Officially, Roman citizens had three names, the tria nomina. Your praenomina denoted the circumstances of your birth. Lucius, from the Latin lux meaning “light”, meant you were born at dawn; Sextus referred to being born during the sixth month and Faustus, from felix meaning “lucky”, meant your parents were happy to have you. Your nomina gentile was your family name. Finally, your cognomen was a nickname that said something about your personality. It could change over time and was usually not decided by you.
Day to day Romans went by whichever variation on their full name made them sound most impressive, and this is reflected in how we’ve developed these character names.
Good Roman Names
A good Roman name is sweet to the ear, rolls off the tongue and yet strikes fear in the hearts of anyone who dare defame or raise arms against it. Both the power and the beauty of the Latin language must be used to the full effect.
- Octavia Eudomina
- Postuma Sextus
- Gaia Gelasia
- Saturninia Acceptilla
- Hostus Ostorius Crassillus
- Octavenia Tertulla
- Vetilia Arcavia
- Tullus Concessius Pardus
Lucius Canius
Lucius Canius was of an old noble family whose misfortunes had rendered them all plebeians. Sent off to the army to earn money, little did his parents know of the riches he would return with.
- Caesula Lucilla
- Tertia Belisaria
- Tullus Tuscilius Vipsanianus
- Paullus Paldius Rufinillus
- Appia Vinia Proximilla
Hortensia Tertia
Stirring the cup of her father’s medicinal tea, filled with bitter herbs, Hortensia wondered to herself how Rome might look with better government, and what she, as the daughter of the consul, could do about it.
- Gnaea Macrobia
- Servius Gratius
- Nonus Anneius
Scutarius Crus
Scutarius was not a pretty man, nor was he liked. He was trusted neither by those in power, who employed him, nor those without any, who he commanded. Nobody, however, doubted his power.
- Gnaeus Granius Laetus
Female Roman Names
Female Roman names were made by taking elements from their father’s name and adding a feminizing or diminutive suffix like “illa” or “ina”. Sisters were often distinguished by adding numbers to their names or “elder”/”younger”.
- Mania Heius
- Aula Atticiania
- Vibia Flavia
- Titia Resia Meior
- Postuma Puccasia
- Mettia Bruttianina
- Marcia Tremorina
- Caesula Lucilla
Volusa Genesia
From very little, Volusa Genesia married well and came into a lot. Luckily for her, what she lacks in social standing and manners is more than made up for in cunning.
- Lucia Cusinina
- Quarta Maevia
- Hosta Canina
- Octavia Eudomina
- Quinta Classiciania
Saturnia Acceptilla
Born to be a priestess, Saturnia accepted her responsibilities to watch over the rites with good grace. She did not anticipate how far power, riches and politics had seeped into the religious institutions she was inducting herself into.
- Aula Lucilia
Male Roman Names
A delicate mixture of tradition and style, Roman names were carefully constructed, often over a lifetime, to embody the character of the men they denoted.
- Septimus Lucius Facilis
- Manius Plaetorius Lucullus
- Mamercus Egilius Petronax
- Agrippa Egrilius Nabor
- Sextus Articuleius
- Orcivius Simo
- Tullus Rubrenus Bruscius
- Appius Ingenius Arcanus
Hostus Ostorius Crassillus
Hostus sat down heavily at his study desk to go over the day’s events. So many people had been betrayed it was hard to keep count. His plan for tomorrow, however, remained unchanged.
- Appius Mattavius Desiderius
- Caeso Betilienus Oculatus
- Numerius Auctorius Proculianus
- Vopiscus Otacilius Bolanus
Opiter Opisius Epimachus
The last born son of his father, who died in battle two months after his wife fell pregnant, Opiter felt born to follow him into service. Unfortunately for him politics, not war, was his destiny.
- Hostus Patulcius Caesennianus
- Volesus Tittius Lollianus
- Tetricius Briktius
- Gnaeus Florius Cassianillus
- Numerius Auctorius Proculianus
Roman Last Names
Roman family names are often the last surviving remnants of ancient clans from the Italian peninsula, or they are Latinized variants of names from across the Mediterranean whose holders had made their way to Rome to find their fortune.
- Reginius
- Durmius
- Anisius
- Scandilius
- Cispius
- Cloelius
- Balonius
- Catabronius
Fadius
The Fadius family had once struggled and now failed to establish their place in Roman civil society. If Rome was full of old ghosts, maybe the new world of Britain would offer better business opportunities.
- Atzicius
- Velius
- Sariolenus
Herennius
The family Herennius were always suspiciously absent from the formal seats of power in the Roman republic, but were never too far behind the richest in terms of material wealth. Only time will tell if their power will sit nicely with the state they ignore.
- Fundanius
- Pitisedius
Vitellius
Of the many clans to call themselves “the oldest noble family in Rome”, the only people anyone ever believed were the Vitellius.
- Martinius
- Ranius
I hope you all had as much fun as we did down the rabbit hole of Roman naming practices. Hopefully this helps you in your creative journey in your own imaginary Rome, the only way we have of inhabiting the world of the ancient past. Let us know what you thought in the comments below, and share this article with anyone who might be interested in generating their own Roman name.
