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Roman Naming Conventions
Topic Started: Jan 12 2018, 11:00 PM (93 Views)
Chelsea
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Roman Naming Conventions

Classical Roman names were patrilineal - names were passed from fathers to their children; i.e. the son of Claudius would be Claudius and the daughter of Claudius would be Claudia. Women did not change their names to their husband's when they married. Roman names were made of three parts - praenomen (given names chosen by the parents at birth), nomen (designated a person as part of a family or gens) and cognomen (a third personal name, usually a nickname of sorts). The collective term for these components is the tria nomina. Not all Roman citizens had three names (for example, due to their diminished role in society women often didn't have praenomen) but the practice of tria nomina differentiated Romans from non-citizens.
Praenomen

Praenomen were chosen by the parents of a child. It was first bestowed upon them on the dies lustricus (day of lustration) which was eight days after the birth of a girl and nine days after the birth of a boy. Due to the fact that praenomina were so common, an individual would only be adressed as such by family or close friends. Praenomina were given to both men and women, but the praenomina of women were ignored by many and were gradually abandoned. When written, praenomina were often abbreviated.
Masculine Praenomina
Agrippa (Agr.)Appius (Ap.)Aulus (A.)Caeso (K.)Decimus (D.)
Faustus (F.)Gaius (C.)Gnaeus (Cn.)HostusLucius (L.)
Mamercus (Mam.)Manius (M'.)Marcus (M.)MettiusNonus
Numerius (N.)Octavius (O.)Opiter (Opet.)PaullusPostumus (Post.)
Proculus (Pro.)Publius (P.)Quintus (Q.)SeptimusSertor (Sert.)
Servius (Ser.)Sextus (Sex.)Spurius (S.)Statius (St.)Tiberius (Ti.)
Titus (T.)TullusVibius (V.)Volesus (Vol.)Vopiscus (Vop.)
Femnine Praenomina
Appia (Ap.)Aula (A.)CaesulaDecima (D.)Fausta (F.)
Gaia (C.)Gnaea (Cn.)Hosta (H.)Lucia (L.)Maio (Mai.)
Mamerca (Mam.)Mania (M'.)Marcia (M.)MaximaMettia
Mino (Min.)NonaNumeria (N.)Octavia (Oct.)Paulla
Postuma (Post.)PrimaProcula (Pro.)Publia (P.)Quarta
Quinta (Q.)Secunda (Seq.)SeptimaServia (Ser.)Sexta (Sex.)
Spuria (Sp.)Statia (St.)TertiaTitia (T.)Tiberia (Ti.)
TullaVibia (V.)Volusa (Vol.)Vopisca (Vop.)


Nomen

All members of an extended Roman family belong to the same gens and share the same nomen; i.e. members of gens Julia would be called Julius if male or Julia if female.
List of Plebeian Gentes

Cognomen

Edited by Chelsea, Jan 13 2018, 06:02 PM.
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Chelsea
Administrator
Patricians

Patricians were the ruling class families in Roman society. It was said that they were the descendants of the first 100 senators appointed by Romulus himself upon the founding of Rome. However, the only thing that truly separated them from plebeians was birth - by the time the Empire was established, many plebeian families had gained wealth and power that matched or even surpassed that of their patrician counterparts. There was little disparity between patricians and plebeians of the senatorial class and patrician families that had fallen from grace lived in poverty among the common people. Excluding certain religious roles, plebeians were free to run for the same offices as a patrician. Being a patrician had a certain prestige, but it held no real benefits in name alone.

If you wish to play a patrician character, please reply to this post stating which gens you would like to reserve for yourself.

List of Patrician Gentes
AebutiaAemiliaAquilliaAtilia
ClaudiaCloeliaCorneliaCurtia
FabiaFosilaFuriaGegania
GenuciaHerminiaHoratiaJulia
LartiaLucretiaManliaMenenia
MetiliaMinuciaMuciaNautia
NumiciaPapiriaPinariaPollia
PostumiaPotitiaQuinctiaQuinctilia
RomiliaSemproniaSergiaServilia
SestiaSicciaSulpiciaTarpeia
TarquiniaTarquitiaTulliaValeria
VerginiaVeturiaVitelliaVolumnia
Key: Vacant, Reserved
Edited by Chelsea, Jan 14 2018, 07:24 PM.
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Brandon Jr

I would like to reserve the name Tarquitia.
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Euron

I reserve Remen Furius.
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Fortuna

i would like to reserve the gens Quinctilia
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Leon

I'd like to claim Gens Valeria!
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Mike

I claim gens Julia
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