Magnus
Encyclopedia
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was sometimes used as a first name among Romans but was not particularly common among them. The best-known Roman bearing the name was the third-century usurper
. The name gained wider popularity in the Middle Ages, various European peoples, and their royal houses, being introduced to it upon being converted to the Latin-speaking Catholic Christianity. This was especially the case with Scandinavia
n royalty and nobility.
As a Scandinavian forename, it was extracted from the Frankish ruler Charlemagne
's Latin name "Carolus Magnus" and re-analyzed as Old Norse
magn-hús = "house of might/power".
Magnus may refer to:
Magnus (Roman usurper)
Magnus was a Roman usurper.Magnus was a senator of consular rank. After the death of Emperor Alexander Severus there was much ill-feeling in the Senate about the elevation of Maximinus Thrax to the throne. A group of officers and senators under the leadership of Magnus plotted to overthrow Maximinus...
. The name gained wider popularity in the Middle Ages, various European peoples, and their royal houses, being introduced to it upon being converted to the Latin-speaking Catholic Christianity. This was especially the case with Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n royalty and nobility.
As a Scandinavian forename, it was extracted from the Frankish ruler Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
's Latin name "Carolus Magnus" and re-analyzed as Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
magn-hús = "house of might/power".
Magnus may refer to:
Kings of Norway
- Magnus I of NorwayMagnus I of NorwayMagnus I , known as the Good or the Noble, was the King of Norway from 1035 to 1047 and the King of Denmark from 1042 to 1047. He was an illegitimate son of king Olaf II of Norway, but fled with his mother in 1028 when his father was dethroned. In 1035 he returned to Norway and was crowned king at...
(1024–1047) - Magnus II of NorwayMagnus II of NorwayMagnus II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1066 to 1069, jointly with his brother Olaf Kyrre from 1067.-Background:Magnus was a son of King Harald III of Norway...
(1048–1069) - Magnus III of NorwayMagnus III of NorwayMagnus Barefoot or Magnus III Olafsson was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1103.-Background:...
(1073–1103) - Magnus IV of NorwayMagnus IV of NorwayMagnus IV Sigurdsson , also known as Magnus the Blind, was King of Norway from 1130 to 1135 and again from 1137 to 1139. His period as king marked the beginning of the civil war era in Norway, which lasted until 1240....
(c. 1115–1139) - Magnus V of NorwayMagnus V of NorwayMagnus V Erlingsson was a King of Norway during the Civil war era in Norway.-Biography:Magnus Erlingsson was probably born in Etne in Hordaland. He was the son of Erling Skakke. His father was a Norwegian nobleman who earned his reputation crusading with Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, the Earl of Orkney...
(1156–1184) - Magnus VI of NorwayMagnus VI of NorwayMagnus VI Lagabøte or Magnus Håkonsson , was king of Norway from 1263 until 1280.-Early life:...
(1238–1280)
Kings of Sweden
- Magnus I of SwedenMagnus I of SwedenMagnus I of Sweden, son of Nicholas , later called Magnus the Strong , was a Danish duke who ruled Gothenland in southern Sweden from 1125 to 1130...
(c. 1106–1134) - Magnus II of Sweden (died 1161)
- Magnus III of SwedenMagnus III of SwedenMagnus III Ladulås of Sweden, Swedish: Magnus Birgersson or Magnus Ladulås was King of Sweden from 1275 until his death in 1290....
(1240–1290) - Magnus IV of SwedenMagnus IV of SwedenMagnus Eriksson as Magnus IV was king of Sweden , including Finland, as Magnus VII King of Norway , including Iceland and Greenland, and also ruled Scania . He has also vindictively been called Magnus Smek...
(1316–1374), also Magnus VII of Norway
King of Livonia
- Magnus of Livonia (1540–1583), also Duke of Holstein
Dukes
- Magnus, Duke of SaxonyMagnus, Duke of SaxonyMagnus was the duke of Saxony from 1072 to 1106. Eldest son and successor of Ordulf and Wulfhild of Norway, he was the last member of the House of Billung.-Rebellion:...
