"Fortunato" is an Italian derivation of the Roman proper name "Fortunatus." It refers to a Latin adjective which means "blest" or "fortunate." It is known popularly referenced in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 16:17, in which Fortunatus is one of the Seventy Disciples and serves as an ambassador to the Corinthian church. St. Paul writes in this verse:
I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. "Fortunatus," thus, went on to become relatively popular in the Catholic tradition, with many saints, martyrs, and clergymen taking up the name. This--as the other educators have pointed out--is deeply ironic given Fortunato's indulgent behavior throughout the story. Fortunato does not appear to possess the graces and qualities of a man of faith; rather, he seems to gratify his every whim and desire, no matter how base or low--drinking, gossiping, cavorting, and partying his way through life. The way in which he dies--being paved behind a wall while drunk--is hardly beatific or holy. He does not perish as a martyr, but rather as a fool.
