What Does the Name Horace Mean?

Horace is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning “uncertain (from the Roman family name Horatius).”

Updated June 2026

Name	Horace
Gender	male
Origin	Latin
Meaning	uncertain (from the Roman family name Horatius)
Variants	Horatio, Horatius, Horacio
Popularity	Modestly common in the 19th and early 20th centuries; now rare.

The meaning and origin of Horace

The name Horace means “uncertain (from the Roman family name Horatius)” and has Latin origins. The English form of the Roman family name Horatius, of uncertain Etruscan or Latin origin, borne by the poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus. It came into use as a given name during the Renaissance in honour of the poet.

Variants and related names

Horace is related to several other names you may recognize: Horatio, Horatius, Horacio. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Horace?

Modestly common in the 19th and early 20th centuries; now rare.

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