For centuries, the naming of a pope has carried deep significance, shaping the tone and legacy of each pontificate. When the white smoke rises and a new pope is chosen, he is asked, “By what name shall you be called?” a tradition that began in 533, according to the source.
Before that time, most popes kept their birth names after election. However, the practice of adopting a new name started with Pope John II, formerly Mercurius, who found it inappropriate to be named after the pagan Roman god Mercury and instead chose to honor his predecessor John I, who was venerated as a martyr.
The last pope to keep his baptismal name was Marcellus II in 1555. Since then, papal names have been freely chosen, allowing each new pontiff to signal a particular vision or honor significant figures, as “names are chosen and are not given to them,” as the source states.
Pope Francis made history when he chose a name that had never been used before, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi. Reflecting on his decision, Pope Francis said, “It was then that I thought of St. Francis. And then I thought of wars and about peace and that’s how the name came to me — a man of peace, a poor man.”
In 1978, Cardinal Albino Luciani became the first pope to adopt a double name, John Paul I, in honor of his two predecessors, John XXIII and Paul VI. His successor, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, continued that tradition, becoming John Paul II to signify his commitment to continue John Paul I’s work.
Pope Benedict XVI also chose a name with dual significance. In his first general audience, he said: “I chose to call myself Benedict XVI ideally as a link to the venerated pontiff, Benedict XV, who guided the Church through the turbulent times of the First World War … The name Benedict also evokes the extraordinary figure of the great ‘patriarch of western monasticism,’ St. Benedict of Nursia.”
The name John remains the most popular among popes, with 23 taking that name. Gregory and Benedict follow with 16 popes each, while Clement, Innocent, and Pius have also been chosen repeatedly. However, 44 papal names have only been used once, including Anacletus, Constantine, and Valentine.
Papal names do more than distinguish one pope from another—they reflect the hopes, inspirations, and spiritual missions of each pontiff. With the next papal election imminent, the choice of a name will once again convey a message to the world about the future of the Church and its spiritual direction.
