Imagine you’ve just been elected to one of the oldest, most powerful offices on the planet. You’re standing in the Sistine Chapel, the ceiling is a masterpiece of Renaissance art, and 100-plus cardinals are staring at you in total silence. You just said "Accepto." You’re the Pope.
Then comes the question that defines the next decade of your life: “By what name shall you be called?”
It’s a wild moment. No pressure, right? You’ve got about thirty seconds to pick a moniker that will be carved into stone, printed on coins, and whispered in prayers by 1.3 billion people. Honestly, how is the popes name chosen anyway? Is there a secret list? A hat with names in it? Nope. It’s actually way more personal—and occasionally more political—than you’d think.
The First Big Decision
When a new Pope is elected, the very first thing he does is choose a name. This isn't just a branding exercise. It’s a signal. The name is the first "policy statement" of a new papacy. If a guy picks Pius, people expect a traditional, maybe even stern, approach. If he picks Francis, like Jorge Bergoglio did in 2013, he’s telling the world he cares about the poor and the simple life.
There are zero official rules. Zero.
A Pope could technically call himself Pope Sparky I if he really wanted to, though the cardinals might have a collective heart attack. In practice, they usually stick to the "classics." But the tradition of changing names didn't even start until the year 533.
Before that, Popes just used their birth names. Then came a guy named Mercurius. He realized that having a Christian leader named after Mercury, a pagan Roman god, was a bit of a "bad look." So, he changed it to John II. Even then, it didn't become a "must-do" tradition until the 10th century when "foreign" popes from Germany and France started swapping their hard-to-pronounce names for more traditional Roman ones like Gregory or Clement.
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Why Certain Names Get Picked Over and Over
You’ve probably noticed we have a lot of Johns and Benedicts. There’s a reason for that. Usually, a Pope chooses a name to honor a predecessor he admires.
Take Pope Leo XIV, elected in 2025. By choosing "Leo," he wasn't just picking a cool-sounding name. He was linking himself to Leo the Great, who famously convinced Attila the Hun not to sack Rome. It’s a "strongman" name. It says, "I'm here to lead and defend." Or he might have been thinking of Leo XIII, the guy who wrote Rerum Novarum and basically invented modern Catholic social teaching.
The Top 5 Most Popular Papal Names
- John: 21 times (It would be 23, but the numbering got messy in the Middle Ages because of some "anti-popes" and a few counting errors. History is weird.)
- Gregory: 16 times
- Benedict: 15 times
- Clement: 14 times
- Leo: 14 times
It’s like a family tradition. You name the kid after the grandfather you liked. When John Paul I was elected in 1978, he did something totally nuts—he picked a double name. He wanted to honor John XXIII (the "Good Pope") and Paul VI. It was the first "new" name in over 1,000 years. Then, when he died just 33 days later, his successor, Karol Wojtyła, took John Paul II to keep the vibe going.
The One Name That Is Totally Off-Limits
There is one name you will almost certainly never see: Peter II.
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There’s no law saying a Pope can't be Peter II. But it’s the ultimate "don't go there" move. St. Peter was the first Pope, the "Rock." Taking his name is seen as incredibly arrogant, like a rookie basketball player demanding to wear Michael Jordan's jersey number on his first day.
Even Popes who were actually born with the name Peter change it. Pope Sergius IV (1009–1012) was born Pietro Martino Boccapecora. His last name literally meant "Pig’s Snout." He changed it for obvious reasons, but even if his name had been "Awesome McGreatguy," he still wouldn't have stayed Peter.
The "Signaling" Effect
Think of the name as a movie trailer for the papacy.
When Joseph Ratzinger became Benedict XVI, he was pointing toward St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism. He wanted to focus on the spiritual roots of Europe.
When Robert Prevost became Leo XIV in 2025, the world immediately started looking at the "Leos" of the past. Would he be a reformer? A diplomat? A defender of the faith?
It’s a heavy choice. Most cardinals spend the days leading up to the conclave—and the long hours of voting—thinking about what they’d call themselves if the "white smoke" was for them. Some even have a name picked out years in advance.
How the Process Actually Works (The Nitty-Gritty)
Once the votes are counted and someone hits the two-thirds majority, the Dean of the College of Cardinals walks up to the winner.
- The Question: "Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?"
- The Acceptance: The elect says "Accepto." (At this exact microsecond, he is officially the Pope).
- The Naming: "By what name shall you be called?"
- The Record: A notary writes it down officially.
- The Reveal: The Pope goes to the "Room of Tears," puts on his white robes, and then the Cardinal Protodeacon heads to the balcony of St. Peter's.
He says the famous words: "Habemus Papam!" (We have a Pope!). Then he announces the birth name, followed by the new papal name.
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What This Means for You
If you’re following Vatican news, don't just look at who the guy is. Look at the name.
If the next Pope chooses Pius XIII, buckle up—things are probably going to get very traditional. If he picks a name that hasn't been used in 500 years, like Innocent or Urban, he’s probably trying to make a point about church history.
And if someone finally has the guts to pick a brand-new name, like Pope Joseph I or Pope Oscar I, you know you’re looking at a trailblazer who isn't afraid to break a few windows.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
- Check the Numbering: If a Pope picks a name used before, look up the last three guys with that name. Their "vibe" usually matches what the new guy wants to do.
- The "First" Rule: A Pope doesn't add "I" (The First) to his name unless he picks a double name (like John Paul) or a brand new one. Francis is just "Francis," not "Francis I," until there’s a Francis II.
- The Latin Factor: Names are always chosen in Latin first. "Leo" is "Leo," but "John" is "Ioannes." This matters because their official signature will always be the Latin version followed by "PP." (for Papa).
Understanding how the popes name is chosen is like having a decoder ring for the Catholic Church. It’s the first chapter of a new story, and in a 2,000-year-old institution, those first few words matter more than anything else.
Keep an eye on the history books. Next time that white smoke rises, the name you hear will tell you exactly where the world's oldest monarchy is headed next.