Why is it called a caesarian?

[rosealbie]

I've had two but just curious to know why it is called this. Alos just reading about Cleopatra and her son Ceasar!

[ShaunOfTheThread]

I think Caesar ordered them to be performed to preserve the life of babies at a time when the Roman birth rate was too low. Don't think he cared so much about the mums surviving

[bozza]

Because one of the Caesar's was the first person the operation was performed on.

[feb]

It is commonly believed to be derived from the surgical birth of Julius Caesar, however this seems unlikely since his mother Aurelia is reputed to have lived to hear of her son's invasion of Britain. At that time the procedure was performed only when the mother was dead or dying, as an attempt to save the child for a state wishing to increase its population. Roman law under Caesar decreed that all women who were so fated by childbirth must be cut open; hence, cesarean.

[EmsMum]

Heres something that looks fairly authorititive:

alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxcaesar.html

which rather negates previous two explanations.

[bozza]

This is what Wikiepedia says about it.