A regnal name, or reign name, is a formal name used by some popes and monarchs during their reigns. Since medieval times, monarchs have frequently chosen to use a name different from their own personal name (and therefore the regnal name is technically a pseudonym) when they inherit a throne. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope (from Latin... For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ... A Reign is a period of time a person serves as a monarch or pope. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... A pseudonym (Greek: , pseudo + -onym: false name) is an artificial, fictitious name, also known as an alias, used by an individual as an alternative to a persons legal name. ... The thrones for The Queen of Canada, and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Canadian Senate, Ottawa is usually occupied by the Governor General and her spouse at the annual State Opening of Parliament. ...

The new name (or sometimes the old one, confirmed) is followed by an ordinal to give a unique name for the period when the monarch is on the throne. However, in the case of a personal union, the same ruler may carry different ordinals in each state, as they are each assigned chronologically; but some may have more precursors of the same Christian name (usually from a different dynasty). An ordinal is the number placed after a monarchs regnal name to differentiate between a number of kings, queens or princes reigning with the same regnal name. ...

In parts of Asia, monarchs take era names. Even where that is not the case, rulers may — instead of a whole dynasty, as is the case with Georgian, referring to several Georges of the Hanoverian dynasty — become eponymous of their age, e.g. in Britain: Victorian (even applied to the rest of the world, and less correctly to its alleged prudish mentality) or Edwardian. An era is a long period of time with different technical and colloquial meanings, and usages in language. ... Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her ascension to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victorian morality is a distillation of the moral views of people living at the time of Queen Victoria (reigned 1837 - 1901) in particular, and to the moral climate of Great Britain throughout the 19th century in... The Edwardian period or Edwardian era in the United Kingdom is the period 1901 to 1910, the reign of King Edward VII. It succeeded the Victorian period and is sometimes extended to include the period up to the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, the start of World War...

Ancient rulers

Ancient rulers in many parts of the world took regnal names or throne names which were different from their personal name. This is known to be true, for instance, of several kings of Assyria, and appears to be the case for several Kings of Judah. In Ancient Egypt, Pharaohs took a number of names. Although their personal name was usually among those used, another name, the Praenomen, was the most commonly used. For other uses, see Assyria (disambiguation). ... Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה, Standard Hebrew Malḫut Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ Yəhûḏāh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah... Khafres Pyramid and the Great Sphinx of Giza, built about 2550 BC during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom,[1] are enduring symbols of the civilization of ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was a civilization in Northeastern Africa concentrated along the middle to lower reaches of the Nile River... The Fivefold Titulary of an Egyptian Pharaoh is the standard naming convention taken by the kings of Ancient Egypt. ...

East Asia

In parts of Asia, it is more a rule than an exception that monarchs take additional names when ascending, and quite often discard the name they were known by as princes. Often the assumed name is different from his childhood name, and a new temple name could be assumed. A posthumous name is sometimes accorded to a deceased monarch. See, for example, the list of Emperors of Japan. Temple names (Traditional Chinese: 廟號 Simplified Chinese: 庙号 Pinyin: miào hào;), are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Vietnamese (such dynasties as Tran,Anterior Lê and Nguyen Dynasty) and most Korean rulers of the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. ... Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quốc ngữ: Hán tá»±: A posthumous name (諡號) is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in some cultures after the persons death. ... The following is a traditional list of Emperors of Japan. ...

Roman Catholic Church

Immediately after a new pope is elected, and accepts the election, he is asked by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, "By what name shall you be called?" The Pope-elect chooses the name by which he will be known from that point on. The senior Cardinal Deacon, or Cardinal Protodeacon, then appears on the balcony of Saint Peter's to proclaim the new Pope, informing the world of the man elected Pope, and under which name he would be known during his reign.

