Who Originally Named the Months? Exploring the Roman Origins of the Calendar

Discover who named the months and how the Roman calendar evolved from 10 to 12 months with names from gods and leaders.

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The months were originally named by the Romans. Romulus, the legendary first king of Rome, is credited with creating the initial 10-month Roman calendar which starts in March and ends in December. Later, two more months were added to cover the unaccounted-for winter period – January and February – during the reign of King Numa Pompilius, making it a 12-month calendar. Many of the month’s names we use today derive from Roman gods, leaders, and the Latin numbers for 5-10.

FAQs & Answers

  1. Who created the original Roman calendar? The original Roman calendar was created by Romulus, the legendary first king of Rome, and initially had 10 months.
  2. Why were January and February added to the calendar? January and February were added later by King Numa Pompilius to cover the previously unaccounted-for winter period, extending the calendar to 12 months.
  3. Are the names of the months based on Roman gods or numbers? Many month names derive from Roman gods, leaders, and Latin numbers corresponding to their positions in the early calendar.

Watch More

For more fascinating insights into the history of timekeeping and calendars, explore our related videos on the Julian and Gregorian calendars, as well as the origins of weekdays and seasonal traditions.

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