Hortensio is a boy’s name of Latin origin, meaning “of the garden.” You might choose this name if you’re hoping baby will have green fingers, or if you just like the image of a beautiful garden! It derives from the Ancient Roman cognomen Hortensius, which is also the root of the names Hortensia and Hortense. In the Roman empire, a cognomen was a third, personal name that functioned as a nickname, and was passed down from father to son. William Shakespeare used the name Hortensio for one of Bianca’s suitors in his play The Taming of the Shrew.