Remigius

Remigius is a masculine given name of Latin origin. The name has been borne by several Christian saints and clerics, particularly in late antiquity and the medieval period, and it continues to appear in historical and religious contexts.

The most prominent bearer is Saint Remigius, also known as Remigius of Reims, a bishop of Reims in the 5th and 6th centuries. Tradition places his episcopate from around 438 to 533. He is best known for baptizing Clovis I, king of the Franks, around 496, a pivotal event in the Christianization of Gaul. He helped establish the archdiocese of Reims and played a leading role in promoting Roman liturgical practices and church discipline in the Frankish realm. He is venerated as a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, with a feast day observed on October 1. His legacy, including the relics at Reims and the association with the early French church, contributed to the prestige of the city as a center of Christendom.

Beyond Remigius of Reims, the name was borne by other clerics in the Latin West during the Middle Ages, especially in Frankish and Holy Roman territories. The form Remigius gave rise to several regional variants, such as Rémi in French and Remigio in Italian, and it continues to appear as a historical or literary name in ecclesiastical contexts.

In modern usage, Remigius remains a recognized historical name, though it is now uncommon as a given name outside of religious or scholarly contexts.