Papal name

A papal name or pontifical name is the regnal name taken by a pope. Both the head of the Catholic Church, usually known as the pope, and the pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria (Coptic pope) choose papal names. As of 2025^[update], Leo XIV is the Catholic pope, and Tawadros II or Theodoros II is the Coptic pope. This article discusses and lists the names of Catholic popes; another article has a list of Coptic Orthodox popes of Alexandria.

While popes in the early centuries retained their birth names after their accession to the papacy, later popes began to adopt a new name upon their accession. This began in the sixth century and became customary in the tenth century. Since 1555, every pope has taken a papal name.

The pontifical name is given in Latin by virtue of the pope's status as bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church. The pope is also given an Italian name by virtue of his Vatican citizenship and because of his position as primate of Italy. However, it is customary when referring to popes to translate the regnal name into all local languages. Thus, for example, the current Catholic pope is Pope Leo in his native English as well as in Latin, Papa Leone in Italian, Papa León in Spanish, Pape Léon in French, and so on.

Title and honorifics

Catholic

The official style of the Catholic pope in English is "His Holiness Pope [papal name]". "Holy Father" is another honorific often used for popes.

The full title, rarely used, of the Catholic pope in English is: "His Holiness [papal name], Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Servant of the servants of God".

Coptic

The official title of the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is "Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of all Africa on the Holy See of St. Mark the Apostle, the Successor of St. Mark the Evangelist, Holy Apostle and Martyr, on the Holy Apostolic Throne of the Great City of Alexandria".

Within the Coptic Church, he is considered to be Father of Fathers, Shepherd of Shepherds, and Hierarch of all Hierarchs. Honorary titles attributed to the Hierarch of the Alexandrine Throne also include:

The Pillar and Defender of the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church and of the Orthodox Faith
The Dean of the Great Catechetical School of Theology of Alexandria
The Ecumenical (Universal) Judge (Arbitrator) of the Holy Apostolic and Catholic (Universal) Church
The Thirteenth among the Holy Apostles

History

During the first centuries of the church, the bishops of Rome continued to use their baptismal names after their elections. The custom of choosing a new name began in AD 533: Mercurius deemed it inappropriate for a pope to be named after the pagan Roman god Mercury, and adopted the name John II in honor of his predecessor John I, who was venerated as a martyr. In the tenth century, clerics from beyond the Alps, especially Germany and France, acceded to the papacy and replaced their foreign-sounding names with more traditional ones.

The last pope to use his baptismal name was Marcellus II in 1555, a choice that was even then quite exceptional. Names are freely chosen by popes, and not based on any system. Names of immediate or distant predecessors, mentors, saints, or even family members — as was the case with John XXIII — have been adopted.

In 1978, Cardinal Albino Luciani became the first pope to take a double name, John Paul I, to honor his two immediate predecessors, John XXIII and Paul VI. John Paul I was also the first pope since Lando in 913 to adopt a papal name that had not previously been used. In 2013, a new name was introduced: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio selected the name Francis in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi.^[1]

Symbolism

In the past, some popes used their birth names; others chose names for various reasons, including the name of the pope who had elevated them to cardinal. From the mid-20th century it became customary to choose a name signaling the aim of their papacy.^[2]

The new pontiff's choice of name is now often seen as a signal to the world of whom the new pope will emulate and what policies he will seek to enact. Such was the case with Benedict XVI — it was speculated that he chose the name because he wished to emulate Benedict XV.

Saint Peter was the first pope; no bishop of Rome has chosen the name Peter II, perhaps out of respect, although there is no prohibition against doing so. Since the 1970s some antipopes, with only a minuscule following, took the name Pope Peter II.

Probably because of the controversial 15th-century antipope known as John XXIII, this name was avoided for over 500 years until the election in 1958 of Cardinal Angelo Roncalli. Immediately upon taking the name of John, it was not known if he would be John XXIII or XXIV; he decided on John XXIII. The number used by an antipope is ignored unless the name has since been used by a legitimate pope; for instance, Benedict X was only deemed to have been an antipope centuries after his death, after the legitimate papacy of Nicola Boccasini as Benedict XI.

Current practice

Immediately after a new pope is elected, and accepts the election, he is asked in Latin "By what name shall you be called?"^[a] The new pope chooses the name by which he will be known from that point on. The senior cardinal deacon or cardinal protodeacon then appears on the balcony of Saint Peter's to proclaim the new pope by his birth name, and announce his papal name:

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:
Habemus Papam!
Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum dominum,
dominum [baptismal name],
Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem [surname],
qui sibi nomen imposuit [papal name].

I announce to you a great joy:
We have a Pope!
The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord,
Lord [baptismal name],
Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [surname],
who takes to himself the name [papal name].

Papal names

As of 2025, there have been 81 different papal names with 44 of these, all but one in the first millennium, having been used only once. The most frequently used papal name is John, with 21 popes having taken this name.

Note that six papal names — "John," "Benedict," "Boniface," "Alexander," "Felix," and "Martin" — have numbering discrepancies, due to record-keeping errors or disputes over whether a particular reigning pontiff was valid.

