October and the Octopus: The Curious Connection Between Eight Legs and the Tenth Month

Why October’s Name is a Throwback to Ancient Calendars – And Should We Consider Renaming It?

October and the Octopus

When we think of October, the image of falling leaves, cooler weather, and Halloween often comes to mind. But have you ever wondered if there’s a connection between October and the word “octopus”? It might sound odd, but both words share something in common: the number eight.

The Eight-Legged Connection

An octopus, as most people know, has eight legs. The “octo” part of its name comes from the Latin word for eight, which makes perfect sense. But what about October? If “octo” means eight, why is October the tenth month of the year?

To answer that question, we need to travel back in time—specifically to ancient Rome.

The Roman Calendar: A Year with Ten Months

In the earliest Roman calendar, there were only ten months in the year, starting with March. October, in this system, was the eighth month, which is where it got its name. Back then, the calendar was based more on the cycles of farming and seasons rather than the celestial movements we focus on today.

But as time went on, changes were made. Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar in 45 BC, which added two new months—January and February—at the beginning of the year. That pushed October to the tenth spot, but its name remained unchanged. Over 1,500 years later, the Gregorian calendar was introduced, which is the one we use today. Still, the names of the months, rooted in the ancient Roman system, stayed the same.

A Case of Misnumbered Months

October isn’t the only month with this historical mismatch. Several of the final months of the year carry names based on numbers that don’t align with their current order:

September means seven (but it’s the ninth month).
November means nine (but it’s the eleventh month).
December means ten (but it’s the twelfth month).

Despite their names no longer matching their calendar positions, these names have stuck for centuries.

Should We Update the Calendar?

This brings up an interesting question: Should we rename these months to something more modern? We now have a better understanding of the calendar and a clearer numbering system. Shouldn’t the months reflect their actual order?

Why isn’t August called October?

Let’s imagine what that might look like. If we were to change the names of October or the other months, what would we call them? Maybe something based on seasons or major events during that time of year? Or perhaps each month could be named after an element of nature or important historical figures.

Of course, convincing the entire world to adopt new names for the months would be quite the challenge. Changing something so deeply ingrained in our culture and history is no easy task.

Starting the Conversation

While it may seem impossible to change the names of months globally, change often starts with small conversations. You can start by discussing the idea with friends and family. See if they agree that a calendar update might make sense, or whether they feel that tradition should remain untouched. You might be surprised by how much debate this could stir up!

So, as we enter October, named for eight but standing as the tenth, let’s appreciate the history and tradition that comes with it. But let’s also keep our minds open to how things could evolve in the future.

Would you support renaming the months, or do you like the connection to history?

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