Cornelius

Cornelius is a Latin name derived from the Roman family name Cornelius, itself most likely connected to the Latin word cornu, meaning horn. It was borne by one of the most prominent patrician clans of ancient Rome, the gens Cornelia, whose members included the general Scipio Africanus and the reformers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. In the New Testament, Cornelius is a Roman centurion in Caesarea who becomes one of the first Gentile converts to Christianity, lending the name lasting use among Christians throughout Europe. Related forms include Corneel and Kees in Dutch, Kornelius in German and Scandinavian traditions, and the feminine variant Cornelia.