Roman Name Generator
Roman names in the proper order: praenomen, nomen gentilicium and cognomen, each built from genuine Latin elements with meanings.
2,467,920 combinations
Male and female roman names, each with a matching roman last name and the meaning of every element shown.
- Tiberius Fulvius Modestatus
Tiberius of the tiber + Fulvius tawny
Modest restrained + atus bearer
the restrained bearer
- Aemilia Longina Placilis
Aemilia striving + Longina tall
Plac calm + ilis able one
the calm able one
- Tertius Decius Longellus
Tertius third + Decius tenth
Long tall + ellus tiny one
the tall tiny one
- Rutilia Fusca Modestoria
Rutilia reddish + Fusca dark
Modest restrained + oria maker
the restrained maker
- Septimus Aelius Barbensis
Septimus seventh + Aelius of the sun
Barb bearded + ensis native
the bearded native
- Rutilia Justa Lentata
Rutilia reddish + Justa upright
Lent slow + ata bearer
the slow bearer
- Marcellus Quinctius Rufillus
Marcellus young marcus + Quinctius fifth
Ruf red + illus little one
the red little one
- Fulvia Pulchra Modesta
Fulvia tawny + Pulchra beautiful
Modest restrained + a one
the restrained one
- Salvius Opimius Severulus
Salvius safe + Opimius rich
Sever stern + ulus small one
the stern small one
- Porcia Clemens Celsatica
Porcia swineherd + Clemens merciful
Cels lofty + atica stock
the lofty stock
- Manius Junius Caticus
Manius born at morning + Junius of juno
Cat shrewd + icus sort
the shrewd sort
- Domitia Magna Verata
Domitia tamed + Magna great
Ver true + ata bearer
the true bearer
- Tertius Varius Crassillus
Tertius third + Varius mottled
Crass thick + illus little one
the thick little one
- Servilia Fusca Albicula
Servilia keeping + Fusca dark
Alb white + icula least one
the white least one
- Vopiscus Flavius Vitalaticus
Vopiscus surviving twin + Flavius blond
Vital lively + aticus stock
the lively stock
- Rutilia Septima Nasilis
Rutilia reddish + Septima seventh
Nas nosed + ilis able one
the nosed able one
- Victor Fonteius Probosus
Victor conqueror + Fonteius of the spring
Prob upright + osus full one
the upright full one
- Fabia Marcella Albensis
Fabia bean + Marcella of mars
Alb white + ensis native
the white native
- Faustus Nautius Priscaticus
Faustus fortunate + Nautius sailor
Prisc ancient + aticus stock
the ancient stock
- Plautia Quinta Gratella
Plautia flat-footed + Quinta fifth
Grat pleasing + ella tiny one
the pleasing tiny one
- Septimus Ovidius Curticus
Septimus seventh + Ovidius of sheep
Curt short + icus sort
the short sort
- Aemilia Priscilla Aurida
Aemilia striving + Priscilla old-fashioned
Aur gilded + ida kind
the gilded kind
- Verus Annius Severorius
Verus truthful + Annius of the year
Sever stern + orius maker
the stern maker
- Aurelia Maxima Probina
Aurelia golden + Maxima greatest
Prob upright + ina descendant
the upright descendant
Need a name that means something in particular? Build one from its meaning.
How Roman names are built
¶A Roman citizen carried three names. First the praenomen, a personal name drawn from a stock of barely twenty: Marcus, Lucius, Gaius, Quintus, Sextus, abbreviated to M., L., C. in writing because everyone knew them. Then the nomen gentilicium, the clan name, ending in ius: Tullius, Aemilius, Cornelius. Last the cognomen, which began as a nickname for one branch. Marcus Tullius Cicero is Marcus, of the Tullii, the chickpea.
Cognomina are blunt. Cicero is a chickpea, Naso a nose, Rufus red, Crassus fat, Balbus a stammerer, Caecus blind, Brutus dull, Scaevola left-handed. They started as neighbourly abuse and hardened into the proudest part of the name, because the cognomen was what marked one branch of a vast gens off from every other. Later Romans added a fourth name, the agnomen, for an achievement: Scipio the conqueror of Africa became Scipio Africanus.
