By the Republican era and throughout the Imperial era, a name in ancient Rome for a male citizen consisted of three parts (tria nomina): praenomen (given name), nomen (gentile) (name of the gens or clan) and cognomen (name of a family line within the gens). The nomen, and later, cognomen were virtually always hereditary. Women usually did not have the praenomen and agnomen (nickname), which were normally distinct and not necessarily hereditary (unless the parents chose to). This article is about the state which existed from the 6th century BC to the 1st century BC. For the state which existed in the 18th century, see Roman Republic (18th century). ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Name (disambiguation). ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ... For the scientific journal Heredity see Heredity (journal) Heredity (the adjective is hereditary) is the transfer of characters from parent to offspring, either through their genes or through the social institution called inheritance (for example, a title of nobility is passed from individual to individual according to relevant customs and...

History

In the early regal period of Rome, it appears that people were at first referred to by one name (e.g., Romulus, Manius). As Rome grew in area and population, a second, family name came into use. By the earliest days of the Republic, every member of a household had at least two names — praenomen, and the genitive form of the pater familias, which was a fixed and inherited nomen. The ancient quarters of Rome. ... Romulus may refer to any of these articles: Romulus is a mythical founder of Rome, brother of Remus. ... Manius Valerius Maximus Corvinus Messalla, was Roman consul in 263 BC. In this year, with his colleague Manius Otacilius (or Octaciius) Crassus, he gained a brilliant victory over the Carthaginians and Syracusans: more than sixty of the Sicilian towns acknowleged the supremacy of Rome, and the consuls concluded a peace... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ...

This binomial nomenclature was unique among Indo-European languages of that era. Also, the core part of the name (nomen) was the inherited gens name, not the given name (praenomen). This is probably why so few different praenomina were used. GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ...

Later in the Republic a cognomen was added to distinguish families within a gens, as the importance of the gens grew and the size of voting tribes required this differentiation. Thus patricians (nobility) commonly had three names (Tria Nomina). Although this system dates to the later 5th century BC, it was slow to take root, as it does not appear in official documents until the late 2nd century BC and was not common until the time of Sulla, right before the Empire. It was adopted even more slowly by non-patricians; the first examples of cognomina for plebeians date to c. 125 BC and it was not popular for another century. GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ... A document is a writing that contains information. ... Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (Latin: L·CORNELIVS·L·F·P·N·SVLLA·FELIX) ¹ (ca. ...

In the Byzantine Empire (the Eastern Empire), old Roman language, culture and names were gradually replaced by Greek ones. Byzantine redirects here. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ...

Praenomen

Main article: Praenomen

See also: List of Roman praenomina

The praenomen, equivalent to given names nowadays, was chosen by the parents (often named after the father). There was, however, a very limited selection of praenomina, such as Gaius, Gnaeus, Marcus, Quintus, Publius, Tiberius, and Titus. As a result, members from a given family often have identical names for generations. It was therefore necessary to use other names (cognomen and later, agnomen) to distinguish between individuals. Only intimates would use the praenomen. In the Roman naming convention used in ancient Rome, male names typically contain three proper nouns which are classified as praenomen (or given name), nomen gentile (or Gens name) and cognomen. ... Look up Appendix:Most popular given names by country in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Nomen

See also: list of Roman nomina

The second name, or nomen gentile (usually simply nomen), rarely gentilicium, is the name of the gens (the family clan), in masculine form for men. The original gentes were descended from the family groups that settled Rome. These eventually developed into entire clans, which covered specific geographic regions. As the area of Rome expanded the number of tribes also expanded, so that not all tribes were from original settlers. Some were named for Etruscan families, while others were from local tribes or from major geographical features, such as rivers. Well-known nomina include many of the familiar names of ancient Rome, such as Aemilius, Claudius, Cornelius, Domitius, Julius, Pompeius, Antonius and Valerius. This is a list of Roman nomina. ... GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ... Extent of Etruscan civilization and the twelve Etruscan League cities. ... Aemilius (fem. ... The gens Claudia was one of the oldest families in ancient Rome, and for centuries its members were regularly leaders of the city and empire. ... Cornelius (fem. ... Julius (fem. ... Pompeius (fem. ... Antonius (fem. ... Valerius was a Roman nomen of the gens Valerii, one of the oldest families of the city. ...

