Gustavus
goo-STAH-vus
A formal Latinized name linked to Gustav and often explained as “Goth’s staff” or related to Augustus.
Meaning
The name is tied to the Swedish Gustaf/Gustav, which older name books explain either as “Goth’s staff” or from elements meaning “good/God” and “staff.” Another common explanation in the excerpts is that Gustavus is a Latinized form of Gustav and may be a corruption of Augustus. The name was used in English as a learned or formal variant.
Origin
SwedishLatinGermanicmasculine
Fun fact
19th-century name books specifically note Gustavus as a contracted or corrupted form related to Augustus, and it appears in long ceremonial name strings like “Charles Caractacus Ostorius Maximilian Gustavus Adolphus.”