(c. 1045–1106) - Magnus the Pious, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgMagnus the Pious, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgMagnus , called the Pious , was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.The son of Albert the Fat, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Magnus was still a minor when his father died in 1318; he and his brother Ernest were put under the guardianship of their elder brother Otto, who continued as sole ruler even after his...
(before 1318–1369) - Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgMagnus II, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgMagnus , called Magnus with the Necklace or Magnus II, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, ruling the Brunswick-Lüneburg principalities of Wolfenbüttel and, temporarily, Lüneburg....
(1324–1373), also known as Magnus with the Necklace - Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-LauenburgMagnus I, Duke of Saxe-LauenburgMagnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg was a Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg from the House of Ascania.-Life:...
(1488–1543)
Other
- Magnus (Roman usurper)Magnus (Roman usurper)Magnus was a Roman usurper.Magnus was a senator of consular rank. After the death of Emperor Alexander Severus there was much ill-feeling in the Senate about the elevation of Maximinus Thrax to the throne. A group of officers and senators under the leadership of Magnus plotted to overthrow Maximinus...
(died 235) - Magnus MaximusMagnus MaximusMagnus Maximus , also known as Maximianus and Macsen Wledig in Welsh, was Western Roman Emperor from 383 to 388. As commander of Britain, he usurped the throne against Emperor Gratian in 383...
, Roman usurper and Western Roman Emperor (died 388) - Magnus (consul 460) (c. 390 or 405 – 475)
- Magnus (bishop), Roman Catholic Bishop of Turku between 1291 and 1308
- Magnus of Nisibis, Alexandrian doctor and professor of the fourth century
- Pompey Magnus, Roman consul and general who was given the honorific "Magnus"
Saints
- Magnus of CuneoMagnus of CuneoSaint Magnus of Cuneo is venerated as a member of the legendary Theban Legion. The center of his cult is situated at the mountain sanctuary known as the Santuario di San Magno, in the Valle Grana, Castelmagno, in the province of Cuneo....
(died 3rd century) - Magnus of MilanMagnus (bishop of Milan)Magnus was Archbishop of Milan from 518 to c. 530. He is honoured as a saint in the Catholic Church.-Life:Almost nothing is known about the life and the episcopate of Magnus...
, bishop of Milan from 518 to c. 530 - Magnus of AvignonMagnus of AvignonSaint Magnus of Avignon was a bishop and governor of Avignon, his native city. He was a Gallo-Roman senator. A widower, he was the father of Saint Agricola of Avignon. Magnus became a monk and then became bishop of Avignon. He appointed his son coadjutor. He is the patron saint of fish dealers...
(died 660), bishop and governor of Avignon - Magnus of FüssenMagnus of FüssenSaint Magnus of Füssen, otherwise Magnoald or Mang, was a missionary saint in southern Germany, also known as the Apostle of the Allgäu. He is believed to have been a contemporary either of Saint Gall or of Saint Boniface and is venerated as the founder of St. Mang's Abbey, Füssen.-Life:There is...
, missionary saint of southern Germany, seventh or eighth century - Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of OrkneyMagnus Erlendsson, Earl of OrkneySaint Magnus, Earl Magnus Erlendsson of Orkney, sometimes known as Magnus the Martyr, was the first Earl of Orkney to bear that name, and ruled from 1108 to about 1115...
(1075-1115?) - Albertus MagnusAlbertus MagnusAlbertus Magnus, O.P. , also known as Albert the Great and Albert of Cologne, is a Catholic saint. He was a German Dominican friar and a bishop, who achieved fame for his comprehensive knowledge of and advocacy for the peaceful coexistence of science and religion. Those such as James A. Weisheipl...
(born 1193-1206, died 1280), German theologian and philosopher
People with the family name Magnus
- Elisabeth von MagnusElisabeth von MagnusElisabeth von Magnus is an Austrian classical mezzo-soprano.- Family :...
, Austrian singer - Heinrich Gustav Magnus, professor of chemistry
- Heinrich Magnus, German physicist who discovered the Magnus effect
- Ludwig Immanuel MagnusLudwig Immanuel MagnusLudwig Immanuel Magnus was a German Jewish mathematician who, in 1831, published a paper about the inversion transformation, which leads to inversive geometry....
