Many of the early popes used their own names when they were chosen to head the Catholic Church. The first pope to choose a regnal name was John II, in 533 AD. His birth name was Mercurius, but because that name was associated with the Roman god Mercury, he changed it to John II. Beginning with Gregory V (born Bruno von Karnten), it became a tradition for popes to choose a regnal name.

Parents often choose names for their children to honor a relative. Sometimes, they evoke a particular characteristic, like charity or faithfulness. Some names are more fanciful, like the name of a place or a day of the week. Famous people may choose stage names to stand out from the crowd.

Those same desires may come into play when a new pope chooses his regnal name. Pope Francis honored St. Francis of Assisi, who ministered to the poor. Pope Benedict XVI, Francis's predecessor, emphasized peace and reconciliation ("benedict" comes from the Latin word for "blessed").

Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, honored his predecessor, John Paul I, who only served for about a month before passing away. And John Paul I honored his two predecessors, John XXIII and Paul VI.

What Could the Name of the New Pope Be?

Pope Francis was the first pope in over a thousand years to choose a name that had not been used before (Lando, elected Pope in 913 AD). The new Pope could decide to use another unique name to identify his priorities for his tenure as Pope. Francis may have "broken the ice" by choosing a unique name to make it easier for his successor to do the same.

However, many important names in the history of the Church (both before and after the official establishment of the office of the Pope) have been used previously – some many times:

• John (21 times)
• Gregory (16)
• Benedict (15)
• Clement (14)
• Innocent (13)
• Leo (13)
• Pius (12)
• Stephen (9)
• Boniface (8)
• Urban (8)

On the other hand, many names – including Francis – have only been used once.

How Does the New Pope Choose His Name?

There is no "rule" to guide the new Pope in the selection of his regnal name. However, tradition does play a large part in the process. For example, no pope has chosen the name "Peter" out of deference to the Apostle Peter, who is recognized as the first Pope by the Roman Catholic Church. The name "John" was not used for about 500 years, from the 1400s until the election of John XXIII in 1958, because of its association with a controversial "antipope" in the 15th century.

Other names used by previous popes are probably also unlikely because of the reputation of one of those predecessors. For example, although there have been 8 popes named Urban, Urban VIII is associated with the heresy trial of Galileo Galilei for his theory that the earth revolved around the sun. This makes it unlikely that the new Pope would choose to be called Urban.

Also, while there have been 12 popes named Pius, controversy surrounds Pius XII, who served during World War II. Pius XII maintained an official policy of neutrality during the war, leading some to claim that he was a Nazi sympathizer who did not do enough to assist Jews during the Holocaust.

Others have countered these claims by pointing to Pius' writings against the Nazi regime and behind-the-scenes efforts to assist Jews who fled German-occupied territory. The new Pope might want to avoid this controversy; however, he could also desire to rehabilitate Pius XII's reputation by choosing that name.

Names That Might Be "Revived"

No pope has chosen the name Leo since Leo XIII, who served from 1878–1903. Gregory XVI (1831–1846) was the last Gregory. There has been no Clement since Clement XIV (1769–1774) and no Innocent since Innocent XIII (1721–1724). The new Pope could revive any of these once-popular names. Leo I and Gregory I are both known as "the Great"; this could be seen as setting the bar high for anyone choosing those names. On the other hand, selecting "Leo" or "Gregory" could also be aspirational, expressing a desire to emulate those earlier popes.

Sending a Message

The practice of selecting a regnal name became commonplace in the Middle Ages when it became more common for popes to come from outside Italy. A new pope from an area that has never had a pope or hasn't been represented for a long time might choose a new name to reflect a new direction in the Church.

On the other hand, selecting a pope from Europe—a more traditional choice—could prompt the revival of one of the historical names. However, no matter which name the new Pope chooses, that name will be scrutinized and celebrated as Catholics around the world look forward to the new Pope's service to the Church. What message will the new Pope send?