Fun Facts About the Name Quovadis
- 16 babies named Quovadis: U.S. records list 16 babies given the name Quovadis from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Quovadis Mean?
Quovadis is a given name taken from the Latin phrase quo vadis, meaning "Where are you going?" The phrase joins quo, "where" or "to what place," with vadis, the second-person singular present tense of vadere, "to go." It is literally a question addressed to one person, not a descriptive word like "strong" or "beloved." The one-word form treats the two Latin words as a single personal name, but its meaning remains the phrase's literal sense rather than a separate name meaning.
Quovadis Name History & Origins
The phrase quo vadis is Latin and appears in the Latin Bible at John 13:36, where Peter asks Jesus, "Domine, quo vadis?" ("Lord, where are you going?"). An expanded Christian legend, the apocryphal Acts of Peter, uses the same question in the story of Peter's flight from Rome: Peter meets Jesus on the road and asks where he is going, and Jesus replies that he is going to Rome to be crucified again. The episode is associated with the Appian Way church known as Domine Quo Vadis.
In modern English, the phrase became familiar as the title of Henryk Sienkiewicz's 1896 novel Quo Vadis, set in Nero's Rome, and later as the title of film adaptations. The title uses the phrase as a literary and historical allusion; it is not the source of the Latin words themselves. As a personal name, Quovadis is a one-word rendering of the phrase, so its history as a name is tied to the phrase's religious and literary associations rather than to an ancient Roman naming tradition.
How Popular is the Name Quovadis?
Quovadis has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1975. Its best rank was #8,733 in 1975.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | #11,794 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #8,733 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #9,397 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with Q
How the Name Quovadis Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a fine mind, and you like to talk. A relationship with unknown forces gives you secret strength and an air of mystery. You are deep. You seems to know what people think. You are diplomatic and know how to keep secrets. You attract money. You can be very unusual in habits and interests. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Quovadis's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Quovadis's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.