Regnal name

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A regnal name, or reign name, is a formal name used by some popes and monarchs during their reigns. Since medieval times, monarchs have frequently chosen to use a name different from their own personal name (and therefore the regnal name is technically a pseudonym) when they inherit a throne.

The new name (or sometimes the old one, confirmed) is followed by an ordinal to give a unique name for the period when the monarch is on the throne. However, in the case of a personal union, the same ruler may carry different ordinals in each state, as they are each assigned chronologically; but some may have more precursors of the same Christian name (usually from a different dynasty).

In parts of Asia, monarchs take era names. Even where that is not the case, rulers may — instead of a whole dynasty, as is the case with Georgian, referring to several Georges of the Hanoverian dynasty — become eponymous of their age, e.g. in Britain: Victorian (even applied to the rest of the world, and less correctly to its alleged prudish mentality) or Edwardian.

1 Ancient rulers
2 East Asia
3 Roman Catholic Church
4 United Kingdom
5 Regnal names in fiction
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Ancient rulers

Ancient rulers in many parts of the world took regnal names or throne names which were different from their personal name. This is known to be true, for instance, of several kings of Assyria, and appears to be the case for several Kings of Judah. In Ancient Egypt, Pharaohs took a number of names - the Praenomen, was the most commonly used, on occasion in conjunction with their personal name.

[edit] East Asia

In parts of Asia, it is more a rule than an exception that monarchs take additional names when ascending, and quite often discard the name they were known by as princes. Often the assumed name is different from his childhood name, and a new temple name could be assumed. A posthumous name is sometimes accorded to a deceased monarch. See, for example, the list of Emperors of Japan.

[edit] Roman Catholic Church

Main article: Papal name

Immediately after a new pope is elected, and accepts the election, he is asked by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, "By what name shall you be called?" The Pope-elect chooses the name by which he will be known from that point on. The senior Cardinal Deacon, or Cardinal Protodeacon, then appears on the balcony of Saint Peter's to proclaim the new Pope, informing the world of the man elected Pope, and under which name he would be known during his reign.

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:
Habemus Papam!
Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum [forename],
Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem [surname],
qui sibi nomen imposuit [papal name].

I announce to you a great joy:
We have a Pope!
The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord,
Lord [forename],
Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [surname],
who takes to himself the name [papal name].

During the first centuries of the church, men elected bishop of Rome continued to use their baptismal names after their elections. The custom of choosing a new name began in AD 533 with the election of Mercurius. Mercurius had been named after the Roman god Mercury, and decided that it would not be appropriate for a pope to be named after a Roman god. Mercurius subsequently decreed that he would be known as John II. Since the end of the tenth century the pope has customarily chosen a new name for himself during his Pontificate; however, until the 16th century some men used their baptismal names.

The last pope to use his baptismal name was Pope Marcellus II in 1555, a choice that was even then quite exceptional. The names chosen by popes are not based on any system other than general honorifics. They have been based on immediate predecessors, mentors, political similarity, or even after family members—as was the case with Pope John XXIII. The practice of a man using his baptismal name as pope has not been ruled out and future popes could elect to continue using their baptismal names after being elected pope.

Often the man's choice of name upon being elected to the papacy is seen as a signal to the world of who the new pope will emulate, what policies he will seek to enact, or even the length of his reign. Such is the case with Benedict XVI - it was speculated that he chose the name because he wished to emulate the last Pope Benedict, and to also call attention to the fact that at 7.5 years that Benedict XV's reign was a relatively short one.

There has never been a Pope Peter II. Even though there is no specific prohibition against doing so, men elected to the Papacy have refrained from doing so. This is because of a tradition that only Saint Peter should have that honor. In the 10th century John XIV used the regnal name John because his given name was Peter. While some antipopes did take the name Peter II, their claims are not recognized by the mainstream Roman Catholic Church, and each of these men only either has or had a minuscule following which recognized their claims.

Probably because of the controversial Antipope John XXIII, men avoided taking the regnal name John for over 600 years until the election of the other John XXIII. Immediately after John's election as Pope in 1958, there was some confusion as to whether he would be known as John XXIII or John XXIV.

In 1978, Albino Luciani became the first pope to use two names for his regnal name when he took the name John Paul I. He did this to honor both John XXIII and Paul VI. With the unexpected death of John Paul I a little over a month later, Karol Wojtyła took the name John Paul II to honor his immediate predecessors.

Antipopes also have regnal names, and also use the ordinal to show their position in the line of previous pontiffs with their names. For example, Lucian Pulvermacher took the name Pius XIII when he had been named pope by the True Catholic Church sect.

