Torquato

Origin and meaning of Torquato

Torquato comes from the Latin Torquatus, from torquis, the 'twisted collar' or torque: it was the cognomen of the consul Titus Manlius, who by legend tore the ornament from a defeated Gallic warrior. It therefore means 'adorned with a torque'. The name owes its fame above all to Torquato Tasso, author of Jerusalem Delivered and one of Italy's greatest poets. Today it is rare, with a literary, solemn flavour; it stays almost exclusively Italian, with the Spanish variant Torcuato.

Variants around the world

How Torquato sounds in other languages.

Famous people

• Torquato Tasso— poet