LA:Cognomen

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A cognomen is a family name which would be shared by a group of blood relatives. Cognomina often, but not always, referred to a person's appearance or other characteristics. It was also common to have a cognomen referring to a place of birth, a job, or some other thing which distinguished the person (usually an ancestor) who first bore that cognomen. It is the third part of the tria nomina.

Contents 1 The Characteristics of Cognomina 2 Inheritance 3 Ancient Republican Cognomina 4 Geographical Cognomina 5 Occupational Cognomina

The Characteristics of Cognomina

Ancient republican cognomina had certain general characteristics. A person was not given his cognomen by his parents and did not choose it for himself: he either inherited it from his parents or was given it by general consensus within the community. In this sense a cognomen was like a nickname. For this reason, they were usually objective rather than subjective, concrete rather than abstract, and neutral or insulting rather than complimentary.

Inheritance

A Roman almost always took his father's cognomen, especially if his father himself inherited the name from his father. Cases in which a cognomen may not be passed down from father to son are those where the cognomen is particularly closely associated with the father and would not be relevant to the son.

Agnomina are not usually inherited. Adoptive cognomina and matronymic cognomina are never inherited.

Ancient Republican Cognomina

A cognomen used in the ancient republic will normally be acceptable so long as it complies with the general characteristics noted above. Here is a list of some ancient republican cognomina with their meanings. Some cognomina were used especially by certain gentes: these are noted in the list, but they may also be used by members of other gentes.

