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The Roman Calendar Origin

Modern month names descend from the Roman calendar. The original Roman calendar had only 10 months (March through December), starting in March when the military season began. Two months — January and February — were added around 713 BC by King Numa Pompilius, shifting the year's start to January.

January to June: Gods and Concepts

• January (Januarius): Named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and doorways, depicted with two faces looking forward and backward — fitting for the year's start.
• February (Februarius): From februum, a Roman purification ritual held during this month. It was a time of sacrifice and cleansing.
• March (Martius): Named after Mars, god of war — the month military campaigns began.
• April (Aprilis): Disputed — possibly from Aphrodite (Venus), or from aperire ("to open") as nature opens in spring.
• May (Maius): Named after Maia, goddess of growth and the earth.
• June (Junius): Named after Juno, goddess of marriage and queen of the gods — a favorable month for weddings.

July and August: Emperors Take Over

• July (Julius): Originally Quintilis ("fifth month"), renamed after Julius Caesar in 44 BC following his assassination — the first month named after a person.
• August (Augustus): Originally Sextilis ("sixth month"), renamed in 8 BC after Emperor Augustus, who felt his month should be as long as Caesar's July (both are 31 days).

September to December: The Mislabeled Months

The final four months carry number names from the original 10-month calendar, now off by two because January and February were prepended:

• September: Septem = 7 (was the 7th month; now the 9th)
• October: Octo = 8 (was the 8th; now the 10th)
• November: Novem = 9 (was the 9th; now the 11th)
• December: Decem = 10 (was the 10th; now the 12th)

Korean Month Names

In Korean, months are simply numbered: 1월 (January = "1st month"), 2월, 3월, and so on. This practical system avoids etymological confusion entirely — though Korean also uses the native names for traditional lunar months (정월, 이월, 삼월…) in cultural contexts.