Amadeus

Amadeus is a Latin name combining the ideas of love and God. It is most familiar through Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose name connects it strongly with classical music. The religious meaning and the musical association are separate reasons a family might choose it; neither requires the child to be named directly after the composer.

Peter Shaffer used Amadeus as the title of his play about Mozart and Salieri, later adapted into a film. Related forms include Italian Amedeo, Spanish Amadeo, and French Amédée. Their different endings and spellings reflect language traditions rather than different basic meanings. The full Amadeus preserves the visibly Latin form and its longstanding devotional construction.