The ancient Romans, alongside the ancient Greeks, were one of the most influential civilizations of that time and they shaped the world that is around us today. Their legacy is present in so many areas of our lives: their art, roads, clothing, food, customs, ideas, and the stories they left behind have had an undeniable impact on our daily lives. What else did we keep from them?
In this article, we will look into some ancient Roman names, with their unique naming system, and also discover several delightful names from Roman mythology.

Ancient Roman Naming Traditions

The ancient Roman naming system was different from that of other similar European cultures of that period. In ancient times, it was unusual to use both given names and surnames. Other cultures usually used one single personal name, which had a dichotomic nature, so it expressed two ideas about the individual. Romans used a system known as tria nomina, which was made up of a praenomen, a nomen, and a cognomen.

The nomen or nomen gentilicum was mostly hereditary because its purpose was to indicate the gens (family) a person came from. Nomina were often formed by adding the suffix “-ius” to a praenomen, usually that of the father. Sometimes other modifications were necessary. So, for example, a boy whose father’s name was Lucius would get the surname Lucilius. Another way of mentioning patronymic ancestry was by using filiation. That means that people who shared both their family and given names, could also add their father’s given name, and seldom also their mother’s. An example would be, for a boy whose father’s name is Marcus, to be called Marci fillius, while the same man’s daughter would be Marci filia. The cognomen was an additional surname, which could be hereditary or not, and was mostly used by the aristocracy as a means of indicating their social status. The practice of using cognomen did not last long, as using signia, meaning alternative names, became more popular.

Lastly, the praenomen was the given name, chosen by the parents. This name would be “officialized” on the dies lustricus, which could be translated as the day of lustration, an ancient purification ritual in Greek and Roman civilizations. This took place on the eighth day after a girl was born and on the ninth day after the birth of a boy. The praenomen would be formally confirmed for a second time when girls got married and boys received the toga virilis (“the toga of manhood”) when they were mature enough to handle their new responsibilities as adult men.
Women did not always have a praenomen, because they changed their nomen after marriage and they could easily be distinguished from their sisters. In childhood, the oldest daughter was called Maxima and her younger sisters received numerical cognomina. This is how the praenomen Prima, Secunda, Tertia, Quarta, Quinta, Sexta, Septima, Octavia, Nona, and Decima were born. Very often, female praenomina were variants of male names. For example, the counterpart of the given name Titus was Titia and Lucius was the male equivalent of Lucia. Other praenomina may have indicated the circumstances in which a child was born. Caeso was attributed to a child born by a Cesarean section, while Lucius referred to someone born at dawn. They could also refer to the physical features of a person, such as Paullus, which means “little” and Volusus, meaning “strong”. The practice of tria nomina ceased to exist in the Middle Ages, but its influence can be spotted even in the names used in several modern languages.

Roman Mythology

Myths could be described as ancient folklore, but in the case of ancient Roman culture, myths and historical reality often got mixed together. It is difficult to decide what is true and what is just a legend, but nonetheless, Roman mythology is an incredibly interesting subject to explore. Myths usually revisit themes like the creation of the Universe, the birth of a nation, deities, heroes, and all sorts of mythological creatures. They are meant to give answers to difficult questions and to illustrate the human condition, with all its virtues and flaws.

Roman Deities

It is believed that the Romans did not really have a native mythology and it is crystal clear that in many aspects, Roman myths and deities are slightly modified versions of the Greek originals. This is the reason they are classified together as Classical mythology. Here are some examples of Roman deities and their Greek counterparts:

  • Diana is the goddess of hunters, crossroads, the countryside, and the Moon. Her Greek counterpart is Artemis.

  • Clementia is the goddess of clemency, mercy, forgiveness, and redemption. In Greek mythology, the goddess representing these virtues was called Eeleos.

  • Roma is the goddess and the personification of the city of Rome. She could be associated with the Greek goddess Athena, as she is also the protector of her city, Athens.

  • Victoria is the goddess of victory, just like her Greek counterpart, the goddess Nike.

  • Aurora is the goddess of the dawn in Roman mythology, just like Eos is in Greek mythology.

  • Flora is the goddess of spring and flowers. Chloris is the name of the Greek goddess with the same role.

    Names of Roman Gods that Inspired the Name of the Planets

    Names inspired by Roman mythology didn’t just reach our Earth, but also the space, thus getting attributed to some of the planets. The sky is the limit, but not for ancient Roman gods!

  • Mercury is the Roman god of messages, commerce, communication, and the protector of travelers, among other roles attributed to him. He is part of the twelve main gods within the Roman Pantheon. As the Greek equivalent of Hermes, he wore winged sandals called talaria, a winged hat called petasos, while also carrying a caduceus, which is a staff with two serpents, that became his distinctive symbol.
    Mercury may come from the Latin word merx, meaning “merchandise”, or the Greek hóros, meaning “boundary”, or “frontier”. Both associations refer to his roles as the god of commerce and messenger between the worlds. Mercury can be used both as a family name and as a neutral given name.

  • Venus is the goddess of love, beauty, and desire, the Roman counterpart of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Her name stems from Latin words with the same root and derivatives, thus being associated with terms like “attractive”, “adoration” and “love potion”.

  • Terra/Terra Mater is basically mother Earth, with Gaia as her Greek counterpart. She is often associated with Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain, and motherhood. Variants like Tara, Tera, or Tarah are used as female given names.

  • Mars is the Roman god of war and the guardian of the Roman people. He was the son of Jupiter and Juno. The Latin derivations of his name translate to “martial” in English, thus referring to his fiery character. The given names Mark, Martin, and Markus stem from the god’s name. In Greek mythology, we know him as Ares.

  • Jupiter’s name could be translated as “father of the sky”, suggesting his role in Roman mythology. Besides this role, he is also the god of thunder and the king of the other gods. He can be identified by his lightning bolt and Aquila, often combined together in artistic representations of the god. His counterpart in Greek mythology is Zeus. The adjective “jovial”, derived from the name Jupiter means “optimistic” or “happy” and the noun that was derived from the name became the name of the day Thursday in many languages.

  • Saturn could be described as the Greek counterpart of Cronus. He is the god of time, wealth, and agriculture. His children were Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, Vesta, Pluto, and Ceres. Their mother was Saturn’s sister and partner, Ops. His name is mainly associated with the concept of time itself, from which it derived the secondary element of agriculture. Satus means “sowing” because, in ancient times, this activity was closely linked to the changing seasons and implicitly, the passing of time.
    He was one of the most celebrated gods in ancient Roman civilization. The religious festival dedicated to him was called Saturnalia and it was a celebration of harvest and sowing.

  • Neptune is the Roman counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon. He is the god of the waters and the sea, but used to be worshipped as the protector of the horses too. His name has multiple interpretations. Some argue that Neptune refers to something wet or damp, but some trace it back to the Latin nuptiae, underlining the idea that the sea is born through the marriage of Sky and Earth, both of which could have plausible meanings.

    In order to get to know ourselves and the world around us, we should take a look at the past, because the interesting parts of life always lie underneath the surface. We might think that the world has changed a lot since the times of ancient Romans, but many of our values, imagination, names and even the planets stayed almost the same.

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