Roman names: What are their features, male and female names

Roman names possess a rich history. Residents of ancient Rome showed a very serious attitude towards how to call their children. According to the popular proverb of those times - the name is not the subject of disclosure. Therefore, I tried once again not to pronounce it. And the slaves was never forbidden to contact by name to their owners, especially with foreign people.

I propose in the following material to talk about the Roman names and their features, also considering examples of beautiful names.

What were the ancient Roman names unique?

The structure that the ancient Roman names had

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At the time of antiquity, the names of people had three components - by analogy with modernity. But only if in our, Slavic culture traditionally use the name, very name and patronymic, then the ancient Romans acted somewhat differently. Their name had the following structure:

PRENNOMENA - or first name. It resembled our versions of Alexandrov, Mari, Peredrov and so on. In total, in ancient Rome there were about 18 renomes. At the same time, they could only be applied by representatives of a strong sex, and even that is mainly in writing, and not orally.

Denotected with 1-2 capital letters, they were completely recorded. To this day, a catastrophically, few Ancient Roman renomes have been preserved: Appia, Gney, Quint, and now, of course, no one calls their babies.

Nomen - performed the most significant part of the name. Nomen showed a connection with a certain genus, it can be called an analogue of modern Russian surnames. In the era of the dawn of ancient Rome by the end of Nomen, suffix-andius added. The ancient Roman names of Antonius, Flavius, Claudius or Valerius are known, from which more modern versions later occur: Anton, Flaviana, Claudia and Valeria.
The last component of the names of the Romans is a nickname or Cognomen . It was given in honor of certain life achievements or just like that. Interestingly, it is often the next generation could apply a cognitive already as a nomen, to designate the genus.

Despite this, periodically in the family brothers got the same names. And to somehow distinguish them - another component was added to the name - agnomen. Agnomen shed light on special merit, victory, achievements, but could and tell about the appearance of its owner - thick, red-haired, low and so on.

How did boys and girls called in ancient Rome?

Residents of the ancient Roman empire were much easier to name a newborn daughter than a son. The girl as a personal name was given the surname of her father, which is nomen or nomen + cognom. For example, daughter Julia received the name of Julia.

At the same time, the Romans were not worried when many daughters were born in their families. The older of them was given the corresponding Cognomen Major (senior), and the younger - Minor (that is, the youngest). With the appearance of more than two daughters, the situation with the eldest and younger has not changed, and all the rest of the girls were given ordinal names - seconds (second) and so on.

When the Roman was married, then it remained unchanged, but she should take it nomen or a cognom of his spouse. For example, when the daughter of the ancient Roman emperor Julia Cesar, Julia, married his then ally, Gneja Pompeiya Great - she changed the name of Julia Pompei.

Ancient Romans were called in honor of the Father

As for newborn male siblings, it was somewhat more complicated with them. According to the eldest son in the family called the name of the Father. And to distinguish between two men - used cognoms that could be the most ordinary (senior, younger) or were nicknames (scene - left-handed, Crassous addition, nasika - with a sharp nose) and so on.

The subsequent four sons were given the name characterizing their genus. They were standard for different pedigree: for example, in the genus Yuliyev - Lutsi, in the family of sciences - Gnei and so on.

If the boys in the family were born more than 4, then each next received the serial number as a personal name: quint (fifth), sext (sixth), septimia (seventh). True, over time, numerical names begin to be used as common and are already given regardless of the sequence of children in the family. For example, Pompei Sex - was not the sixth son of the emperor Pompeiy the Great.

It is also noteworthy that in ancient Rome could prohibit the application of a specific name of their own representatives of a certain kind in the event that someone from its members did something shameful. For example, Mark Anthony failed to win the war from Octavian Augustus and subsequently, Prince Mark is prohibited from the use of Antoniyev.

Names of slaves and freedoms

Initially, the slaves did not give any names at all. When slavery began to expand, it was necessary to distinguish between workers, so then began to give improvised names - in the form of the terrain from which the slave took place.

Roman names for men: examples what you mean

Now let's turn directly to the names of the ancient Roman virgins of boys and their brief description.

Agelast is a gloomy, dull.
Agnobarb - owner of red beard.
Albin - a guy with blond hair.
Bestiya is distinguished by cruel, animal habits.
Brut - is the closest, stupid.
Varon - has a trenchability, foot curves.
Dentat - loves to smile, has beautiful teeth.
Calv - his hair falls out, there is a bald.
Cald - ridiculous.
Caton - shelters behaves, quirky.
Lenate - he was sanctified.
Lentul - used to act slowly, leisurely.
Maxim is great, powerful.
Manzin - his fate offended him.
Margitis is a precious mineral like pearls.
Metella - loves freedom very much.
Nature is the owner of a big nose.
Pulchre is a beautiful, stateless.
Ruf - a guy with red hair.
Saturnon - God Saturn himself patronizes him.
Sylon - has a smoky nose.
Verse - is distinguished by mysteriousness, thoughtful.
Ebourne - has a lot of power, unshakable.

Roman female names: examples what is denoted

Aurelia - a girl with gold solos.
Anthony is the one that comes into battle competes, flower.
Valeria - has good health, vitality.
Virginia - comes from the eponymous kind, is a virgin.
The domination - comes from the same kind, she was tamed, made home.
Cassia - from the kind of kind, inside it is emptiness.
Quincise - from a pedigree with the same name, was born a fifth daughter in the family.
Claudia is a seaming.
Cornelia - a plant dogwood, a spear made of it.
Lucretia is from a pedigree with the same name, the one that carries benefits.
Nevii - from the same kind, she has a lot of moles.
Octavia - from the pedigree Octaviev.
Rufia - with red hair.
Sextia - Born in the family of the sixth.
Septimia - was born by the seventh on the score.
Servilia - from the eponymous pedigree, observer, keeper.
Sergius - born in the family of Sergiev.
Titinia is the one that calls, observes.
Tully - from the pedigree Tulliev.
Ulpiya - from the pedigree Ulypiev.
Fabia is from the eponymous pedigree, the plant beans.
Flavia - has white curls.
Cecilia is born in the genus of Cecilia, it does not see.
Emilia - is distinguished by diligence, acts as a strong competitor.
Julia - comes from the pedigree Juliyev, has curly, born in July-month.

In conclusion, I propose an interesting thematic video: