The former name of July was Quintilis. It was later renamed in 44 BC to July to honor Julius Caesar, born that month. The original Roman calendar had ten months, beginning with Martius (March) and ending with December. Here are the origins of the ten-month names:
| Month | Origin |
| March | The Roman god of battle, Mars, inspired the name Martius. |
| April | Aprilis is considered to derive from the Latin word “aperire” which means “to open”. |
| May | Maius is named after Maia, a Roman goddess related to fertility and growth. |
| June | Junius is named after Juno, the Roman gods and goddesses’ ruler. |
| July | July to honor Julius Caesar, the previous name Quintilis, which means “fifth” in Latin. |
| August | Named to honor the first Roman emperor Augustus, the previous name Sextilis means “sixth” in Latin. |
| September | The Latin word “Septem” means “seven”. |
| October | “Octo,” which means “eight” is the Latin root of the term “October”. |
| November | The Latin word “novem” which means “nine”. |
| December | The Latin word “decem” means “ten”. |
These ancient names reflect the agricultural and religious significance of every month in the Roman calendar. Later, the calendar was modified and new months were added.