Fabianus

Fabianus is the Latin form of the given name Fabian, used in ancient Rome and in later Latin writings. It derives from the Roman gens Fabius, with the suffix -anus indicating belonging to or descended from, and it was used to denote a person connected with the Fabian family. The masculine form Fabianus appears in classical and late antique inscriptions, literary texts, and hagiographies, and has given rise to modern variants such as Fabian and Fabiano.

In Christian tradition, Fabianus is most prominently associated with Pope Fabian (Pope Fabianus). According to church history, he served as bishop of Rome circa 236–250 during the Decian persecution and is venerated as a saint. His feast day is January 20, shared in many calendars with Saint Sebastian. Very little reliable contemporary evidence survives about his life, and much of what is known comes from later martyrologies and ecclesiastical lists.

Beyond the pope, the name Fabianus appears for other early Christian figures in religious writings, though details are fragmentary. In general, Fabianus reflects a Roman naming pattern that persisted in Latin Christian literature and in Latinized forms of names across medieval and early modern texts.

Today, Fabianus is largely of historical interest. In modern usage, the name is uncommon, with Fabian and Fabiano as the more typical variants. The form Fabianus appears primarily in scholarly discussions of Latin onomastics and in translations of ancient sources.