The name March is ultimately derived from the Latin word Martius (named after Mars, the Roman god of war). Martius was the name of the first month in the original Roman calendar. Along with January, May, and June, March is one of several months named after a god.

The Roman ruler, Numa Pompilius, is traditionally credited with adding January and February to the calendar, thus making March the third month of the year. While many have adopted this calendar (the Gregorian calendar), some cultures and religions still celebrate the start of the new year on March 1. In Iran, New Year’s Day is celebrated on March 21. In ancient Rome, March marked the start of the military campaign season. While it is tempting to connect the word march, as “march into battle,” with this month, to march comes from the Old French marchier, “to tread, move,” possibly from a Frankish (ancient Germanic language) root meaning “to mark, pace out,” related to mark.