Achille

Achille is the French and Italian variant of the name Achilles, which has its origin in the ancient Greek name Achilleus (Ἀχιλλεύς). The exact origins of the name are not clearly defined.

What does the name Achille mean?

The name Achille is regarded as the French and Italian form of Achilles, tracing back to the ancient Greek name Achilleus (Ἀχιλλεύς). It is believed that the name means 'the pain of the people' or 'the suffering of the people'. Its origins likely stem from ancient Greek, composed of the elements ákhos (ἄχος), meaning 'the pain', 'the ailment', 'the sorrow', or 'the suffering', and lāós (λᾱός), which means 'the people', 'the humans', 'the folk', 'the warriors', or 'the army'. Achilleus was a famous hero of ancient Greek mythology and the son of Thetis and Peleus. During the Trojan War, he defeated Hector. Other variants of the name include Achilleas, Achilleo, Achill, and Aquiles, while the feminine form is Achillina. Achille(u)s and Nereus were two Christian Roman soldiers who died as martyrs around the year 304 under Diocletian.

Where does the name Achille come from?

The name Achille has an ancient Greek origin and means 'the pain of the people'.

How do you pronounce Achille?

The sound and pronunciation of the name Achille: It consists of three syllables and is rhythmically structured. In German pronunciation, it is usually pronounced as 'A-CHIL-le' [aˈkɪlə] or, leaning towards the French pronunciation, as [aˈʃil]. The name begins with an open A sound. The middle syllable receives the emphasis, giving the sound a certain tension. The ending '-le' sounds soft and gently fades out. This gives Achille a sonorous and traditional note – lively, distinctive, and at the same time elegant.

When is the name day of Achille?

The name day for Achille is celebrated on May 12, June 3, and June 13.

Popularity

Achille is a valued first name in Germany. Currently, it ranks 2,655th on the list of the most common male first names. Its best ranking was achieved in 2017 with 2,639th place. In the last ten years, Achille has been used as a first name about 40 times, placing it 3,843rd in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 4,587th.

Famous people

• Achille Allier (archaeologist from France)
• Achille Bocchi (writer from Italy)
• Achille Campanile (Italian writer)
• Achille Cattaneo (painter from Italy)
• Achille Compagnoni (mountaineer from Italy)
• Achille Coser (Italian footballer)
• Achille D'Orsi (Italian stonemason)
• Achille Emperaire (painter from France)
• Achille Errani (opera singer from Italy)
• Achille Eugene Finet (French botanist)
• Achille Fortier (musician from Canada)
• Achille Fraschini (football player from Italy)
• Achille Georges D'Ailly-Vaucheret (comedian)
• Achille Locatelli (Italian painter)
• Achille Maffre de Bauge (French poet)
• Achille Mollica (Italian painter)
• Achille Papapetrou (Greek physicist)
• Achille Peri (Italian composer)
• Achille Richard (French botanist)
• Achille Sannia (Italian mathematician)