Augustine (given name)


Augustine is a masculine given name derived from the Latin word augere, meaning "to increase." The Latin form Augustinus is developed from Augustus which means "venerable" and was a title given to Roman emperors. Saint Augustine of Hippo was a significant early Christian theologian and Doctor of the Church and his prominence in Catholic and Protestant theology contributed to the given name's spread across Europe and into further continents through evangelism.
In both the vulgar of French and English used in the High Middle Ages, the name was frequently shortened to or pronounced as Aoustin or Austin respectively. For the latter, usage is attested at least back to the time of Chaucer. Within the United States, both Augustine and Austin have additionally been used for girls.
The shortened form, Austin, has ranked in the top 50 names given to baby boys born in the United States from 1990 to 2007. The Spanish form, Agustín, was the most popular name given to baby boys born in Uruguay in 2006 and in Chile in 2012 and 2013. Agustina, the Spanish feminine, was the third most popular name used for girls born in Uruguay in 2006 and was the fifth most popular name for baby girls born in Buenos Aires in 2006, as well as the tenth most popular in Chile in 2014.

Masculine variants