§108. Names of Persons

A Roman had regularly three names:—(1) the praenōmen, or personal name; (2) the nōmen, or name of the gēns or house; (3) the cōgnōmen, or family name:—

Thus in Mārcus Tullius Cicerō we have—

• Mārcus, the praenōmen, like our Christian or given name;
• Tullius, the nōmen, properly an adjective denoting of the Tullian gēns (or house) whose original head was a real or supposed Tullus;
• Cicerō, the cōgnōmen, or family name, often in origin a nickname,—in this case from cicer, a vetch, or small pea.

a. A fourth or fifth name was sometimes given as a mark of honor or distinction, or to show adoption from another gēns.

Thus the complete name of Scipio the Younger was Pūblius Cornēlius Scīpiō āfricānus Aemiliānus: āfricānus, from his exploits in Africa; Aemiliānus, as adopted from the Æmilian gēns. ¹

b. Women had commonly in classical times no personal names, but were known only by the nōmen of their gēns.

Thus, the wife of Cicero was Terentia, and his daughter Tullia. A second daughter would have been called Tullia secunda or minor, a third daughter, Tullia tertia, and so on.

c. The commonest prænomens are thus abbreviated:—