User blog comment:D. Cello/Assassinews 03/01 -- Assassin's Creed III era and boxart revealed/@comment-4206713-20120302031545/@comment-81.147.141.130-20120302150139

Altair means "the flying one" or "the flying eagle" his name is taken from the the brightest star in the constellation Aquila which is Italian for "eagle".