He’s a hero in history and fiction alike, and his sprightly sound might appeal to modern parents.
Thanks to Paul for suggesting Horatio as Name of the Day.
First, let’s give credit where credit is due: Horatio might have slipped into obscurity, save for David Caruso’s appealing character on CSI: Miami. Without the small screen connection, it would be far more challenging for parents to consider this literary choice.
And he’s a literary heavy hitter. Horatio comes from the Latin Horatius. As in Horace – known back in the first century BC as Quintus Horatius Flaccus, one of the greatest poets of the Ancient World. You know his work even if you don’t know it – carpe diem, anybody?
Along with Homer and Virgil, Horace was sometimes bestowed by parents with an affection for the classics, beginning in the Victorian era and lasting into the 20th century. While Horatio last made the US Top 1000 in 1899 – and wasn’t common then – Horace appeared in the US Top 100 most years through 1902, and remained in the Top 250 into the 1940s.
Today, Horace is out of the rankings entirely and he’s not primed for a comeback. (His pal Homer might stand a chance.)
Horatio (and Horatius and Horace) all link back to the Latin hora – as in time, though the original concept was far less precise than our modern sixty-minute hour. But his most powerful associations are not related to the calendar, but to several other well-known figures. Post-poet, there was:
- Shakespeare used the name for one of Prince Hamlet’s hangers-on, a man of humble means who studied alongside the troubled Dane at Wittenberg U.;
- Visit London’s Trafalgar Square, and you’ll find statue of Lord Nelson, commemorating his defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar. Born Horatio Nelson, not only did the admiral fell the famous emperor, he also lost his life in the battle;
- C.S. Forester penned the Horatio Hornblower novels between the 1930s and 1960s. Hornblower’s first name is a nod to both the Bard’s character and the Admiral – the character’s roots are humble, but through a combination of moxie and smarts, he eventually becomes an admiral – and a baron, too;
- The nineteenth century writer Horatio Alger, Jr. is known for writing a certain kind of American story – tales where a boy of humble circumstances manages (through a combination of moxie and smarts) to rise to better things.
Lastly, there’s Horatio at the Bridge – a nineteenth century poem by Thomas Babbington Macaulay – based on a semi-legendary tale of a brave Roman solider defending his home against the odds.
So he’s storied. But with no easy nickname option, Horatio makes for a bold choice. I can imagine Horatio playing with Atticus (or Homer) in Park Slope, but would he wear well in Des Moines? A Nameberry user included Horatio with Junia and Crispin on a list titled “My Braver Alter-Ego Would Totally Use These.”
So if Marco strikes you as daring, this one is out. But if Rufus and Isabeau make your short list, Horatio might fit right in.
Horatio made our longer list…. but you got it on the nose with the ‘no easy nickname’ as being the problem for us. I’m OK with pushing things a little with the full name, but there has to be something to fall back on. And a middle name as a plan B wasn’t good enough to get Horatio on the short list… although he still crops up in conversation now and then, when we’re not thoroughly feeling our short-list names, which is happening a lot lately. I’d love to meet a little Horatio – it’s a great name (even if the OH occasionally says it sounds like a sneeze)!
As for nicknames, we labored over it for some time and the best we got was Ray. Not exactly my cup o’ tea. Racy was another thought, but that was more ‘out there’ than the original in my opinion. Tio (rhymes with Theo) is another one we threw around, but was nixed as it’s the Spanish word for ‘uncle’ (that doesn’t stop people from using Tia – the word for Aunt, so maybe I was being too retentive there?). In any case, I’m fairly certain our boy won’t be Horatio, but again, great name!
I thought about Ray, too, JNE – but it didn’t quite work for me, either. Too bad!
I think it’s darling, and the Alger and Hornblower connection makes it spunky and upbeat.
I think its a very cool name. Dramatic, masculine and a bit quirky. I don’t know if I’d ever use it myself, I do think it would make a great middle name for a more common or ordinary first name like John or Michael.
Shay, that’s a great point – Horatio would make a fabulous middle name!
All I can think of is Horatios Sanz, the grotesque, unfunny SNL alum. No thanks!
Darn it, forgot to click notify buton again.
It’s horrendous. On par with Ptolemy for ‘toff’ factor but doesn’t sound one half as pleasant
I think Horace a whole lot worse of course. Horace is a great grandfather’s name but there’s no way in blue heck I’m considering it.
12 little Horatios born for England in 2008 the new stats say. Oh and 3 Horaces.
I want to live somewhere where I can use “toff” as an insult. “Sissy” just doesn’t have the same ring.
Me, I’d have a Horatio in a heartbeat. But then, I like names that end in vowel sounds. And my ‘hood is heavily Spanish-speaking – Mechi, he’d be called ohr-aaah-see-oh by some of our neighbors, I’m sure. (Insert standard disclaimer about not being pregnant here.)
Not sure how Horatio would work in Polish, though …
…Oh no, its not horrendous but WONDERFUL.
I Iove this name!
But 12 little Horatios and 3 Horaces are MUCH TOO LESS for England. They have such an hero like Horatio Nelson and moreover even Shakespeares Horatio, but only 15 Horatio/Horaces in one year?….better should be 1.500!
Dear British Parents, let us have some more Horatios please!
+ 2 Homers!
I don’t know why, but I just don’t seem to like most names that end with an “o” sound (Margot being the exception), so this one’s an instant out for me. I like it’s history, however — it’s quite fascinating!
Sorry, but I absolutely hate this name. It’s my grandfather’s name (the spanish version of it, anyway.. my grandpa’s name is Horacio). And while i do like the sound of it in spanish (Ohr-aaah-see-o), the english sound just doesn’t role off the tongue. And it’s too close to Horace, which, no offense to anyone, is just one of the ugliest names I’ve ever heard in my life.
Oh…..Really my favorite name. For me the most beautiful name. I like it especially in German pronounciation. If I had a boy, I would call him “Horatio”
To the nick-names:
Horatio Hornblowers wife Maria called him “Horay”
You also could call him “ratio”, what in latin means “reason”
there are a lot of famous Horatios whom I like, as Horatio Spafford.
And of course Hamlets fried! I Iike him very much! He was nearly a saint. He was not “hanging around Hamlet”, he tried to help him. An at last, when Hamlet died, he said the most famos and beautiful words “Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angles sing thy to thay rest”.
Shakespeare lets him speek out his most beautiful lyriks. When the sun raises, Horatio said “…but look, the morn in rosset mantle clad walks o’er the dew of yon high eastward hill”.
Some people say, it is an Etruskian Name.
But if the name is related to latin hora – hour , then, may be there is a connection to the Egyptian God Horus in the background….who was the Lord of time…..may be, it means “a believer to the God Horus”, like “Christian” means ” a believer to Christus.
Sorry for my English is not perfekt….I am a German
I myself am a Horacio, only a select few can have this name bestowed. Just like the men 300. LOL. Anyway as far as nicknames go ive been called Hershey by girls, and Hibachi by the guys. I like both equally.
Oh yes, this is true! But I think, there should be more little boys be named Horatio in Germany.
The name is a phonetic tidbits, a candy to hear, indeed!
i have been called hershey by the girls also … wierd
My names Horatio and i love the name so is my dads (:
You are right, loving it, because it is such a beautiful name.
mmmh….nice!….2 at a time…..nice regards to your daddy too.