Meaning & Story
A Latin name meaning eighth, from the Roman numeral eight — given to the eighth child or born in the eighth month, suggesting an orderly, aristocratic Roman quality with a particular musical and artistic resonance.
Octavia is a name of considerable magnificence. It has the full weight of classical Rome behind it, combined with a beautiful musicality — those four syllables arrive with the unhurried confidence of someone who knows they don't need to rush. In Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, Octavia is the dignified counterpoint to Cleopatra's passion: composed, regal, entirely sure of herself. For a cat especially, Octavia is close to perfect — it has that particular feline quality of being absolutely certain of one's own importance.