terence (195/185–159 BCE), dramatist – from Latin Publius Terentius Afer, anglicised nomen gentile.
• Peter Waldo (c. 1140 – c. 1218), French religious reformer Pierre Vaudès.

References