Cognomen

Main article: Cognomen

See also: list of Roman cognomina

The third name, or cognomen, began as a nickname or personal name that distinguished individuals with the same names. Cognomina do not appear in official documents until around 100 BC. Often the cognomen was chosen based on some physical or personality trait, sometimes with ironic results: Julius Caesar's cognomen meant hairy (cf. etymology of the name of Julius Caesar) although he was balding, and Tacitus's cognomen meant silent, while he was a well-known orator. However, since the Republican era, the cognomen was no longer a nickname, becoming inherited from father to son, serving to distinguish a family within a gens. The cognomen (name known by in English) was originally the third name of a Roman in the Roman naming convention. ... This is a list of Roman cognomina. ... Ironic redirects here. ... For other uses, see Julius Caesar (disambiguation). ... Using the Latin alphabet as it existed in the day of Julius Caesar (100 BC – 44 BC) (i. ... Bald redirects here; for other uses see Bald (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Tacitus (disambiguation). ... Look up orator in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Nomen-derived names

Some males had a cognomen that ends in -anus, which was adapted from and commemorated a nomen, sometimes their maternal family or – if they were adopted – their original paternal family. For instance, Vespasian's nomen (Flavius) came from his father's nomen. His cognomen (Vespasianus), on the other hand, was derived from his mother's nomen , Vespasia. Others had cognomina that were derived not from the nomen, but the cognomen of their mothers' families. For instance, Caracalla's maternal grandfather was Julius Bassianus, but Caracalla's cognomen was not Julianus, but rather Bassianus as well. Imperator Caesar Vespasianus Augustus (born November 17, 9, died June 23, 79), known originally as Titus Flavius Vespasianus and usually referred to in English as Vespasian, was emperor of Rome from 69 to 79. ... Caracalla (April 4, 186 – April 8, 217) was Roman Emperor from 211 – 217. ... Gaius Julius Bassianus or Bassus, also known as Julius Bassianus (?-towards 217) was a Syrian who lived in the second and third century. ...

When a man was adopted into another family, his would take on his adopted father's names (excluding the praenomen). If he chose to, he could turn his original nomen into an additional cognomen that followed his newly gained names. For example, these adoptees incorporated into their new names their adopted family's nomen and cognomen, and also kept their birth family's nomen:

• Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus: Publius was adopted into the gens Cornelii Scipiones, but was born an Aemilius, and
• Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus Livianus: Mamercus was born a Livius, adopted into Aemilii Lepidi. However, not all adoptees chose to identify their birth families. For instance, as an adult, Augustus did not use his cognomen Octavianus, since the gens Octavii were not nearly as esteemed as the Julii. (See also: Adoption in Rome)

Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus (185 - 129 BC) was a leading general and politician of the ancient Roman Republic. ... Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus Livianus (Consul 77 BC) was a well connected and influential figure in Late Republican politics. ... For other persons named Octavian, see Octavian (disambiguation). ... Possibly the most famous Roman adoptee, Augustus Caesar In ancient Rome, adoption of boys was a fairly common procedure, particularly in the upper senatorial class. ...

Agnomen

Main article: Agnomen

See also: List of victory agnomina

After cognomen became hereditary and lost its function as nicknames, a second nickname, or agnomen, is appended to the name after birth – usually not immediately so – to signify some personal characteristic or accomplishment. A common agnomen was Pius, for someone who displayed virtues like honesty, reverence to the gods, or devotion to family and state. Superbus ("Haughty") and Pulcher ("Handsome") were also examples of agnomina. An Agnomen is a nickname or an alias. ... This document is a list of victory titles assumed by Roman Emperors, not including assumption of the title Imperator (is itself a victory title); note that the Roman Emperors were not the only persons to assume victory titles (Maximinus Thrax acquired his victory title during the reign of a previous...

Unlike the nomen and cognomen, an agnomen was usually not inherited unless the son also had the same attribute or did the same deeds. Although some victory agnomina like Augustus ("the Majestic") and Germanicus ("the German (Conqueror)") eventually became handed down as additional cognomina.

Names adapted from nomina (with the -anus suffix) are sometimes considered agnomina. Priscian specifically cites Claudianus and Aemilianus as examples. Priscian (Priscianus Caesariensisi), the celebrated Latin grammarian, lived about A.D. 500, i. ...

