AURÈLE

Aurèle m

French form of the Roman family name Aurēlius, which is derived from aureus golden. Its most famous bearer was the 2nd-century emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, also noted as a philosophical writer. It was later borne by various saints, including a 5th-century archbishop of Carthage who was a friend of St Augustine. It did not, however, enjoy much popularity in the Middle Ages, nor has it done so since; the modern use of the feminine form since the 17th century seems to be the result of its relatively transparent etymology (‘golden’).

Cognates: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Aurelio. German: Aurel; Orell (Switzerland).

französische Form von → Aurel (Bedeutung angelehnt an ein altrömisches Geschlecht, auch: der aus Gold Gemachte).