Choosing a Roman name
So that Nova Roma may be a working restoration of ancient Republican Roman society, we ask that you choose a "Roman Name" when you enroll as an official Citizen. Use of Roman names will allow the culture of Nova Roma to grow in the traditional manner of organization by "gens", or clans, and branches of families within the different gentes. The Roman name you choose will be entered into the Citizens rolls along with your "given" name. We'll use it when contacting you, and invite you to make your experience an authentic one by making use of it in correspondence and public participation.
- If you've already chosen a Roman name for yourself, simply list it in your application for Citizenship.
- If you are new to Roman culture, and would like assistance in choosing a Roman name that expresses both you and your interests, simply contact the censores.
Roman male names typically contain three proper nouns which are classified as praenomen (or given name), nomen (or gens name) and cognomen. Sometimes a second cognomen (called agnomen) is added. For female names, the convention is similar, with a few differences. When applying for citizenship, only the praenomen, nomen, and cognomen are mandatory. Additional elements such as agnomen and filiation are optional.
Praenomina
This form of "first" name was relatively unimportant, and was rarely used on its own. There are only a relative few praenomina that were commonly known in both the Republican era of Rome.
Nomina
The second name or nomen is the name of the gens (clan) in masculine form.
Cognomina
The third name or cognomen started to be a nickname or personal name that distinguished individuals within the same gens (the cognomen does not appear in official documents until around 100 BCE). During the Roman Republic, the cognomen is inherited from father to son, serving to distinguish a family within a gens. Often the cognomen was chosen based on some physical or personality trait.
