Create a family in Ancient Rome!

Baby Name Games
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Okay, so this has been in the works for a while (have I added too many names? Yes. Feel free to go twice. Or three times. Or more.)

The Roman Naming system is called the Tria Nomina, or Three names.

Step 1: Pick a Nomen

First pick a Nomen, or a family name, that your family will be descended from, like a last name. Here are way too many options. :joy:
Got tired of copy pasting from my nomen doc, so here is a Wikipedia link that I think has all of them.

Step 2: Pick a Praenomen
Next you will need to pick a fist name, or a praenomen.

Praenomina

Agrippa
Appius
Aulus
Caeso
Faustus
Gaius
Gnaius
Hostus
Lucius
Mamercus
Manius
Marcus
Mettius
Numerius
Opiter
Paullus
Postumus
Proculus
Publius
Sertor
Servius
Spurius
Statius
Tiberius
Titus
Tullus
Vibius
Volesus
Vopiscus

In addition to these, some praenomina were based on birth order

Birth Order Praenomina

2nd: Secundus
3rd: Tertius
4th: Quartus
5th: Quintus
6th: Sextus :grimacing:
7th: Septimus
8th: Octavius
9th: Nonus
10th: Decimus

Step 3: Pick a Cognomen
Now for cognomina. A cognomen was like a nickname, but more formal. A roman could have infinitely many cognomina, and people could give them to themselves, but more often they would be given to them by others, hence why many were rather… unflattering.

Cognomina

Aculeo (prickly)
Salinator (salt-harvester)
Vetus (old)
Vatia (awkward)
Ambustus (scalded or burnt)
Aquila (eagle)
Vespillo (funeral director)
Arvina (fat)
Asina (donkey)
Bassus (plump)
Varus (bow-legged)
Capito (big-headed)
Agricola (farmer)
Cato (shrewd)
Catulus (whelp)
Celerus (quick)
Bibulus (drunkard)
Celsus (tall)
Cicero (chick pea)
Blaesus (stammerer)
Brutus (dumb)
Ahala (armpit)
Calidus (hot-headed)
Scaeva (left-handed)
Bestia (animal-like)
Scaurus (lame)
Ahenobarbus (red-bearded)
Varro (blockhead)
Albinus (pale)
Atellus (dark)
Verres (pig)
Albus (fair-skinned)
Canus (golden-haired)
Cicurinus (gentle)
Brocchus (toothy)
Crassus (fat)
Pulcher/Pulchra (attractive)
Quadratus (stocky)
Rullus (boorish)
Crispus (curly-haired)
Bulbus (onion)
Cursor (runner)
Bucco (dolt)
Caecus (blind)
Barbatus (bearded)
Rufus (red hair)
Taurus (bull)
Ruga (wrinkly)
Vitulus (calf)
Pavo (peacock)
Pictor (painter)
Muscus (fly)
Piso (mortar)
Pullus (child)
Rallus (fine fabric)
Naso (big-nosed)
Priscus (ancient)
Natta (artisan)
Lentulus (slow)
Camillus (priestly child)
Lepidus (charming)
Dolabella (hatchet)
Figulus (potter)
Labeo (mouthy)
Licinus (bristly-haired)
Calvus (bald)
Lupus (wolf)
Caninus (dog-like)
Dives (wealthy)
Mus (mouse)
Nerva (vigorous)
Helva (brown-haired)
Longus (tall)
Malleolus (hammer)
Murena (eel)
Imperiosus (domineering)
Novellus (new)
Ocella (small-eyed)
Dentatus (toothy)
Fimbrius (fringes)
Paterculus (little father)
Lurco (gluttonous)
Macer (skinny)
Flaccus (floppy)
Florus (blooming)
Curvus (bent)
Avitus (grandfatherly)
Balbus (stutterer)
Severus (severe)
Strabo (squinty)
Triarius (soldier)
Superbus (proud)
Turdus (little bird)
Regulus (prince)
Laenas (cloaked)
Habitus (in good shape)
Fullo (launderer)
Plancus (flat-footed)
Scipio (staff)
Postumus (born posthumously)
Mergus (sea-gull)
Senecus (elderly)
Silanus (nose)
Merula (blackbird)
Metellus (army follower)
Scrofus (pig)
Praeconinus (herald)
Corvinus (crow-like)
Laterensis (from the hill-side)
Gemellus (a twin)
Gurges (greedy)
Paetus (squinty)
Maculus (blemish)
Paullus (small)
Cornutus (horned)
Galeus (helmet)
Cordus (born late)

Other facts you should know: Women were not given names. Seriously. They were given the feminine form of their Nomen, to get a feminine form, remove the us from a name and replace it with an a. If there were multiple girls in a family, say Abronius, if there were two girls they would be known as Abronia Major and Abronia Minor, or if there were more they may be know as Abronia Prima(First), Abronia Secunda(Second) and Abronia Tertia (Third). (If needed more would be Quarta (Fourth), Quinta (Fifth), Sexta (Sixth), Septima (Seventh)) Remember the goal of roman families was to marry girls off quickly, so not many girls would be in a family at one time. Once married, she would be the only Abronia in her family.

Also, the firstborn boy had to be named after his father. He might also inherit some cognomens from his father if his father did anything noteworthy.

Here is are some templates, or you can also create your own.

