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 [ 3 syll. e-ra-smus, er-asm-us ] The boy name Erasmus is pronounced as ihRAEZMahS KEY. Erasmus is a German name of Old Greek origin. Old forms of the name include Erasmios (Greek), Erasmos (Old Greek), and Erasmus (Latin). The name is derived from 'erasmios' (beloved, desired) which is of the root 'eran' (to love). It was borne by the 4th-century Saint Erasmus (or Elmo) who was martyred in southern Italy. He is one of the 14 Holy Helpers and a patron saint of sailors. The electrical weather phenomenon St Elmo's fire, which is sometimes observed at the masthead of a ship, is named after him, signifying his protection. The name was given a boost in popularity by the famous Dutch humanist and theologian Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) of the Renaissance period, who was probably christened after the saint. He opposed the ostentation of the medieval church by emphasizing the basic Christian faith based on the Scriptures. The name was also borne by the poet and physician Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), the grandfather of Charles Darwin. The name was taken up by English speakers in the 17th century but it fell into disuse by the end of the 19th century; it is today mainly a Roman Catholic name. The Italian name Erasmo is a variant form of the name. The short forms Asmus (German) and Rasmus (German and Scandinavian), and the pet forms Elmo (Italian), Ermo (Italian), and Ras (German) are other variants of Erasmus. Erasmus is not commonly used as a baby boy name. It is not in the top 1000 names. A famous person named Erasmus is Author, Desiderius Erasmus, born 27 October 1466, Rotterdam, Holland. KEY: English pronunciation for Erasmus: IH as in "it (IH.T)" ; R as in "read (R.IY.D)" ; AE as in "at (AE.T)" ; Z as in "zee (Z.IY)" ; M as in "me (M.IY)" ; AH as in "hut (HH.AH.T)" ; S as in "sea (S.IY)"   |
