Roman Names

1. Roman Names A typical Roman during the imperial age had three names: Praenomen—the “first name” Nomen—the family/clan name Cognomen—the “nickname” Often a Roman would add extra names as titles.

2. The Praenomen • Literally means “before name” • The name given by the parents before the clan name. • Not very creative, and not very many • Common boys praenomina: Gaius, Lucius, Marcus, Gnaeus, Publius, Julius, Quintus, Tiberius, Tullus, Octavius. • Common girls praenomina: Gaia, Gnaea, Lucia, Servia, Sexta, Tulla, Tiberia, Octavia.

3. The Nomen • Kind of equivalent to our last names. • They represent the gens, a clan or extended family to which a person belongs. • Many nomina were very, very ancient, going all the way back to the Roman kings. • Common clan names: Aurelius, Brutius, Caelius, Calpurnius, Claudius, Cornelius, Fabia, Fulvius, Hostilius, Julius, Junius, Manlius, Marius, Pompilius, Quirinius, Sempronius, Tuliius, Vitellius.

4. The Cognomen • Added because Roman ‘first names’ were so uncreative and common. • The cognomen is literally “with the name.” • Often nicknames or adjectives to distinguish people. • This is the name that most people would use in everyday matters.

5. Examples of Cognomina • Africanus—”Of Africa” • Cicero—”Chickpea” • Rufus—”Redhead” • Scaevola—”Lefty” • Brutus—”Brutish/Tough” • Ahenobarbus—”Brown-beard” • Britannicus—”Of Britain” • Durus—”Lasting/Enduring” • Fortunatus • Martius—”Warlike” • Naso—”Nosey” • Orientis—”Foreign/Eastern” • Pulcher—”Handsome/Pretty” • Superbus—”Proud” • Germanicus—”Of Germany” • Augustus—”Revered/Honored • Oceanus—”Of the sea” • Tacitus—”Quiet/Shy”

6. Create Your Own • Get a piece of copy or construction paper, and fold it into a nameplate. • Write out your Roman name using capital Latin letters. • Give your nameplate a border. • On the back, write about why you chose your name.