, German mathematician - Wilhelm MagnusWilhelm MagnusWilhelm Magnus was a mathematician. He made important contributions in combinatorial group theory, Lie algebras, mathematical physics, elliptic functions, and the study of tessellations....
, German mathematician - Siobhan MagnusSiobhan MagnusSiobhan Evelyn Magnus is an American singer-songwriter from Barnstable, Massachusetts who was the sixth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
, American singer
In fiction
- Magnus Bane, gay warlock in The Mortal Instruments book series
- Leon Magnus, a character from Tales of Destiny
- Will MagnusWill MagnusDoctor Will Magnus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men; he was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.-Fictional character biography:...
, a scientist character in the DC Comics universe - Dr. Helen Magnus, Ashley Magnus, characters in the Canadian fantasy TV series Sanctuary
People with the given name Magnus
- Magnus W. AlexanderMagnus W. AlexanderMagnus W. Alexander was a German-born American electrical engineer and a technical designer for the General Electric Company and the Westinghouse Electric Company...
, German engineer - Magnus ArvedsonMagnus ArvedsonMagnus Arvedson is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey left winger who played 7 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks...
, Swedish ice hockey player - Magnus BahneMagnus BahneMagnus Bahne is a Finnish footballer goalkeeper, currently playing for FC Inter Turku.-Club career:Bahne started his career in FC Inter Turku and at the age 20 he became the number one goalkeeper of the team...
, Finnish footballer - Magnus BäckstedtMagnus BäckstedtMagnus Bäckstedt is a Swedish professional road bicycle racer.He began as a skier, selected for the national team when he was 14. His greatest achievement in cycling is winning Paris–Roubaix in 2004. Bäckstedt is 1m 93 tall and weighs 94 kg...
, a Swedish road cyclist - Magnus BetnérMagnus BetnérMagnus Lennarth Betnér is a Swedish comedian who has been acting in Swedish comedy shows such as Parlamentet, Tack gode Gud, Veckans nyheter, Extra! Extra!, Stockholm Live and Sverige dansar och ler, and early September he made his own show named I ditt ansikte . In 2005 he got an award as the...
, a Swedish comedian - Magnus CarlsenMagnus CarlsenSven Magnus Øen Carlsen is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and chess prodigy who is currently the number-one ranked player in the world. In January 2010 he became the seventh player ranked number one in the world on the official FIDE rating list...
, Norwegian chess grandmaster - Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of OrkneyMagnus Erlendsson, Earl of OrkneySaint Magnus, Earl Magnus Erlendsson of Orkney, sometimes known as Magnus the Martyr, was the first Earl of Orkney to bear that name, and ruled from 1108 to about 1115...
- Magnus HirschfeldMagnus HirschfeldMagnus Hirschfeld was a German physician and sexologist. An outspoken advocate for sexual minorities, Hirschfeld founded the Scientific Humanitarian Committee, which Dustin Goltz called "the first advocacy for homosexual and transgender rights."-Early life:Hirschfeld was born in Kolberg in a...
, German physician and sexologist - Magnus LarssonMagnus LarssonPer Henrik Magnus Larsson is a former professional tennis player from Sweden.Larsson turned professional in 1989 and won his first top-level singles title at Florence in 1990. His first doubles title was also won in Florence, in 1991.Some of the most significant highlights of Larsson's career came...
, former professional tennis player from Sweden - Magnus MagnussonMagnus MagnussonMagnus Magnusson KBE was a television presenter, journalist, translator and writer. He was born in Iceland but lived in Scotland for almost all of his life, although he never took British citizenship...
, Icelandic-born BBC personality and Mastermind quiz-master - Magnus NormanMagnus NormanMagnus Norman is a retired Swedish professional tennis player who is best known for being the runner-up at the French Open in 2000 and for briefly being ranked World Number 2. He won 12 singles titles, including a Tennis Masters Series tournament in Rome, Italy.Norman reached his career high...
, former professional Swedish tennis player - Max Magnus NormanMax Magnus NormanCal Henrik Max Magnus Norman is a Swedish artist, painter, and sculptor.Norman was born in Sundsvall, Medelpad, he currently lives and works in Ekerö, Stockholm. He paints visions and dreamlike images as accurately as possible, which results in paintings with a photorealistic quality...
