Claudius
/ˈklɔː.di.əs/noun
A Roman family name and personal name borne by several ancient Roman emperors and other historical figures.
Did you know?Claudius is traditionally connected to Latin *claudus* meaning “lame” or “limping,” showing how a major imperial name could grow from a very old descriptive root.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kleu-
“possibly a root meaning “to be bent” or “crooked” is sometimes proposed in older scholarship, though the exact pre-Latin origin is uncertain”
Latin
Latin
claudus
“lame, limping”
Roman Latin
Latin
Claudius
“a Roman family name, likely originally referring to a limping ancestor or trait”
Classical Latin
Latin
Claudius
“a prominent Roman nomen borne by statesmen and emperors”
English
English
Claudius
“the Roman name used in historical, literary, and biblical contexts”
Explore more surprising origins