Why Is July Called July? A Look into the Origins of the Month’s Name

Who Was the Month of July Named In Honor Of?

The month of July was named in honor of Julius Caesar, one of the most significant figures in Roman history. Before it was called July, this month was originally known as Quintilis in the Roman calendar, which means "the fifth month." This was because, at the time, the Roman calendar began in March, making July the fifth month of the year.

In 44 BCE, following Julius Caesar's assassination, the Roman Senate decided to rename Quintilis to Julius, or July, to honor his life and legacy. This was a tribute to his pivotal role in reforming the Roman calendar—the same Julian calendar that eventually influenced the modern Gregorian calendar we use today.

Julius Caesar was not just a powerful general and statesman; he also made lasting contributions to how we organize and understand time. The renaming of the month was a symbolic gesture that ensured his influence would be remembered every year, across generations.

So, every time we flip our calendars to July, we are in fact honoring the legacy of Julius Caesar—a name etched in both history and time itself.