August
Meaning of August
August traces its lineage to the Latin augustus, “venerable,” a word first elevated to headline status when the Roman Senate awarded it to Octavian, better known as Emperor Augustus; centuries later, English speakers adopted the term both for the late-summer month and, with typical pragmatism, for boys expected to carry themselves with quiet dignity. The name’s classical polish has attracted a steady trickle of American parents since records began in 1880, and its recent rise—from the mid-500s a generation ago to the current Top 100—suggests that vintage charm, nicknames like Gus or Augie, and a touch of imperial flair make durable bait in the baby-name pond. Literary buffs hear echoes of playwright August Wilson, historians think of Prince Albert’s given name, and everyone else simply imagines golden evenings, ripe orchards, and a child who, at least on paper, commands respect before mastering cursive.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as AW-gust (/ˈɔːɡəst/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
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Notable People Named August
| Johan August Strindberg was a prolific and experimental Swedish playwright and versatile writer and artist considered the father of modern Swedish literature, with The Red Room often called the first modern Swedish novel. |
| August Belmont Sr. was a German American financier and diplomat, chair of the Democratic National Committee from 1860 to 1872, and the racehorse owner who founded the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown. |
| August Wilson was an acclaimed American playwright whose Pittsburgh Cycle chronicled 20th century African American life, earning Pulitzer Prizes for Fences and The Piano Lesson, and he joined the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2006. |
| August Derleth was an American writer and anthologist who cofounded Arkham House, first published H. P. Lovecraft in book form, helped shape the Cthulhu Mythos, and created the detective Solar Pons. |
| German-born American auto pioneer August Samuel Duesenberg, working with his brother Fred, built record-setting racers and engines, won the 1921 French Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500s, set speed marks from Daytona to Bonneville, and shared patents including the Duesenberg Straight Eight. |
| August von Mackensen - Anton Ludwig Friedrich August Mackensen was a German field marshal who led Army Group Mackensen in World War I, was interned after the war, retired in 1920, and later served as a Prussian state councillor while remaining a monarchist during the Nazi era. |
| August Busch IV - August Adolphus Busch IV, an American businessman and former Anheuser-Busch CEO, was the last family leader before the 2008 InBev takeover, known for award winning Super Bowl ads, a FedEx directorship, and legal incidents. |
| August Becker was a Nazi SS chemist who helped design gas vans for early mass killings and at least once personally killed around 20 people. |
| August Wilhelm von Hofmann was a German chemist who helped launch the aniline dye industry, advanced coal tar chemistry, discovered compounds such as formaldehyde and isonitriles, and clarified amine structures. |
| August Wilhelm Schlegel - August Wilhelm von Schlegel was a German scholar and translator whose Shakespeare translations became German classics and with his brother Friedrich helped shape Jena Romanticism. |
| Ferdinand August Bebel was a German socialist politician and a principal founder of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. |
| August Weismann - August Friedrich Leopold Weismann, a German evolutionary biologist ranked by Ernst Mayr as the 19th century's second most notable theorist after Charles Darwin, became director of the Zoological Institute and the first Professor of Zoology at Freiburg. |
| August Kekulé - Friedrich August Kekule was a leading German organic chemist who founded the theory of chemical structure and proposed the ring structure of benzene. |
| August Belmont Jr. was an American financier who financed the original New York City Subway and led the IRT, built the Cape Cod Canal and Belmont Park racetrack, was a major thoroughbred owner, and held top roles at the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, Southern Pacific, and National Park Bank. |
| August Sander was a leading German portrait and documentary photographer known for the 1929 book Face of our Time and his People of the 20th Century series documenting Weimar society. |
