Crispus as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Crispus

What is the meaning of the name Crispus ?

The baby name Crispus is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkrɪspəs/ (KRIS-pus).

Crispus is Latin in Origin.

Crispus is a Latin masculine name from the adjective crispus, meaning “curly‑haired” or “curled.” In Rome it functioned chiefly as a cognomen highlighting appearance, and it generated the diminutive Crispinus, source of several later given names. The feminine counterpart appears as Crispa and, through the diminutive, Crispina.

The name saw real-world use across eras: Flavius Julius Crispus, the talented son of Emperor Constantine, bore it in the 4th century; the New Testament mentions a synagogue leader at Corinth named Crispus; and in colonial America, Crispus Attucks became a symbol of the Revolutionary cause. While uncommon today, it persists in classical and Christian circles. Related forms include English/French Crispin (Latin Crispinus), Italian Crispino, Spanish Crispín, Portuguese Crispim, and the rarer Italian/Spanish Crispo. Surnames like Crisp also trace back to the same Latin root.

⚙ Crispus is about as rare as a name gets. We hold just 15 recorded uses of it, from 8 countries.