What were the names of the cardinals who became popes?
Here is an updated list with the name of the cardinal who became pope.
| Papal Name | Last Used | Cardinal’s Name Before Election | How Long Ago | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian | Adrian VI (1523) | Adrian Florensz Boeyens | 502 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Agapetus | Agapetus II (955) | Not a cardinal; Abbot of St. Rufina | 1070 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Alexander | Alexander VIII (1691) | Pietro Vito Ottoboni | 334 years ago | Skipped |
| Anastasius | Anastasius IV (1154) | Corrado Demetri della Suburra | 871 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Benedict | Benedict XVI (2013) | Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger | 12 years ago | Possible |
| Boniface | Boniface IX (1404) | Piero Tomacelli | 621 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Celestine | Celestine V (1294) | Pietro del Morrone | 731 years ago | Very unlikely (abdication) |
| Clement | Clement XIV (1774) | Lorenzo Ganganelli | 251 years ago | Skipped |
| Cornelius | Cornelius (253) | Cornelius (no surname recorded) | 1772 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Damasus | Damasus II (1048) | Poppo, Bishop of Brixen | 977 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Eugene | Eugene IV (1447) | Gabriele Condulmer | 578 years ago | Skipped |
| Felix | Felix IV (530) | Felix (unknown surname) | 1495 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Gregory | Gregory XVI (1846) | Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari | 179 years ago | Possible |
| Honorius | Honorius IV (1287) | Giacomo Savelli | 738 years ago | Very unlikely |
| Innocent | Innocent XIII (1724) | Michelangelo dei Conti | 301 years ago | Skipped |
| John | John XXIII (1963) | Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli | 62 years ago | Possible |
| Julius | Julius III (1555) | Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte | 470 years ago | Skipped |
| Leo | Leo XIII (1903) | Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci | 122 years ago | Possible |
| Lucius | Lucius III (1185) | Ubaldo Allucingoli | 840 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Marcellus | Marcellus II (1555) | Marcello Cervini | 470 years ago | Skipped |
| Mark | Mark (336) | Marcus (no surname recorded) | 1689 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Martin | Martin V (1431) | Oddone Colonna | 594 years ago | Skipped |
| Nicholas | Nicholas V (1455) | Tommaso Parentucelli | 570 years ago | Skipped |
| Paschal | Paschal II (1118) | Ranierius | 907 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Paul | Paul VI (1978) | Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini | 47 years ago | Possible |
| Pius | Pius XII (1958) | Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli | 67 years ago | Possible |
| Sixtus | Sixtus V (1590) | Felice Peretti di Montalto | 435 years ago | Skipped |
| Stephen | Stephen IX (1058) | Frederick of Lorraine | 967 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Urban | Urban VIII (1644) | Maffeo Barberini | 381 years ago | Skipped |
| Victor | Victor III (1087) | Dauferius (Desiderius), Abbot of Monte Cassino | 938 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Zachary | Zachary (752) | Zacharias (no surname recorded) | 1273 years ago | Widely skipped |
| Francis | Francis (current) | Jorge Mario Bergoglio | – | New, unique |
| John Paul | John Paul I | Albino Luciani | 47 years ago (33 days) | New, unique |
| John Paul | John Paul II (2005) | Karol Józef Wojtyła | 20 years ago |
Recent cardinals kept their full birth names less often — they usually chose a name that sent a theological or historical message.
Earlier popes often kept parts of their given name (like Mark/Marcus, Cornelius).
Some future popes may reuse older names like Leo, Gregory, Pius, Paul — all carrying “strong” papal symbolism.
Unlikely names: Adrian, Honorius, Celestine, Mark, Cornelius (too long without reuse or associated controversies).
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