Given name
Festus
“firm, steadfast”·“a joyous man”
Festus is connected with Fachtna and Feichin in Irish naming traditions.
Original GreekΦηστος
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “firm, steadfast” and “a joyous man” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
In Irish use, Festus is used as a form of Fachtna. In Irish use, Festus is used as a form of Feichin.
The story
The name’s historical associations include some early saints.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Festus appears in Acts 24:27, Acts 25:11.
- Acts 24:27
- Acts 25:11
From biblical name research
Festus through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 371
- 371 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 16 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2023. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 758 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Festus’s family of names
Festus is a Latinized form of Fachtna. Festus is a Latinized form of Feichín. Festus has a related form in Festas.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Festus
- Festus MogaePresident of Botswana from 1998 to 20081939–2026
- Festus EzeliNigerian basketball player (born 1989)
- Festus OnigbindeNigerian football manager1938–2026
- Festus AguNigeria footballerborn 1975
- Festus KeyamoNigerian lawyer, critic, columnist and human rights activistborn 1970
- Festus Awuah KwofieGhanaian politicianborn 1967
- Festus BaiseNigerian professional footballerborn 1980
- Festus HommiusDutch theologian (1576-1642)
- Festus IyayiNigerian writer (1947–2013)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Festus, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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