Like the other ceremonies and traditions that accompany the advent of a new pope, his newly chosen name will be imbued with centuries of Catholic history and dissected for its many layers of meaning.

Changing his name is one of the first actions the new pope takes as head of the Roman Catholic Church and can play a hugely symbolic role in setting the tone for his pontificate.

It is a precedent that was set in the early Middle Ages and, while there is no doctrinal reason for a pope to choose a new name, it has become part of the election process.

So, how did this tradition come about, what are the meanings behind different papal names, what name could the next pope choose and how will it be announced?

Why do popes choose a new name?

St. Peter, the first pope and one of the 12 apostles, was renamed from his birth name of Simon by Jesus, but this was before he became head of the church.

Another 500 years would pass before Pope John II, who was head of the church from 533 to 535, started the papal tradition when he shed the name Mercurius, which he thought was too like the name of the pagan god Mercury.