Surnames of Famous Doctors

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It was customary in the Middle Ages to designate the more celebrated among the doctors by certain epithets or surnames which were supposed to express their characteristic excellence or dignity. This was especially the case with the doctors in law and theology. The following list exhibits the principal surnames with the dates of death.

Doctors in theology

Abstractionum — Francis Mayron, O.F.M., 1325 or 1327.
Acutissimus — Sixtus IV, 1484.
Acutus — Gabriel Vasquez, S.J., 1604.
Amoenus — Robert Conton, O.F.M., 1340.
Angelicus — St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P., 1274.
Arca testamenti — St. Anthony of Padua, 1231.
Authenticus — Gregory of Rimini, O.S.A., 1358.
Averroista et philosophiae parens — Urbanus, O.S.M., 1403.
Beatus et fundatissimus — Ægidius of Colonna, O.S.A., 1316.
Bonus — Walter Brinkley, O.F.M., 1310.
Christianus — Nicholas of Cusa, 1464.
Clarus — Louis of Montesinos, 1621.
Clarus ac subtilis — Denis of Cîteaux, 15th cent.
Collectivus — Landolfo Caracciolo, O.F.M., 1351.
Columna doctorum — William of Champeaux, O.S.B., 1121.
Contradictionum — Johann Wessel, 1489.
Divinus Ecstaticus — John Ruysbroeck, Can. Reg., 1381.
Doctor doctorum Scholasticus — Anselm of Laon, 1117.
Dulcifluus — Antonius Andreas, O.F.M., 1320.
Ecstaticus — Denys the Carthusian, 1471.
Eminens — St. John of Matha, O.Trin., 1213.
Emporium theologiae — Laurent Gervais, O.P., 1483.
Exellentissimus — Antonio Corsetti, 1503.
Eximius — Francisco Francisco Suárez, S.J., 1617.
Facundus — Petrus Aureoli, O.F.M., 1322.
Famosissimus — Petrus Alberti, O.S.B., 1426.
Famosus — Bertrand de la Tour, O.F.M., 1334.
Fertilis — Francis of Candia, O.F.M., 15th cent.
Flos mundi — Maurice O'Fiehely, O.F.M. Abp of Tuam, 1513.
Fundamentalis — Joannes Faber of Bordeaux, 1350.
Fundatissimus — see Beatus.
Fundatus — William Ware, O.F.M., 1270.
Illibatus — Alexander Alamannicus, O.F.M., 15th cent.
Illuminatus — Francis Mayron, O.F.M., 1325-27; Raymond Lully, O.F.M., 1315.
Illuminatus et sublimis — Joannes Tauler, O.P., 1361.
Illustratus — Franciscus Picenus, O.F.M., 14th cent.
Illustris — Adam of Marisco, O.F.M., 1308.
Inclytus — William Mackelfield, O.P., 1300.
Ingeniosissimus — Andrew of Newcastle, O.F.M., 1300.
Inter Aristotelicos Aristotelicissimus — Haymo of Faversham, O.F.M., 1244.
Invincibilis — Petrus Thomas, O.F.M., 14th cent.
Irrefragibilis — Alexander of Hales, O.F.M., 1245.
Magister Sententiarum — Peter Lombard, 1164.
Magnus — Albertus Magnus, O.P., 1280; Gilbert of Cîteaux, O.Cist, 1280.
Marianus — St. Anselm of Canterbury, O.S.B., 1109.
Mellifluus — Bernard, O.Cist, 1153.
Mirabilis — Antonio Perez, S.J., 1649; Roger Bacon, O.F.M., 1294.
Moralis — Gerard Eudo, O.F.M., 1349.
Notabilis — Pierre de l'Ile, O.F.M., 14th cent.
Ordinatissimus — Johannes de Bassolis, O.F.M., c. 1347.
Ornatissimus et sufficiens — Petrus de Aquila, O.F.M., 1344.
Parisiensis — Guy de Perpignan, O.Carm, 1342.
Planus et utilis — Nicolas de Lyre, O.F.M., 1340.
Praeclarus — Peter of Kaiserslautern, O.Praem, 1330.
Praestantissimus — Thomas Netter (of Walden), O.Carm, 1431.
Profundissimus — Paul of Venice, O.S.A., 1428; Gabriel Biel, Can. Reg., 1495; Juan Alfonso Curiel, O.S.B., 1609.
Profundus — Thomas Bradwardine, 1349.
Refulgidus — Alexander V, 1410.
Resolutissimus — Durandus of Saint-Pourcain, O.P., 1334.
Resolutus — John Bacon, O.Carm., 1346.
Scholasticus — Peter Abelard, 1142; Gilbert de la Porrée, 1154; Peter Lombard, 1164; Peter of Poitiers, 1205; Hugh of Newcastle, O.F.M., 1322.
Seraphicus — St. Bonaventure, O.F.M., 1274.
Singularis et invincibilis — William of Occam, O.F.M., 1347 or 1359.
Solemnis — Henry of Ghent, 1293.
Solidus Copiosus — Richard of Middleton, O.F.M., 1300.
Speculativus — James of Viterbo, O.S.A., 1307.
Sublimis — Francis de Bachone, O.Carm., 1372; Jean Courte-Cuisse, 1425.
Subtilis — Duns Scotus, O.F.M., 1308.
Subtilissimus — Peter of Mantua, 14th cent.
Succinctus — Francis of Ascoli, c. 1344.
Universalis — Alanus of Lille, 1202; Gilbert, Bishop. of London, 1134.
Venerabilis et Christianissimus — Jean Gerson, 1429.
Venerandus — Geoffroy de Fontibus, O.F.M., 1240.
Vitae Arbor — Johannes Wallensis, O.F.M., 1300

Doctors in law

Aristotelis Anima — Johannes Dondus, 1380.
Doctor a Doctoribus — Antonius Franciscus, 1528.
Fons Canonum — Johannes Andrea, 1348.
Fons Juris Utriusque — Henry of Susa (Ostia), 1267-81.
Lucerna Juris — Baldus de Ubaldis, 1400.
Lucerna Juris Pontificii — Nicholas Tedeschi, O.S.B., 1445.
Lumen Juris — Clement IV, 1268.
Lumen Legum — Irnerius, 13th cent.
Memoriosissimus — Ludovicus Pontanus, 1439.
Monarcha Juris — Bartholomew of Saliceto, 1412.
Os Aureum — Bulgarus, 1166.
Pacificus (Proficuus) — Nicolas Bonet, O.F.M., 1360.
Pater Decretalium — Gregory IX, 1241.
Pater et Organum Veritatis — Innocent IV, 1254.
Pater Juris — Innocent III, 1216.
Pater Peritorum — Pierre de Belleperche, 1307.
Planus ac Perspicuus — Walter Burleigh, 1337.
Princeps Subtilitatum — Francesco d'Accolti, 1486.
Speculator — William Durandus, 1296.
Speculum Juris — Bartholus of Sassoferrato, 1359.
Subtilis — Benedict Raymond, 1440; Filippo Corneo, 1462.
Verus — Thomas Doctius, Siena, 1441

About this page

APA citation. Pace, E. (1909). Surnames of Famous Doctors. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05074a.htm

MLA citation. Pace, Edward. "Surnames of Famous Doctors." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05074a.htm>.

Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Gerard Haffner.

Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. May 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.

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