From Latin 'felicianus,' derived from 'felix' meaning 'happy' or 'fortunate'; a saint's name.
Feliciano is the Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese form of the Latin Felicianus, a derivative of felix, meaning 'happy,' 'fortunate,' or 'blessed.' Felix is one of the most straightforwardly optimistic names in the Roman tradition — it was a common cognomen among Roman citizens and was applied to emperors and generals as a title of divine favor. Sulla adopted Felix as a surname to announce his extraordinary luck in battle; the name carried almost a talismanic charge, an advertisement of prosperity and heavenly goodwill.
Several early Christian martyrs bore the name Felicianus, most notably Saint Felicianus of Foligno, a third-century bishop who was martyred under the emperor Decius and is venerated in Italy. The name spread through Catholic devotional culture, becoming particularly well established in Italy, Spain, and Latin America, where saints' names formed the foundation of the naming tradition. In the twentieth century, the name gained a significant pop-cultural reference through José Feliciano, the Puerto Rican guitarist and singer whose 1968 recording of 'Light My Fire' and his unconventional rendition of the American national anthem made him one of the most distinctive voices in popular music.
Feliciano sounds exactly like what it means: it has an inherently festive, rolling quality, with its five syllables tumbling forward with warmth and energy. In Latin American communities it remains a living name, carried without irony as a genuine blessing-wish for the child who bears it. Outside those communities it is rare enough to feel like a discovery, yet rooted enough to carry centuries of meaning.