[edit] United Kingdom

The monarchs in the United Kingdom have on three occasions used regnal names different from their first baptismal names.

Queen Victoria was christened Alexandrina Victoria, but was styled Princess Victoria from birth and took the throne under that name.

Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, her son, took the regnal name Edward VII when he became King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1901. This was in defiance of the wish of his late mother that her descendants would rule as double-barrelled Albert Edwards, Albert Victors, etc., indefinitely. The new King declared that he chose the name Edward as an honoured name borne by six of his predecessors, and that he did not wish to diminish the status of his father with whom alone among royalty the name Albert should be associated. It is likely that personal conflicts with his parents influenced the king's decision.

In 1936, after the abdication crisis, Prince Albert, Duke of York, assumed the throne as King George VI. This was an effort to reinforce the stability of the monarchy, by using the name of his father King George V, as well as to continue Edward VII's tradition of not being King Albert.

However most British monarchs use their first baptismal name as their regnal name. When Princess Elizabeth as Heir Presumptive became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1952, she was asked what name she wished to use, and she responded, "Why, my own name; what else?" There had been speculation that she would leave the name Elizabeth as the unique possession of the earlier monarch who, as a consequence of the accession of Elizabeth II, has been since 1952 known as Elizabeth I of England. However, in Scotland, the title Elizabeth II caused some controversy, as there has never been an Elizabeth I in Scotland. In a rare act of sabotage, new Royal Mail post boxes in Scotland, bearing the initials "E II R", were vandalised. (Prior to Queen Elizabeth, Scottish boxes had borne the monarch's initials, but no crown.) To avoid further problems, post boxes and Royal Mail vehicles in Scotland now bear only the Crown of Scotland and no Royal cypher. A legal case, MacCormick v. Lord Advocate (1953 SC 396), was taken to contest the right of The Queen to style herself Elizabeth II within Scotland, arguing that to do so would be a breach of the Act of Union. The case was lost on the grounds that the pursuers had no title to sue the Crown, and also that the numbering of monarchs was part of the royal prerogative, and not governed by the Act of Union.

It is rumoured that Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George) would wish to assume the regnal name of "George VII" upon his accession to the throne as opposed to "Charles III" in light of the perceived unpopularity of both previous British kings who reigned using the name Charles.^[1] Charles I was beheaded for treason during the English Civil War (1642-1660) following his trial. His rule remains controversial; his son, Charles II, while in many ways popular, was nonetheless regarded with suspicion for his Catholic sympathies—suspicions borne out by his deathbed conversion—and for allowing the succession of his outwardly Catholic brother, James II. The regnal name George is dynastically acceptable to the Windsor family. Another possibility would be the double-barrelled Charles George. Should Scotland become independent before Charles ascends to the throne, there is the possibility that he may decide to reign as Charles III in Scotland and George VII in England.

[edit] Regnal names in fiction

In Star Wars, those people of Naboo who entered into political life adopted a "Name of State." This name of state is used for public occasions and represents the honor and dignity of the office one chooses. Padmé Naberrie adopted the name of Amidala. The leader of the Mandalorians traditionally took the name Mandalore to replace his own, but this practice was discontinued. People who become Sith Lords also adopt a new name (usually with the title "Darth"), and are said to have become a different person, most famously Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader.
Ralph Jones (John Goodman) — the King of the United Kingdom in the movie King Ralph — was asked to consider taking a regnal name by his private secretary. Ralph decided to keep his original name.
When Kiril Pavlovich Lakota (Anthony Quinn) is elected pope in the movie The Shoes of the Fisherman, he breaks with tradition and decides to continue being known by his given name, thus becoming Pope Kiril I. He explains that he was taking the name in honor of Saint Cyril.
Upon ascending to the thrones of Gondor and Arnor, Aragorn of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings takes the name Elessar (Quenya; Elfstone), which was given to him by Galadriel.
In the Transformers universe, leaders of the Autobots often lead under a new name. A3 led as Alpha Trion, Orion Pax as Optimus Prime, and Hot Rod as Rodimus Prime. However, the recipient of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership often displays a marked change in personality as well as their body changing form; as such taking a different name may be due to them being considered separate entities.
In Sailor Moon, the character Usagi Tsukino was called Princess Serenity in a past life. When she regains her royal status, as the ruler of "Crystal Tokyo," she changes her name to Neo-Queen Serenity.
In the Halo franchise the three Prophet Hierarchs of the Covenant assume new names upon taking office.^[2]