The Meaning of "Rosary" and "Rosary Beads" As Catholics most of us have prayed the Rosary at one time or another, but have you ever wondered why we call it a rosary? The word "rosary" comes from the Latin word rosarium, which means "rose garden" or possibly rose bouquet, garland, or crown. The Latin word rosarium was used to refer to a collection or anthology of stories or poems. So, most likely Christians started to refer to the collection of prayers as a rosary to refer to the devotion as a co