Aratus as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Aratus

What is the meaning of the name Aratus ?

The baby name Aratus is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced Classical Greek: ˈa.ra.tos (AH-RAH-tos); English: əˈreɪtəs (uh-RAY-tus) or ˈærətəs (AIR-uh-tus).

Aratus is Greek in Origin.

Aratus is the Latinized form of Greek Aratos (Ἄρατος), a masculine name from ancient Greece. The root likely relates to the noun ara “prayer,” giving the sense “prayed-for, desired”; some scholars note the ambivalence of ara as “curse” in archaic usage, so the semantic history is debated. Folk connections with arete “virtue” are common but etymologically uncertain.

The name is borne by Aratus of Soli (3rd century BCE), the Hellenistic poet of the astronomical Phaenomena, and by Aratus of Sicyon, the Achaean League statesman. It circulated in the Hellenistic world and entered Latin literature via citations and translations (Cicero rendered the Phaenomena). In modern times it remains rare, chosen for its classical austerity. Forms include Aratos (Greek), Aratus (Latin/English), and occasionally Arato in Romance contexts; no standard diminutives. Related but distinct: Aretas (Nabataean royal name) and Erato (the Muse).

⚙ Aratus is an extremely rare name. Across our dataset of national birth registries and international name records, Aratus appears only 1 time in total — found in 1 country. If you're considering it, you'd be giving your child a name almost nobody else has.