Titus

A Roman name with emperor's bearing, Titus likely comes from the Latin titulus, title of honor, though some trace it to an older Sabine root meaning defender. It belonged to the Roman emperor who completed the Colosseum, to a companion of Paul in the New Testament who has a short epistle addressed to him, and to Shakespeare's grimmest tragic hero. The name crossed into the U.S. top 400 only recently, lifted by a broader interest in names from the Epistles beyond the familiar four Gospels. Two quick syllables, both T's crisp. Titus reads strong and ancient, a name with marble columns and sun on them.