How Popes Choose Their Names—and What They Signal

A Tradition Born From a Pagan Name

When a cardinal is elected pope, one of his first acts is choosing a new name. There are no written rules governing the decision — no committee, no shortlist, no formal criteria. Yet the choice is one of the most closely analyzed moments in Catholic life, because a papal name is a mission statement.

The tradition began in AD 533, when a Roman priest named Mercurius was elected to the papacy. He considered it inappropriate for Christ's representative on Earth to bear the name of a pagan god, so he became John II — the first pope to adopt a regnal name. The practice spread slowly. By the tenth century, as clerics from Germany and France ascended to the papacy, adopting a more traditionally Roman name became customary. Since 1555, when Marcellus II became the last pope to keep his baptismal name, every pontiff has chosen a new one.

What the Name Reveals

A papal name functions as a signal to the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide — and to secular governments watching closely. By selecting a predecessor's name, a pope aligns himself with that predecessor's legacy. By choosing a saint's name, he flags spiritual priorities.

In 1978, Cardinal Albino Luciani became the first pope to take a double name: John Paul I, honoring both John XXIII and Paul VI and signaling continuity with the reforming spirit of the Second Vatican Council. His successor took the same name to continue that message. In 2013, Jorge Bergoglio stunned the world by choosing Francis — a name no pope had ever used — to invoke St. Francis of Assisi's devotion to poverty and humility.

Most recently, Robert Prevost chose Leo XIV, explicitly linking himself to Leo XIII, whose 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum established modern Catholic social teaching on workers' rights. Prevost framed the choice as a response to a new industrial revolution driven by artificial intelligence — signaling that labor dignity would be central to his papacy.

The Most Popular — and the Forbidden — Names

Certain names dominate papal history. John leads with 21 popes, followed by Gregory (16), Benedict (16), and Clement (14). These names carry heavy institutional weight: Gregory I reformed the liturgy, Benedict of Nursia founded Western monasticism, and John evokes multiple biblical figures.

One name, however, remains untouched: Peter. No pope has ever taken the name Peter II, though no formal rule forbids it. The avoidance stems from reverence for St. Peter the Apostle, whom Jesus designated as the rock of the Church. Choosing the name would invite a comparison most consider presumptuous. A medieval prophecy that "Peter II" would be the last pope adds a layer of superstition to what is officially a matter of humility.

How the Moment Unfolds

The naming happens in the Sistine Chapel, immediately after a cardinal accepts his election. The Dean of the College of Cardinals asks: "By what name do you wish to be called?" The new pope announces his choice, and the name is recorded. Minutes later, the senior cardinal deacon steps onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and declares to the crowd: "Habemus Papam" — we have a pope — followed by the chosen name.

There is no deliberation period. Some popes have said they decided on a name long before the conclave; others have described making the choice in the emotional seconds after accepting the election. Either way, the name is irrevocable — it remains for the duration of the pontificate.

Why It Matters Beyond the Vatican

Papal names shape expectations. When Francis chose a name associated with simplicity, it pressured him to follow through — and he did, breaking with Vatican protocol on everything from papal residences to diplomatic language. When Leo XIV invoked a pope famous for defending workers against industrial exploitation, labor unions and social justice organizations immediately took notice.

In a Church governed by tradition, symbolism, and continuity, a name is never just a name. It is the first policy statement of a pontificate — delivered before a single word of doctrine is written.