Paterfamilias(Father of the house): Praenomen Agnomen “Cognomens”
Materfamilias(Mother of the house): Feminine form of nomen(Maiden name)

Family 1
Pater(Father): Praenomen Nomen “Cognomens”
Mater(Mother): Feminine form of original nomen
B1 (Obligated to be named after father) “Cognomens”
G1 Feminine form of nomen Major/Minor or Number system
B3 Praenomen Agnomen “Cognomens”
G2 Feminine form of nomen Major/Minor or Number system

Family 2
Pater(Father): Praenomen Nomen “Cognomens”
Mater(Mother): Feminine form of original nomen

G1 (Married) Feminine form of nomen
SIL1: Praenomen Nomen “Cognomens”
G1 and SIL1 B1: Obligated to be named after father(SIL1) “Cognomens”
G1 and SIL1 G1: Feminine form of father’s nomen(SIL1)

B1: (Married) Obligated to be named after father
DIL1: Feminine form of nomen from her family
B1 girl child 1: Feminine form of father’s nomen(B1)
B1 boy child 1: Obligated to be named after father(B1) “Cognomens”

G2: (Married) Feminine form of nomen
SIL2: Praenomen Nomen “Cognomens”
G1: Feminine form of nomen Major/Minor or Number system
G2: Feminine form or nomen Major/Minor or Number system

G3 Feminine form of nomen Major/Minor or Number system
B2 Praenomen Nomen “Cognomens”
G4 Feminine form of nomen Major/Minor or Number system
B3/B4 Praenomen Nomen “Cognomens” / Praenomen Nomen “Cognomens”
B5 Praenomen Nomen “Cognomens”
G5 Feminine form of nomen Major/Minor or Number system

Go even further further:

Adoption

If a family did not produce a male heir, they might adopt. This was mostly to preserve the wealth and power of the Patricians and had nothing to do with the welfare of the child. The adoptee would then become the first boy child and heir and take his new father’s praenomen, nomen and any inherited cognomens, but keep his original nomen as a second surname, adding inus or anus to the end instead of us. For example, if there were no sons in the Gaius Abronius’s family, they might adopt a son from the Aemilius clan, making the new adopted child Gaius Abronius Aemilianus

Pater (Father): Praenomen Nomen “Cognomens”
Mater (Mother): Feminine form of original nomen
G1: Feminine form of nomen Major/Minor or Number system
G2: Feminine form of nomen Major/Minor or Number system
G3: Feminine form of nomen Major/Minor or Number system
Adopted B1: Obligated to be named after adopted father, plus original surname with anus or inus on the end
G4: Feminine form of nomen Major/Minor or Number system
B2(Not adopted): Praenomen Nomen “Cognomens”

SIL=Son in law if anyone was wondering, DIL is daughter in law, Anderson’s obviously G and B are girl and boy.

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Pater: [name_f]Agrippa[/name_f] Caecilius ‘Aquila’
Mader: [name_f]Lucia[/name_f]
B: [name_f]Agrippa[/name_f] ‘Aquila’
G: [name_f]Caecilia[/name_f] [name_m]Major[/name_m]
B: [name_m]Marcus[/name_m] ‘Celsus’
G: [name_f]Caecilia[/name_f] [name_m]Minor[/name_m]

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DH: [name_m]Titus[/name_m] Fulvius [name_m]Rufus[/name_m]
DW: Licinia

DD: [name_f]Fulvia[/name_f] [name_f]Prima[/name_f]
–DH: Publius [name_m]Decimus[/name_m] Calvus
----DD: [name_f]Decima[/name_f]
----DS: Publius [name_m]Decimus[/name_m] Celsus

DS: [name_m]Titus[/name_m] Fulvius Nerva
–DW: [name_f]Ovidia[/name_f]
----DS: [name_m]Titus[/name_m] Fulvius [name_m]Crispus[/name_m]
----DD: [name_f]Fulvia[/name_f]
----DS: [name_m]Lucius[/name_m] Fulvius Lurco

DS: [name_m]Marcus[/name_m] Fulvius [name_m]Crassus[/name_m]
–DW: Vipsania
----DD: [name_f]Fulvia[/name_f] [name_f]Prima[/name_f]
----DD: [name_f]Fulvia[/name_f] Secunda
----DS: [name_m]Marcus[/name_m] Fulvius [name_m]Varro[/name_m]
----DD: [name_f]Fulvia[/name_f] [name_f]Tertia[/name_f]

DD: [name_f]Fulvia[/name_f] Secunda
DS: [name_m]Gaius[/name_m] Fulvius Naso
DS: [name_m]Manius[/name_m] Fulvius Lupus

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nomen: Nymphidius
praenomen: [name_m]Lucius[/name_m]
cognomen: Merula

Family 2
Pater(Father): [name_m]Lucius[/name_m] Nymphidius Merula Avitus
Mater(Mother): [name_f]Laelia[/name_f]

G1 (Married) Nymphidia [name_f]Prima[/name_f]
SIL1: [name_m]Marcus[/name_m] Elvius Celsus Pictor
G1 and SIL1 B1: [name_m]Marcus[/name_m] Elvius Paullus [name_m]Rufus[/name_m]
G1 and SIL1 G1: [name_f]Elvia[/name_f]

B1: [name_m]Lucius[/name_m] Nymphidius [name_m]Albus[/name_m] Merula
DIL1: [name_f]Cassia[/name_f]
B1 girl child 1: Nymphidia
B1 boy child 1: [name_m]Lucius[/name_m] Nymphidius [name_m]Albus[/name_m]

G2: Nymphidia Secunda
SIL2: [name_m]Gaius[/name_m] [name_m]Aurelius[/name_m] Lupus Florus
G1: [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] [name_m]Major[/name_m]
G2: [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] [name_m]Minor[/name_m]

G3: Nymphidia [name_f]Tertia[/name_f]
B2 Opiter Nymphidius Lepidus
G4 Nymphidia Quarta
B3/B4 [name_f]Agrippa[/name_f] Nymphidius Gemellus Helva & [name_m]Tiberius[/name_m] Nymphidius Gemellus Naso
B5 Tullus Nymphidius Canus
G5 Nymphidia [name_f]Quinta[/name_f]

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