Male Form	Female Form		Used especially by
Aculeo	Aculeo
Agricola	Agricola
Agrippa	Agrippa		Gens Menenia
Ahala	Ahala		Gens Servilia
Ahenobarbus	Ahenobarba		Gens Domitia
Albinus	Albina		Gens Postumia
Albus	Alba		Gens Postumia
Ambustus	Ambusta		Gens Fabia
Annalis	Annalis		Gens Villia
Aquila	Aquila
Aquilinus	Aquilina
Arvina	Arvina		Gens Cornelia
Asellio	Asellio		Gens Sempronia
Asina	Asina		Gens Cornelia
Atellus	Atella
Avitus	Avita
Balbus	Balba		Gentes Acilia, Cornelia, Lucilia, Naevia, Octavia
Barba	Barba
Barbatus	Barbata		Gentes Cornelia, Horatia, Quinctia
Bassus	Bassa
Bestia	Bestia		Gens Calpurnia
Bibaculus	Bibacula		Gentes Furia, Sextia
Bibulus	Bibula		Gentes Calpurnia, Publicia
Blaesus	Blaesa		Gens Sempronia
Brocchus	Broccha
Brutus	Bruta		Gens Iunia
Bubulcus	Bubulca		Gens Iunia
Bucco	Bucco
Bulbus	Bulba		Gens Atilia
Buteo	Buteo		Gens Fabia
Caecus	Caeca		Gens Claudia
Caepio	Caepio		Gens Servilia
Caesar	Caesar		Gens Iulia
Calidus	Calida		Gens Coelia
Calvinus	Calvina		Gentes Domitia, Veturia
Calvus	Calva
Camillus	Camilla		Gens Furia
Caninus	Canina		Gens Acilia
Canus	Cana
Capito	Capito		Gens Ateia
Carbo	Carbo		Gens Papirii
Catilina	Catilina		Gens Sergia
Cato	Cato		Gentes Hostilia, Porcia
Catulus	Catula		Gens Lutatia
Celer	Celera
Celsus	Celsa		Gens Papia
Cethegus	Cethega		Gens Cornelia
Cicero	Cicero		Gens Tullia
Cicurinus	Cicurina		Gens Veturia
Cilo	Cilo		Gens Flaminia
Cincinnatus	Cincinnata		Gens Quinctia
Cinna	Cinna		Gens Cornelia
Cordus	Corda
Cornicen	Cornicen
Cornutus	Cornuta		Gens Caecilia, Sulpicia
Corvinus	Corvina		Gens Valeria
Corvus	Corva		Gens Valeria
Cossus	Cossa		Gens Cornelia
Costa	Costa		Gens Pedania
Cotta	Cotta		Gens Aurelia
Crassipes	Crassipes		Gens Furia
Crassus	Crassa		Gentes Claudia, Licinia, Otacilia, Veturia
Crispinus	Crispina
Crispus	Crispa		Gentes Sallustia, Vibia
Culleo	Culleo		Gens Terentia
Curio	Curio		Gens Scribonia
Cursor	Cursor		Gens Papiria
Curvus	Curva		Gens Fulvia
Dentatus	Dentata
Denter	Dentra		Gens Caecilia
Dento	Dento
Dives	Dives		Gens Licinia
Dolabella	Dolabella		Gens Cornelia
Dorsuo	Dorsuo		Gens Fabia
Drusus	Drusa		Gens Livia
Figulus	Figula
Fimbria	Fimbria		Gens Flavia
Flaccus	Flacca		Gentes Aviania, Fulvia, Valeria
Flavus	Flava		Gens Decimia
Florus	Flora		Gens Aquilia
Fronto	Fronto
Fullo	Fullo		Gens Apustia
Fusus	Fusa		Gens Furia
Galeo	Galeo
Gemellus	Gemella		Gentes Servilia, Veturia
Glabrio	Glabrio		Gens Acilia
Gracchus	Graccha		Gens Sempronia
Gurges	Gurges		Gens Fabia
Habitus	Habita		Gens Cluentia
Helva	Helva		Gens Aebutia
Imperiosus	Imperiosa		Gens Manlia
Iullus	Iulla		Gens Iulia
Labeo	Labeo		Gentes Antistia, Atinia, Fabia
Lactuca	Lactuca		Gens Valeria
Laenas	Laenas		Gens Popillia
Laenatus	Laenata		Gens Menenia
Laevinus	Laevina
Laterensis	Laterensis		Gens Iuventia
Lentulus	Lentula		Gens Cornelia
Lepidus	Lepida		Gens Aemilia
Libo	Libo		Gens Marcia, Scribonia
Licinus	Licina		Gens Mamilia
Longus	Longa		Gentes Sempronia, Sulpicia
Lucullus	Luculla		Gens Licinia
Lupus	Lupa		Gens Rutilia
Lurco	Lurco
Macer	Macra		Gens Licinia
Macula	Macula
Malleolus	Malleola		Gens Publicia
Mamercus	Mamerca		Gens Aemilia
Marcellus	Marcella		Gens Claudia
Maro	Maro		Gens Vergilia
Merenda	Merenda		Gentes Antonia, Cornelia
Mergus	Merga
Merula	Merula		Gens Cornelia
Messalla	Messalla		Gens Valeria
Metellus	Metella		Gens Caecilia
Murena	Murena		Gens Licinia
Mus	Mus		Gens Decia
Musca	Musca		Gens Sempronia
Nasica	Nasica		Gens Sempronia
Naso	Naso		Gens Ovidia
Natta	Natta		Gens Pinaria
Nepos	Nepos		Gens Caecilia
Nero	Nero		Gens Claudia
Nerva	Nerva		Gens Cocceia, Licinia
Niger	Nigra
Novellus	Novella		Gens Gavilia
Ocella	Ocella		Gens Livia
Pacilus	Pacila		Gens Furia
Paetus	Paeta		Gens Aelia
Pansa	Pansa		Gens Vibia
Papus	Papa		Gens Aemilia
Paterculus	Patercula		Gens Sulpicia
Paullus	Paulla		Gens Aemilia
Pavo	Pavo
Pera	Pera		Gens Iunia
Pictor	Pictrix		Gens Fabia
Piso	Piso		Gens Calpurnia
Plancus	Planca		Gens Munatia
Plautus	Plauta
Poplicola	Poplicola	Amicus/amica populi	Gens Valeria
Postumus	Postuma		Gens Curtia
Potitus	Potita		Gens Valeria
Praeconinus	Praeconina
Praetextatus	Praetextata	Gerens togam praetextam	Gens Sulpicia
Priscus	Prisca	Antiquissimus, -a, -um
Proculus	Procula	natus, -a, -um dum pater abest	Gens Plautia
Publicola	Publicola	Variatio Poplicolae	Gens Valeria
Pulcher	Pulchra	Similis verbae bellus, -a, -um	Gens Claudia
Pullus	Pulla
Pulvillus	Pulvilla		Gens Horatia
Purpureo	Purpureo
Quadratus	Quadrata
Ralla	Ralla		Gens Marcia
Regillus	Regilla		Gens Aemilia
Regulus	Regula		Gens Atilia
Rufus	Rufa
Ruga	Ruga
Rullus	Rulla		Gens Servilia
Rutilus	Rutila
Salinator	Salinatrix		Gens Livia
Saturninus	Saturnina
Scaeva	Scaeva		Gens Iunia, Marcia
Scaevola	Scaevola		Gens Mucia
Scapula	Scapula		Gens Quinctia
Scaurus	Scaura		Gentes Aemilia, Aurelia
Scipio	Scipio		Gens Cornelii
Scrofa	Scrofa		Gens Tremelia
Seneca	Seneca		Gens Annaea
Severus	Severa
Silanus	Silana		Gens Iunia
Silo	Silo		Gens Sergia
Silus	Sila		Gens Sergia
Stolo	Stolo		Gens Licinia
Strabo	Strabo		Gens Titia
Structus	Structa		Gens Servilia
Sulla	Sulla		Gens Cornelia
Sura	Sura
Taurus	Taura
Triarius	Triaria		Gens Valeria
Trigeminus	Trigemina		Gens Curiatia
Trio	Trio		Gens Lucretia
Tubero	Tubero		Gens Aelia, Iulia
Tubertus	Tuberta		Gens Postumia
Tubulus	Tubula		Gens Hostilia
Tuditanus	Tuditana		Gens Sempronia
Tullus	Tulla		Gens Volcatia
Turdus	Turda		Gens Papiria
Varro	Varro		Gens Terentia
Varus	Vara		Gentes Atilia, Licinia, Quinctilia
Vatia	Vatia		Gens Servilia
Verres	Verres		Gens Cornelia
Vespillo	Vespillo		Gens Lucretia
Vetus	Veta		Gens Antistia
Vitulus	Vitula		Gentes Mamilia, Pomponia
Volusus	Volusa		Gens Valeria

Geographical Cognomina

Some people had cognomina which referred to the place where they came from, whether a city (e.g. Collatinus, "man from Collatia"), a region (e.g. Campanus, "man from Campania"), or a tribe (e.g. Sabinus, "man of the Sabines").

These geographical cognomina should be distinguished from honorific cognomina like Germanicus or Britannicus. These names do not refer to a place of origin but to a military achievement. If someone is called Britannicus it does not mean he is from Britain, it means he won a great victory against the Britons. Names like this are not allowed, for obvious reasons.

Occupational Cognomina

Another type of cognomen referred to the person's job or occupation (e.g. Pictor, "painter"; Caprarius, "goat-herd").