Current pope

Rank	Name	#	Popes	Last time used	Notes
1	John	21	I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII · XIV · XV · XVII XVIII · XIX · XXI · XXII · XXIII	1963	^[b]
2	Gregory	16	I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII · XIV · XV · XVI	1846
3	Benedict	15	I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · XI · XII · XIII · XIV · XV · XVI	2013	^[c]
4	Clement	14	I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII · XIV	1774
4	Leo	14	I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII · XIV	2025
6	Innocent	13	I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII	1724
7	Pius	12	I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII	1958
8	Stephen	9	I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX	1058	^[d]
9	Boniface	8	I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VIII · IX	1404	^[e]
9	Urban	8	I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII	1644
11	Alexander	7	I · II · III · IV · VI · VII · VIII	1691	^[f]
12	Adrian	6	I · II · III · IV · V · VI	1523
12	Paul	6	I · II · III · IV · V · VI	1978
14	Celestine	5	I · II · III · IV · V	1296
	Nicholas		I · II · III · IV · V	1455
	Sixtus		I · II · III · IV · V	1590
17	Anastasius	4	I · II · III · IV	1154
	Eugene		I · II · III · IV	1447
	Honorius		I · II · III · IV	1287
	Sergius		I · II · III · IV	1012
21	Callixtus	3	I · II · III	1458
	Felix		I · III · IV	530	^[g]
	Julius		I · II · III	1555
	Lucius		I · II · III	1185
	Martin		I · IV · V	1431	^[h]
	Sylvester		I · II · III	1063
	Victor		I · II · III	1087
28	Adeodatus	2	I · II	676
	Agapetus		I · II	955
	Damasus		I · II	1048
	Gelasius		I · II	1119
	John Paul		I · II	2005
	Marcellus		I · II	1555
	Marinus		I · II	946
	Paschal		I · II	1118
	Pelagius		I · II	590
	Theodore		I · II	897
38	Agatho	1		681
	Anacletus			92
	Anicetus			168
	Anterus			236
	Caius			296
	Conon			687
	Constantine			715
	Cornelius			253
	Dionysius			268
	Donus			678
	Eleutherius			189
	Eusebius			308/310
	Eutychian			283
	Evaristus			107/108
	Fabian			250
	Formosus			896
	Francis			2025
	Hilarius			468
	Hormisdas			523
	Hyginus			142
	Lando			914
	Liberius			366
	Linus			80
	Marcellinus			304
	Mark			336
	Miltiades			314
	Peter			68
	Pontian			235
	Romanus			897
	Sabinian			606
	Severinus			640
	Silverius			537
	Simplicius			483
	Siricius			399
	Sisinnius			708
	Soter			174
	Symmachus			514
	Telesphorus			137
	Valentine			827
	Vigilius			555
	Vitalian			672
	Zachary			752
	Zephyrinus			217
	Zosimus			418

Notes

^ Unless impeded, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks the newly elected pope if he accepts his election and what name he will use. In 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the dean, was himself elected pope, so these questions were asked by the subdean, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
^ See Pope John numbering for further information.
^ The papacy of Benedict X was later declared illegitimate.
^ Additionally, some sources prior to the 1960s list Pope-elect Stephen, who died before his consecration, as Stephen II, thus causing a numbering discrepancy.
^ The papacy of Boniface VII was later declared illegitimate.
^ The papacy of Alexander V was later declared illegitimate.
^ The papacy of Felix II was later declared illegitimate.
^ No popes or antipopes ever used the names Martin II or Martin III. Marinus I and Marinus II were mistakenly thought to be named "Martin(us)", causing confusion.

Citations

^ [https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/speeches/2013/march/documents/papa-francesco_20130316_rappresentanti-media_en.html Audiente to representatives of the communications media — address of the holy father Pope Francis, Vatican – Paul VI Audience Hall Saturday, 16 March 2013.
^ Nicole Brown Chau (May 8, 2025). "New pope chooses Leo as his papal name. Here's why pontiffs change their names and what they mean". CBS News.

References

McClintock, John. 1891. Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. Harper & Brothers. (Available online)

[3] Unless impeded, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks the newly elected pope if he accepts his election and what name he will use. In 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the dean, was himself elected pope, so these questions were asked by the subdean, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.

[4] See Pope John numbering for further information.

[5] The papacy of Benedict X was later declared illegitimate.

[6] Additionally, some sources prior to the 1960s list Pope-elect Stephen, who died before his consecration, as Stephen II, thus causing a numbering discrepancy.

[7] The papacy of Boniface VII was later declared illegitimate.

[8] The papacy of Alexander V was later declared illegitimate.

[9] The papacy of Felix II was later declared illegitimate.

[10] No popes or antipopes ever used the names Martin II or Martin III. Marinus I and Marinus II were mistakenly thought to be named "Martin(us)", causing confusion.

[1] [https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/speeches/2013/march/documents/papa-francesco_20130316_rappresentanti-media_en.html Audiente to representatives of the communications media — address of the holy father Pope Francis, Vatican – Paul VI Audience Hall Saturday, 16 March 2013.

[2] Nicole Brown Chau (May 8, 2025). "New pope chooses Leo as his papal name. Here's why pontiffs change their names and what they mean". CBS News.

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