Although the apostle Simon was given a new name, Peter, when Jesus declared that he would be the rock (original greek in which the Gospels were written-petros) on which He would build His Church, the Pope choosing a regnal name as a matter of course would not come until later. During the first centuries of the church, men elected Bishop of Rome continued to use their baptismal names after their elections. The custom of choosing a new name began in AD 533 with the election of Mercurius. Mercurius had been named after the Roman god Mercury, and decided that it would not be appropriate for a pope to be named after a Roman god. Mercurius subsequently decreed that he would be known as John II. Since the end of the tenth century the pope has customarily chosen a new name for himself during his Pontificate; however, until the 16th century some men used their baptismal names. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Pope. ... Events February 1 - John becomes Pope, succeeding Pope Boniface II, who had died in 532. ... A sculpture of the Roman god Mercury by 17th-century Flemish artist Artus Quellinus. ... John II (born Mercurius) was Pope from 533 to 535. ... Look up Appendix:Most popular given names by country in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The last pope to use his baptismal name was Pope Marcellus II in 1555, a choice that was even then quite exceptional. The names chosen by popes are not based on any system other than general honorifics. They have been based on immediate predecessors, mentors, political similarity, or even after family members—as was the case with Pope John XXIII. The practice of a man using his baptismal name as pope has not been ruled out and future popes could elect to continue using their baptismal names after being elected pope. Marcellus II, né Marcello Cervini degli Spannochi (May 6, 1501 – May 1, 1555), cardinal of Santa Croce, a native of the area of Ancona, Italy, was elected pope to succeed Julius III on April 9, 1555. ... See also: 15th-century Antipope John XXIII. Pope John XXIII (Latin: ; Italian: ), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (November 25, 1881 – June 3, 1963), known as Blessed John XXIII since his beatification, was elected as the 261st Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City on October 28, 1958. ...

Often the man's choice of name upon being elected to the papacy is seen as a signal to the world of who the new pope will emulate, what policies he will seek to enact, or even the length of his reign. Such is the case with Benedict XVI - it was speculated that he chose the name because he wished to emulate the last Pope Benedict, and to also call attention to the fact that at 7.5 years that Benedict XV's reign was a relatively short one. Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: ; born April 16, 1927 as Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany) is the 265th reigning pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. ... Pope Benedict XV (Latin: ), (Italian: Benedetto XV), (November 21, 1854 – January 22, 1922), born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from September 3, 1914 to January 22, 1922; he succeeded Pope Pius X (1903–14). ...

There has never been a Pope Peter II. Even though there is no specific prohibition against doing so, men elected to the Papacy have refrained from doing so. This is because of a tradition that only Saint Peter should have that honor. In the 10th century John XIV used the regnal name John because his given name was Peter. While some antipopes did take the name Peter II, their claims are not recognized by the mainstream Roman Catholic Church, and each of these men only either has or had a minuscule following which recognized their claims. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “St Peter” redirects here. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... John XIV (died August 20, 984), Pope from 983 to 984, successor to Benedict VII, was born at Pavia, and before his elevation to the papal chair was imperial chancellor of Otto II, and was the latters second choice. ... For the book by Robert Rankin, see The Antipope. ...

Probably because of the controversial Antipope John XXIII, men avoided taking the regnal name John for over 600 years until the election of John XXIII. Immediately after John's election as Pope in 1958, there was some confusion as to whether he would be known as John XXIII or John XXIV. John put the issue to rest by stating that he would be known as John XXIII. Antipope John XXIII Baldassare Cossa, (about 1370 – November 22, 1419), also known as John XXIII,was Pope or antipope during the Western Schism (1410–1415) and is now officially regarded by the Catholic Church as an antipope. ...

In 1978, Albino Luciani became the first pope to use two names for his regnal name when he took the name John Paul I. He did this to honor both John XXIII and Paul VI. With the unexpected death of John Paul I a little over a month later, Karol Wojtyła took the name John Paul II to honor his immediate predecessors. Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... John Paul I, seen here on the papal throne, is wearing an inexpensive silver pectoral cross, not the standard golden cross worn by Popes and his uncut hair, simply brushed back, was considered unusual but more genuine and modest than the dandy coifs of the other Cardinals. ... Pope John Paul I (Latin: , Italian: Giovanni Paolo I), born Albino Luciani, (October 17, 1912—September 28, 1978) reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from August 26, 1978 until his death. ... This article cites very few or no references or sources. ... Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: , Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan PaweÅ‚ II) born   []; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) reigned as the 264th Pope of...

Antipopes also have regnal names, and also use the ordinal to show their position in the line of previous pontiffs with their names. For example, Lucian Pulvermacher took the name Pius XIII when he had been named pope by the True Catholic Church sect. If a future legitimate pope takes the name that the antipope used, the antipope would have no bearing on what ordinal the new pope used. Such would be the case if a future pope took the name Pius, as he would then be known as Pius XIII. For the book by Robert Rankin, see The Antipope. ... Conclavist Pope Pius XIII Fr. ... The true Catholic Church (tCC) is a small Roman Catholic Conclavist (see sedevacantism) group based in Kalispell, Montana, United States. ...

United Kingdom

The monarchs in the United Kingdom have on three occasions used regnal names different from their first baptismal names.

Queen Victoria was christened Alexandrina Victoria, but was styled Princess Victoria from birth and took the throne under that name. Queen Victoria redirects here. ...

Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, her son, took the regnal name Edward VII when he became King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1901. This was in defiance of the wish of his late mother that her descendants would rule as double-barrelled Albert Edwards, Albert Victors, etc., indefinitely. The new King declared that he chose the name Edward as an honoured name borne by six of his predecessors, and that he did not wish to diminish the status of his father with whom alone among royalty the name Albert should be associated. It is likely that personal conflicts with his parents influenced the king's decision. This article is about the title Prince of Wales. ... Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910. ... This article is about the historical state called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1927). ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (in full Francis Charles Augustus Albert Emmanuel) (26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ...

In 1936, after the abdication crisis, Prince Albert, Duke of York, assumed the throne as King George VI. This was an effort to reinforce the stability of the monarchy, by using the name of his father King George V, as well as to continue Edward VII's tradition of not being King Albert. The Instrument of Abdication signed by Edward VIII Like King Henry VIII of England, whose wish to marry Anne Boleyn in the 1530s shook his kingdom, King Edward VIII created a crisis for the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth in the 1930s when he wished to marry Wallis Simpson. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ...

However most British monarchs use their first baptismal name as their regnal name. When Princess Elizabeth as Heir Presumptive became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1952, she was asked what name she wished to use, and she responded, "Why, my own name; what else?" There had been speculation that she would leave the name Elizabeth as the unique possession of the earlier monarch who, as a consequence of the accession of Elizabeth II, has been since 1952 known as Elizabeth I of England. However, in Scotland, the title Elizabeth II caused some controversy, as there has never been an Elizabeth I in Scotland. In a rare act of sabotage, new Royal Mail post boxes in Scotland, bearing the initials "E II R", were vandalised. (Prior to Queen Elizabeth, Scottish boxes had borne the monarch's initials, but no crown.) To avoid further problems, post boxes and Royal Mail vehicles in Scotland now bear only the Crown of Scotland and no Royal cypher. A legal case, MacCormick v. Lord Advocate (1953 SC 396), was taken to contest the right of The Queen to style herself Elizabeth II within Scotland, arguing that to do so would be a breach of the Act of Union. The case was lost on the grounds that the pursuers had no title to sue the Crown, and also that the numbering of monarchs was part of the royal prerogative, and not governed by the Act of Union. Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... An Heir Presumptive (capitalised) is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honor, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an Heir Apparent or of a new Heir Presumptive with a better claim to the throne. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about Elizabeth I of England. ... Royal Mail is the national postal service of the United Kingdom. ... Royal Mail is the national postal service of the United Kingdom. ... The Crowns modern usage: The Crown of Scotland at the opening of the Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood in 2004. ... MacCormick v. ... The Acts of Union were a pair of Acts of Parliament passed in 1706 and 1707 (taking effect on 1 May 1707) by, respectively, the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ... The Royal Prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognised in common law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the Crown alone. ...

It is rumoured that Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor) would wish to assume the regnal name of "George VII" upon his accession to the throne as opposed to "Charles III" in light of the perceived unpopularity of both previous British kings who reigned using the name Charles.^[1] Charles I was beheaded for treason during the English Civil War (1642-1660) under the orders of Oliver Cromwell and his rule remains controversial; his son, Charles II, while in many ways popular, was nonetheless regarded with suspicion for his Catholic sympathies—suspicions borne out by his deathbed conversion—and for allowing the succession of his outwardly Catholic brother, James II. The regnal name George is dynastically acceptable to the Windsor family. “Prince Charles” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... For other uses, see Oliver Cromwell (disambiguation). ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. ... James II (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701)[1] became King of England, King of Scots,[2] and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685. ...

If Prince William of Wales assumes the throne using his baptismal name, he would reign as William V. Assuming that he reigns into his mid-80s, there would then be a William reigning over England on the millennial anniversary of conquest of England by William I, better known as William the Conqueror, who established the modern state of England. Of course, Prince William might possibly take a regnal name different from his own. Both Charles and William have a middle name "Arthur", leading some to fanciful speculation that a real king might reign some day under that mythical name. “Prince William” redirects here. ... Combatants Normans supported by: Bretons (one third of total), Flemings, French Anglo-Saxons, the Þingalið Commanders William of Normandy, Odo of Bayeux Harold Godwinson † Strength 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000 Casualties Unknown, thought to be around 2,000 killed and wounded Unknown, thought to be around 4... William I ( 1027 – September 9, 1087), was King of England from 1066 to 1087. ... For other uses, see King Arthur (disambiguation). ...

