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	Status		Used especially by
Aculeo	Aculeo
Agricola	Agricola	OVERUSED
Agrippa	Agrippa	OVERUSED		Gens Menenia
Ahala	Ahala			Gens Servilia
Ahenobarbus	Ahenobarba	OVERUSED		Gens Domitia
Albinus	Albina			Gens Postumia
Albus	Alba			Gens Postumia
Ambustus	Ambusta	SUGGESTED		Gens Fabia
Annalis	Annalis			Gens Villia
Aquila	Aquila	OVERUSED
Aquilinus	Aquilina
Arvina	Arvina			Gens Cornelia
Asellio	Asellio			Gens Sempronia
Asina	Asina			Gens Cornelia
Atellus	Atella
Avitus	Avita
Balbus	Balba	SUGGESTED		Gentes Acilia, Cornelia, Lucilia, Naevia, Octavia
Barba	Barba
Barbatus	Barbata	OVERUSED		Gentes Cornelia, Horatia, Quinctia
Bassus	Bassa
Bestia	Bestia			Gens Calpurnia
Bibaculus	Bibacula	SUGGESTED		Gentes Furia, Sextia
Bibulus	Bibula	SUGGESTED		Gentes Calpurnia, Publicia
Blaesus	Blaesa	SUGGESTED		Gens Sempronia
Brocchus	Broccha
Brutus	Bruta			Gens Iunia
Bubulcus	Bubulca	SUGGESTED		Gens Iunia
Bucco	Bucco	SUGGESTED
Bulbus	Bulba	SUGGESTED		Gens Atilia
Buteo	Buteo			Gens Fabia
Caecus	Caeca			Gens Claudia
Caepio	Caepio			Gens Servilia
Caesar	Caesar	DISCOURAGED		Gens Iulia
Calidus	Calida			Gens Coelia
Calvinus	Calvina			Gentes Domitia, Veturia
Calvus	Calva	SUGGESTED
Camillus	Camilla			Gens Furia
Caninus	Canina	SUGGESTED		Gens Acilia
Canus	Cana
Capito	Capito	SUGGESTED		Gens Ateia
Carbo	Carbo			Gens Papirii
Catilina	Catilina			Gens Sergia
Cato	Cato	DISCOURAGED		Gentes Hostilia, Porcia
Catulus	Catula			Gens Lutatia
Celer	Celeris
Celsus	Celsa			Gens Papia
Cethegus	Cethega			Gens Cornelia
Cicero	Cicero	DISCOURAGED		Gens Tullia
Cicurinus	Cicurina			Gens Veturia
Cilo	Cilo	SUGGESTED		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	SUGGESTED		Gens Furia
Crassus	Crassa			Gentes Claudia, Licinia, Otacilia, Veturia
Crispinus	Crispina
Crispus	Crispa			Gentes Sallustia, Vibia
Culleo	Culleo	SUGGESTED		Gens Terentia
Curio	Curio	SUGGESTED		Gens Scribonia
Cursor	Cursor			Gens Papiria
Curvus	Curva			Gens Fulvia
Dentatus	Dentata	SUGGESTED
Denter	Dentra	SUGGESTED		Gens Caecilia
Dento	Dento	SUGGESTED
Dives	Dives			Gens Licinia
Dolabella	Dolabella			Gens Cornelia
Dorsuo	Dorsuo	SUGGESTED		Gens Fabia
Drusus	Drusa			Gens Livia
Figulus	Figula	SUGGESTED
Fimbria	Fimbria			Gens Flavia
Flaccus	Flacca			Gentes Aviania, Fulvia, Valeria
Flavus	Flava			Gens Decimia
Florus	Flora			Gens Aquilia
Fronto	Fronto	SUGGESTED
Fullo	Fullo	SUGGESTED		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
Lanatus	Lanata	SUGGESTED		Gens Menenia
Laevinus	Laevina
Laterensis	Laterensis			Gens Iuventia
Lentulus	Lentula			Gens Cornelia
Lepidus	Lepida			Gens Aemilia
Libo	Libo	SUGGESTED		Gens Marcia, Scribonia
Licinus	Licina	SUGGESTED		Gens Mamilia
Longus	Longa	SUGGESTED		Gentes Sempronia, Sulpicia
Lucullus	Luculla			Gens Licinia
Lupus	Lupa	OVERUSED		Gens Rutilia
Lurco	Lurco	SUGGESTED
Macer	Macra	SUGGESTED		Gens Licinia
Macula	Macula	SUGGESTED
Malleolus	Malleola			Gens Publicia
Mamercus	Mamerca			Gens Aemilia
Marcellus	Marcella	OVERUSED		Gens Claudia
Maro	Maro	SUGGESTED		Gens Vergilia
Merenda	Merenda			Gentes Antonia, Cornelia
Mergus	Merga	SUGGESTED
Merula	Merula			Gens Cornelia
Messalla	Messalla			Gens Valeria
Metellus	Metella			Gens Caecilia
Murena	Murena			Gens Licinia
Mus	Mus	SUGGESTED		Gens Decia
Musca	Musca	SUGGESTED		Gens Sempronia
Nasica	Nasica			Gens Sempronia
Naso	Naso	SUGGESTED		Gens Ovidia
Natta	Natta			Gens Pinaria
Nepos	Nepos			Gens Caecilia
Nero	Nero			Gens Claudia
Nerva	Nerva			Gens Cocceia, Licinia
Niger	Nigra	SUGGESTED
Novellus	Novella			Gens Gavilia
Ocella	Ocella	SUGGESTED		Gens Livia
Pacilus	Pacila			Gens Furia
Paetus	Paeta	SUGGESTED		Gens Aelia
Pansa	Pansa	SUGGESTED		Gens Vibia
Papus	Papa			Gens Aemilia
Paterculus	Patercula	SUGGESTED		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	SUGGESTED
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	OVERUSED
Scaeva	Scaeva			Gens Iunia, Marcia
Scaevola	Scaevola			Gens Mucia
Scapula	Scapula	SUGGESTED		Gens Quinctia
Scaurus	Scaura			Gentes Aemilia, Aurelia
Scipio	Scipio	DISCOURAGED		Gens Cornelii
Scrofa	Scrofa	SUGGESTED		Gens Tremelia
Seneca	Seneca			Gens Annaea
Severus	Severa	OVERUSED
Silanus	Silana			Gens Iunia
Silo	Silo			Gens Sergia
Silus	Sila	SUGGESTED		Gens Sergia
Stolo	Stolo	SUGGESTED		Gens Licinia
Strabo	Strabo			Gens Titia
Structus	Structa			Gens Servilia
Sulla	Sulla	DISCOURAGED		Gens Cornelia
Sura	Sura	SUGGESTED
Taurus	Taura
Triarius	Triaria	OVERUSED		Gens Valeria
Trigeminus	Trigemina			Gens Curiatia
Trio	Trio	SUGGESTED		Gens Lucretia
Tubero	Tubero	SUGGESTED		Gens Aelia, Iulia
Tubertus	Tuberta	SUGGESTED		Gens Postumia
Tubulus	Tubula	SUGGESTED		Gens Hostilia
Tuditanus	Tuditana	SUGGESTED		Gens Sempronia
Tullus	Tulla			Gens Volcatia
Turdus	Turda	SUGGESTED		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	Vetus			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").