Julius Caesar… but not the one you are thinking of

Whilst reading something related to the Tudors I came across an intriguing name: Julius Caesar. But this isn’t, as the blog post title states, not the Julius Caesar that you would immediately think of. Rather than the man from the Roman era who brought about the fall of the Republic, this other Julius Caesar was a British lawyer who was born near Tottenham.

This Julius Caesar appears to have been similar to his Roman namesake in that both were politically ambitious. Our British Caesar attempted to obtain honours and patronage with the late Tudor state, and it is even stated that he dined with Queen Elizabeth herself. Later, in the Stuart age, he achieved the distinction of becoming knighted and also became a notable landowner.

Why would someone call their son Julius Caesar? It seems, at first glance, as if it was made due to mockery or for satire purposes. Today, in the UK, the General Registry Office can refuse to register names that are deemed offensive or obscene, which rules out a range of swear words. They can also refuse names if could result in a child becoming ridiculed, or even misleading; for example, the first name “King” can be rejected due to it possibility leading to confusion with official titles. Even names after historical figures could be refused, particularly with someone as notorious in world history as Adolf Hitler.

Of course, the General Registry Office was not an active organisation in Tudor England, and therefore it could not prevent the naming of Julius Caesar. Furthermore, the Roman Julius Caesar now may be known for his attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic and to subvert democracy, but in Tudor England this historical figure would have likely been trumpeted for his leadership skills and ability to command others (particularly after the publication of Shakespeare’s play on him). Therefore, being named Julius Caesar was not to mock or ridicule, but rather done so as a reflection of the family’s humanist and Renaissance education and values.

Perhaps the most confusing element is how Julius Caesar is not named directly after his father. His father was called Cesare Adelmare, and he came to Tudor England to serve as a doctor, and he became noted as being one of Queen Mary’s favourite doctors. So, shouldn’t it be simply Julius Adelmare? This can be explained due to the 16th century not retaining strict surnames, with some surnames fluctuating and changing over time. For example, Walter Raleigh’s and William Shakespeare’s own surnames were spelt differently on a variety of different occasions, with “Raleigh” never actually being used by Walter Raleigh himself. Furthermore, Cesare Adelmare was a foreigner, and there are many examples in history of migrants changing their name to suit the context of their new country. So, Giovanni Caboto became John Cabot, and Israel Beilin became Irving Berlin. With Cesare Adelmare, the Cesare part of his name became the utilised surname and was spelt slightly differently to Caesar.

All of this made me consider how there may be other famous names appearing in other unlikely periods of history. For example, is there a Joseph Stalin in Georgian England, or perhaps a Robin Hood in 1920s New York? If anyone finds one, please be sure to let me know.