Regnal names in fiction

• In Star Wars, those people of Naboo who entered into political life adopted a "Name of State." This name of state is used for public occasions and represents the honor and dignity of the office one chooses. Padmé Naberrie adopted the name of Amidala. The leader of the Mandalorians traditionally took the name Mandalore to replace his own, but this practice was discontinued.
• Ralph Jones (John Goodman) — the King of the United Kingdom in the movie King Ralph — was asked to consider taking a regnal name by his private secretary. Ralph decided to keep his original name.
• When Kiril Pavlovich Lakota (Anthony Quinn) is elected pope in the movie The Shoes of the Fisherman, he breaks with tradition and decides to continue being known by his given name, thus becoming Pope Kiril I. He explains that he was taking the name in honor of Saint Cyril.
• Upon ascending to the thrones of Gondor and Arnor, Aragorn of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings takes the name Elessar (Quenya; Elfstone), which was given to him by Galadriel.
• In the Transformers universe, leaders of the Autobots often lead under a new name. A3 led as Alpha Trion, Orion Pax as Optimus Prime, and Hot Rod as Rodimus Prime. However, the recipient of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership often displays a marked change in personality as well as their body changing form; as such taking a different name may be due to them being considered separate entities.
• In Sailor Moon, the character Usagi Tsukino was called Princess Serenity in a past life. When she regains her royal status, as the ruler of "Crystal Tokyo," she changes her name to Neo-Queen Serenity.
• In the Halo franchise the three Prophet Hierarchs of the Covenant assume new names upon taking office.^[2]

This article is about the series. ... Naboo is a fictitious planet in the fictional Star Wars universe with a mostly green terrain and which is the homeworld of two societies: the Gungans who dwell in underwater cities and the humans who live in colonies on the surface. ... Padmé Amidala is a fictional character in George Lucas science fiction saga Star Wars. ... A Mandalorian is a member of a group of masked warrior clans in the Star Wars universe. ... A Mandalorian is a member of a group of masked warrior clans in the Star Wars universe. ... Not to be confused with Johnny Goodman (TV producer), Johnny Goodman, or John C. Goodman. ... King Ralph (first released on February 15, 1991) is an American film starring American actor John Goodman in the title role of Ralph Jones. ... For other people named Anthony Quinn see Anthony Quinn (disambiguation) Anthony Quinn (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001) was a two-time Academy Award-winning Mexican/American actor, as well as a painter and writer. ... The Shoes of the Fisherman is a 1963 novel by Morris West, as well as a 1968 film based on the novel. ... Saint Cyril (Greek: Κύριλλος , Church Slavonic: Кирилъ) (827 - February 14, 869) was a Byzantine Greek monk, scholar, theologian, and linguist. ... For the city in Ethiopia, see Gondar. ... In the fictional legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien, Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. ... Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R Tolkiens Middle-earth legendarium. ... Tolkien redirects here. ... This article is about the novel. ... Quenya is one of the fictional languages spoken by the Elves (the Quendi) the ones who speak. The first-found children of Ilúvatar, in the fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Galadriel is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien, appearing in The Lord of the Rings. ... The Transformers (G1) 1984-1987, U.S. This page is a partner page to Transformers Universes, listing the various television series that the Transformer toyline has spawned since its creation in 1984. ... Alpha Trion circa 1985 Alpha Trion circa 9m BC A3 circa 11m BC Alpha Trion is a fictional character in the Transformers animated series. ... This refers to the original character. ... Rodimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers universe. ... For the title character, see Sailor Moon (character) and for the first story arc, see Sailor Moon (arc). ... Usagi Tsukino , or Serena in the English versions) is the protagonist of the Sailor Moon metaseries as well as its title character, best known by her pseudonym, Sailor Moon ). She is the de facto leader of the series primary heroines, the Sailor Senshi. ... The manga was translated into English by TOKYOPOP (then Mixx). ... It has been suggested that Covenant Vehicles in Halo be merged into this article or section. ... The Prophet Hierarchs are fictional characters featured in the video game Halo 2. ... The Covenant is a fictional militaristic and theocratic alliance of alien races who serve as the main antagonist body of the Halo science-fiction video game series. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... This article is about the state. ...

External links

• Regnal Chronologies

See also

• Posthumous name
• Religious name
• Chinese era name
• List of regnal numerals of future British monarchs

Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quốc ngữ: Hán tá»±: A posthumous name (諡號) is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in some cultures after the persons death. ... In some religious orders, a new member will often take a religious name after joining the order. ... A Chinese era name (traditional Chinese: 年號, simplified Chinese: 年号, pinyin nían hào) is the era name, reign period, or regnal title used when traditionally numbering years in an emperors reign and naming certain Chinese rulers (see the conventions). ... This is a list of the regnal numerals which may in time be used by future British monarchs. ...