They are mentioned as
Vesubiani by
Pliny (1st c. AD), and as
Vesubianorum and
(V)esubiani on inscriptions.
Guy Barruol noted that the loss of initial
V- is common in Gaulish proper names, especially in Provence, and proposed to see the name as a variant of the personal name
Esubiani. He suggested that the name may have the same root as
Esubii, the name of a tribe in Brittany itself traditionally derived from the Celtic god
Esus. Alternatively, if the
V- was present in the original form, the name can be derived form the Gaulish root
uesu- ('valid, good, worthy'). == Geography ==