Foreign names

As Rome conquered territories beyond the Italian peninsula, many foreign names were introduced. Discharged auxiliary soldiers and others gaining Roman Citizenship could, and many did, continue to use at least a portion of their former names. Most were of Greek origin, while others came from regions that were brought under Roman influence. Non-citizen auxiliary soldiers who were granted citizenship often adopted the nomen of their Emperor, adding their native name as a cognomen. Satellite view of the Peninsula in spring The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Italian: Penisola italiana or Penisola appenninica) is one of the greatest peninsulas of Europe, spanning 1,000 km from the Alps in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. ...

New citizens often also took on the nomen of the reigning emperor. For instance, after Caracalla ("Marcus Aurelius Antoninus") expanded citizenship to all freedmen in the empire, many of them took on the nomen Aurelius. (Caracalla's real 'nomen was actually Septimius. Aurelius was a pretension to Roman nobility.) Caracalla (April 4, 186 – April 8, 217) was Roman Emperor from 211 – 217. ...

Female names

Main article: Roman naming conventions for females

Roman women usually had no praenomen and were known only by the feminine form of their father's nomen so that daughters were all named with the same feminine version of the family nomen. If further description was needed, the name was followed by the genitive case of her father's cognomen or, after marriage, of her husband's. Hence, Cicero speaks of a woman as "Annia P. Anni senatoris filia" (Annia the daughter of P. Annius the senator). By the late Republic, women also adopted the feminine form of their father's cognomen, e.g., Aquilia Severa was the daughter of Aquilius and married a Severus (in her case, both of her names are derived from nomina). Feminized cognomen was often made a diminutive, e.g. Augustus's wife Livia Drusilla was the daughter of a M. Livius Drusus. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Cicero (disambiguation). ... Aquilia Severa was the second and fourth wife of Emperor Elagabalus. ... A diminutive is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment. ... Livia Livia Drusa Augusta, Livia Drusilla, or Julia Augusta (58 BC-AD 29) was the wife of Caesar Augustus and the most powerful woman in Roman history, acting several times as regent and being Augustus faithful advisor. ...

If only two daughters survived, they could be distinguished as major and minor. Marcus Antonius's daughters were Antonia major (grandmother of the emperor Nero) and Antonia minor (mother of the emperor Claudius). If a family had more than two daughters, they were distinguished by ordinal numbers: Cornelia Quinta, the fifth daughter of a Cornelius. The epithets of major and minor also served to distinguish between daughters and mothers of the same name, e.g., Agrippina the Younger and Julia the Younger, respective daughters of Agrippina the Elder and Julia the Elder. Bust of Marcus Antonius Marcus Antonius (Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N¹) (c. ... For other uses, see Nero (disambiguation). ... Julia Agrippina; known as Agrippina Minor (Latin for the ‘younger’, Classical Latin: IVLIA•AGRIPPINA; from the year 50, called IVLIA•AVGVSTA•AGRIPPINA[1], Greek: η Ιουλία Αγκιππίνη, November 6, 15 - between 19-23 March, 59), was a Roman Empress. ... Julia Minor or the Younger or Julilia (little Julia) (Classical Latin: IVLIA•MINOR,[1] 19 BC-28 or early 29) was the eldest daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder and as such Emperor Augustus granddaughter through her mother). ... (Vipsania) Agrippina (PIR1 V 463) (14 BC – 18 October 33), most commonly known as Agrippina Major or Agrippina the Elder, was one of the most prominent women in the Roman Empire in the early 1st century AD. She was the daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa by his third wife Julia... For other Roman women named Julia Caesaris, see Julia Caesaris. ...

Additional elements and examples

Filiation

In earlier Roman names, the praenomen and nomen gentile constituted a Roman's full name and were followed by the so-called filiation (a patronymic or indication of paternity). The filiation (patronimicus) consisted of the Latin word for "son" filius (abbreviated by the letter f.) preceded by the abbreviation of the father's praenomen, which was understood in the genitive. Hence, a Roman might have been known as M. Antonius M. f. (Marci filius), that is, Marcus Antonius, son of Marcus. Additionally it could also indicate the grandfather with the word "grandson" nepos (abbreviated by the letter n.).

By the Middle Republic, the abbreviation for tribe in which the man was enrolled was added after his filiation. When this became an official part of the name is not known.

Tribes

See also: List of Roman tribes

A tribe was a geographic distinction, not an indication of ancestry. A man belonged to the tribe in which his main residence was located. The tribe was an essential part of citizenship, since voting was often carried out by tribe. With the expansion of the Empire, the number of tribes also grew. See list of Roman tribes. History This article is a list of the historical tribes of Rome, as used for voting. ... History This article is a list of the historical tribes of Rome, as used for voting. ...

Sample analysis of a complete name

The tomb of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus: Lucius of the gens Cornelius, of the sub-family of Scipio, conqueror of the Barbarians

Analysis of an example complete name: Marcus Aurelius Lucii f. Quinti n. tribu Galeria Antoninus Felix, domo Caesaraugusta. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x674, 145 KB)Tomb of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus with Latin verse inscription. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x674, 145 KB)Tomb of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus with Latin verse inscription. ... The tomb of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, erected around 150 BC, contains an Old Latin inscription in Saturnian metre. ...

In everyday use, people were referred to by their cognomen, or praenomen plus nomen gentile. So, "Marcus Livius Drusus" would either be just "Drusus" or "Marcus Livius". "Iulia Marciana" would be just "Iulia". This has created problems for modern scholars, since in many cases we no longer have the contemporaneous context to know which person was actually meant. The Aurelii (meaning the golden) were a Roman gens. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Iberian Peninsula. ... For alternative meanings, see Zaragoza (disambiguation). ...

Evolution of a personal name

In Ancient Rome, a person's name was not static but often evolved with his status or social connections. Here is the evolution of the official name of the first emperor, Augustus: Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... For other persons named Octavian, see Octavian (disambiguation). ...

63 BC: Augustus is born Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC - 60s BC - 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC Years: 68 BC 67 BC 66 BC 65 BC 64 BC 63 BC 62 BC 61 BC 60...

• C·OCTAVIVS·C·F·
• Gaius Octauius Gaii filius
  • Gaius of the gens Octavius, son of Gaius

44 BC: Julius Caesar dies. In his will he adopts Gaius Octavius. See Adoption in Rome. GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC - 40s BC - 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC 0s Years: 49 BC 48 BC 47 BC 46 BC 45 BC 44 BC 43 BC 42 BC 41 BC... Possibly the most famous Roman adoptee, Augustus Caesar In ancient Rome, adoption of boys was a fairly common procedure, particularly in the upper senatorial class. ...

• C·IVLIVS·C·F·CAESAR·OCTAVIANVS
• Gaius Iulius Gaii filius Caesar Octauianus
  • Gaius Caesar of the gens Julius, son of Gaius, originally of the gens Octavius

42 BC: Julius Caesar is deified, prompting a change in Augustus' name. GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ... GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ... Events October 3 - First Battle of Philippi: The Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesars assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Cassius. ... Look up Apotheosis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

• C·IVLIVS·DIVI·F·CAESAR·OCTAVIANVS
• Gaius Iulius Diui filius Caesar Octauianus
  • Gaius Caesar of the gens Julius, son of the Deified, originally of the gens Octavius

31 BC: Augustus is declared imperator by the army GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ... GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC... The Latin word imperator was a title originally roughly equivalent to commander during the period of the Roman Republic. ...

• IMP·C·IVLIVS·DIVI·F·CAESAR·OCTAVIANVS
• Imperator Gaius Iulius Diui filius Caesar Octauianus
  • Imperator Gaius Caesar of the gens Julius, son of the Deified, originally of the gens Octavius

27 BC: The Roman Senate grants the title Augustus. Augustus assumes his official regnal name. GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ... GENS is an open source emulator for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive). ... ojuooiuououoieerwerwerwerwerwwe Year 27 BC was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... The Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus) was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 509 BC, and the Roman Empire. ...

• IMP·CAESAR·DIVI·F·AVGUSTVS
• Imperator Caesar Diui filius Augustus
  • Imperator Caesar the August, son of the Deified

References

• http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/roman_names.html
• http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/roman/
• http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/rom-anci.php (List of Roman Derived Names)
• http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Choosing_a_Roman_name
• Cambridge Latin Course, University of Cambridge Press 2004, ISBN 0-521-78230-9
• Liberati, Anna Maria and Bourbon, Fabio (2005), Barnes and Noble Press, ISBN 0-7607-6234-1