, contemporary artist - Magnús Ver MagnússonMagnús Ver MagnússonMagnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....
of Iceland, four-time World’s Strongest Man champion - Magnus SamuelssonMagnus SamuelssonMagnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco...
, a Swedish strongman and former World's Strongest Man - Magnús SchevingMagnús SchevingMagnús Örn Eyjólfsson Scheving was born 10 November 1964 to Þórveig Hjartardóttir and Eyjólfur Magnússon Scheving. He is an Icelandic writer, producer, entrepreneur, and a famous athlete. He is the creator and co-star of the children's television show LazyTown.-Career:In 1992 he became the...
, creator and co-star of the children's television show LazyTown - Magnus BüchelMagnus BüchelMagnus Büchel is a retired male judoka from Liechtenstein, who competed for his native country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. In 1988 he was eliminated in the first round of the Men's Half-Middleweight division by Hong Kong's Lam Lap Hing...
, Liechtenstein judoka - Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson, Swedish hockey player
- Magnus RosénMagnus RosénKlas Magnus Rosén is a Swedish musician, born 1963 in Gothenburg, and is best known for being the bassist of the Swedish band HammerFall during the years 1997-2007....
, ex-HammerFall bassist - Prince Sverre Magnus of NorwayPrince Sverre Magnus of NorwayPrince Sverre Magnus of Norway is the second child of Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway and his wife Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway. Prince Sverre Magnus is a grandchild of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway...
, Prince of Norway
In fiction
- Magnus Bane, a character in the Mortal Instruments Trilogy
- Magnus EisengrimMagnus EisengrimMagnus Eisengrim is one of the major characters in The Deptford Trilogy, written by Robertson Davies.Magnus is one of the names taken on by Paul Dempster. Like several of the main characters in Davies' novel Paul undergoes a symbolic rebirth which is accompanied by a name change...
, a character in the Deptford Trilogy - Magnus Gallant, a main character in Ogre Battle 64
- Magnus (Marvel Comics), two characters in the Marvel universe
- Magnus Pym, the central character of A Perfect SpyA Perfect SpyA Perfect Spy by John le Carré is a novel about the mental and moral dissolution of a secret agent.-Plot introduction:A Perfect Spy is the tale of Magnus Pym, a long-time spy for the United Kingdom. After attending his father's funeral, Pym mysteriously disappears...
- Magnus, Robot FighterMagnus, Robot FighterMagnus, Robot Fighter is a fictional comic book superhero created by writer/artist Russ Manning in 1963, based primarily on Tarzan. Magnus first appeared in Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. #1, published by Gold Key Comics in February 1963...
, a comic book character published by Gold Key and Valiant comics - Magnus the Red, a character in the Warhammer 40,000 universe
- Magnus, the official mascot of Cleveland State VikingsCleveland State VikingsThe Cleveland State Vikings, or Vikes, are the athletic teams of Cleveland State University. Before as Fenn College they were known as the Fenn College Foxes or Fenn Foxes. Cleveland State competes in NCAA Division I. They have been a member of the NCAA Division I since 1972. They were previously...
- Magnus (vampire), a character in The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
- Ultra MagnusUltra MagnusUltra Magnus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers storylines.-Transformers: Generation 1:The greatest Transformer of them all. A commander could want no finer a soldier than Ultra Magnus...
, several characters in the Transformers universe
Pseudonyms
- Magnus, pseudonym of American magician Jeff McBrideJeff McBrideJeff McBride is an American magician from Monticello New York. He is known for his sleight of hand skills and specializes in the manipulation of playing cards, coins, and other small objects. His stage performances blend elements of kabuki, a Japanese theater form, with traditional conjuring...
- Magnus, pen name of Italian comic book artist Roberto RaviolaRoberto RaviolaMagnus, pseudonym of Roberto Raviola, was an Italian comic book artist, regarded as one of the foremost cartoonists of all time in his country.-Biography:Born in Bologna in 1939, Raviola lived there for his whole life....
- Magnus (formerly Brutus Magnus), ring name of English professional wrestler Nick AldisNick AldisNicholas Harry "Nick" Aldis is an English professional wrestler and actor. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Magnus, where he is a one time World Tag Team Champion with Doug Williams...
(born 1986)