Columba
/kəˈlʌm.bə/noun
A Latin word for a dove or pigeon, also used as a personal and place name.
Did you know?Columba is the Latin word for a dove, and that same sacred bird became a major symbol in Roman and Christian tradition for peace, love, and the Holy Spirit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*klōmb- / *kel-
“A reconstructed ancient root associated with a swelled or rounded shape, often linked to birds in later descendants.”
Latin
Latin
columba
“A dove or pigeon.”
Late Latin
Latin
Columba
“Used as a personal name, especially for saints and women named after the dove.”
Old French
Old French
colombe
“A dove.”
Middle English
English
columbe / columb
“A dove or pigeon, chiefly in learned or poetic use.”
Modern English
English
columba
“A learned Latin form preserved in names, taxonomy, and historical contexts.”
Explore more surprising origins