Naming rights for the months of the year go back to Roman times. The ancient Romans gave us numerous innovations, including the Julian Calendar (named after Julius Caesar).
The name January is very appropriate for the first month of the year, drawing the name from Janus, the Roman god of new beginnings. The name Janus is based on the Latin word for “doorway.” So, in January, we walk through the doorway to a new beginning.
The second King of Rome, Numa Pompilius, is the one who added the name January (Ianuarius in Latin) to the ancient Roman calendar in 713 BCE.