Women were named for the clan, not for themselves. A daughter of the Julii was Julia, a daughter of the Cornelii Cornelia, and she kept that name for life, marriage included. Sisters were told apart by Maior and Minor, elder and younger, or by number: Tertia, Quintilla. Endings agree with gender throughout, so a Severus fathers a Severa, and an adopted son took the adopting gens with anus added to his own old nomen.
More roman names
Male roman names
- Octavus Postumius Curtarius eighth, posthumous
- Marcus Curtius Longitus of mars, shortened
- Probus Valerius Magnarius honest, vigorous
- Octavus Fabius Probio eighth, bean
- Nonus Septimius Aurillus ninth, seventh
- Felix Decius Aurius lucky, tenth
- Marcellus Livius Barbidus young marcus, bluish
- Opiter Domitius Curtitus grandfather's heir, tamed
- Statius Vinicius Modestus steadfast, of wine
- Manius Veturius Gratio born at morning, of the ancients
- Severus Octavius Magnio stern, eighth
- Primus Curtius Priscensis first, shortened
- Nero Marcius Rufio strong, warlike
- Quartus Aelius Flavimus fourth, of the sun
- Secundus Fulvius Modestius second, tawny
- Nonus Naevius Fusciculus ninth, mole-marked
- Priscus Postumius Verensis from old times, posthumous
- Decimus Septimius Rufulus tenth, seventh
Female roman names
- Nigidia Grata Probaria black, pleasing
- Caelia Pia Magnoria heaven, dutiful
- Caesia Vera Vitalola blue-grey, truthful
- Minucia Sabina Severoria small, sabine
- Septimia Prisca Verida seventh, from old times
- Aelia Prisca Celsida of the sun, from old times
- Opimia Placida Aurita rich, calm
- Julia Festa Blanda of iulus, festal
- Silvia Pia Albola of the forest, dutiful
- Nonia Justa Placida ninth, upright
- Plautia Pia Catola flat-footed, dutiful
- Manlia Constans Crassata of manius, steadfast
- Aquilia Tertia Celsilla eagle, third
- Caelia Septima Fuscia heaven, seventh
- Opimia Constans Fuscatica rich, steadfast
- Silvia Quinta Nasilla of the forest, fifth
- Furia Quarta Albola raging, fourth
- Plautia Camilla Barbensis flat-footed, altar attendant
Questions
What are the three parts of a Roman name?
An ancient Roman name has three: praenomen, nomen and cognomen. The praenomen is the personal name, chosen from a very short list. The nomen gentilicium names the gens, the wider clan, and always ends in ius. The cognomen names the branch within it and usually began as a nickname. Gaius Julius Caesar is Gaius, of the gens Julia, of the Caesar branch.
Did Roman women have first names?
Rarely. A woman was normally known by the feminine form of her father's nomen, so every daughter of the Julii was Julia. Where more precision was needed, families used Maior and Minor for two sisters, or numbered them Tertia, Quarta, Quintilla. From the late Republic women increasingly carried a cognomen too, such as Livia Drusilla.
What is a cognomen?
The third name, marking a branch of the gens. Most started as personal descriptions and stuck to the family: Rufus for red hair, Longus for height, Crassus for bulk, Cicero apparently from an ancestor with a chickpea-shaped wart. Because they were inherited, a Roman named Calvus, meaning bald, need not have been bald at all.
What are common Roman family names?
The great gentes are Aemilius, Claudius, Cornelius, Fabius, Julius, Junius, Valerius, Sempronius, Licinius and Aurelius. Many carry plain meanings: Fabius from the bean, Cornelius from the horn, Porcius from the pig, Caecilius from caecus meaning blind, Flavius from flavus, golden-haired. The ending ius is the mark of the gens itself.
How do I build a Roman name for a character?
Take one praenomen, one gens, one cognomen, and keep that order. Match the gender throughout: a man of the Aurelii with a stern nickname is Marcus Aurelius Severus, and his daughter is Aurelia Severa, since the cognomen ending shifts from us to a. Freedmen took the praenomen and nomen of the man who freed them, keeping their old name as cognomen.