- The Romans had three names, a first name (Praenomina), a clan name (Nomen) and a family surname (Cognomen).
- Roman Citizenship required the individual to have Roman Names and these were in use between c.700 BCE to c.300 CE.
Men’s Names
- Praenomina or First Name:
- These fell into disuse after the 2nd century CE.
- Chosen by the parents and different for each child.
- The next generation chose the same Praenomina to distinguish that family from other families. So grandfather, father and son would often have the same Praenomina.
- Nomen or Clan Name:
- This designated which clan or Gens the citizen belonged to.
- It didn’t change and was passed down from father to son.
- Cognomen or Family Surname:
- These were added as Praenomina (First Names) fell into disuse after 100 BCE.
- They changed from individual to individual. They were chosen by the individual and could be selected from nicknames, place of origin names, type of occupation, etc,.
- Individuals could have 3 or 4 Cognomen.
Women’s Names
- Praenomina
- Women did not have a Praenomina from the Late Republic onwards.
- Nomen
- This was the same as the Father’s Clan name.
- To distinguish four daughters named Claudia: Claudia Major, Claudia Minor, Claudia Tertia, Claudia Quartia.
- Cognomen
- From the second century CE onwards, a feminine form of the Father’s Cognomen would be added.