Tertullian as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Tertullian

What is the meaning of the name Tertullian ?

The baby name Tertullian is a Male name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced /tərˈtʌl.i.ən/ (TER-TUL-ee-ən or ter-TUL-yən).

Tertullian is Latin in Origin.

From Latin Tertullianus, a cognomen formed on Tertullus (< Tertius “third”), the name Tertullian literally means “of Tertullus/pertaining to Tertullus,” with shades of “little third” or, by extension, “third-born.” The suffix -ullus is a diminutive and -ianus marks affiliation, common in Roman gentilicia. Anglicized Tertullian is therefore a learned, Latinate choice carrying the numerical sense embedded in many Roman names. Usage is dominated by the North African Christian writer Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus (c. 155–c. 220), often styled the father of Latin theology and associated with terms such as trinitas. As a given name it has remained rare in English, surfacing sporadically in scholarly or clerical circles; Romance-language forms have seen modest use: French Tertullien, Italian/Spanish/Portuguese Tertuliano (also Italian Tertulliano). Related variants include Tertullus and Tertius, with feminine counterparts Tertulla and Tertullia. Tully can serve as a short form, though not traditional.

⚙ Tertullian is extremely rare. Across 1 country, we found just 1 recorded use of it.