Roman Names: Ancient Roman Names for Men & Women
Ancient Roman names for men and women, with the three-part naming system.
By Shivam KumarUpdated 18 October 20261 min read
Choose your options, then generate a roman name.
Built at random from word lists for this topic, so some will fit better than others.
Roman men of citizen families usually had three names, the tria nomina: a personal name (praenomen), a family or clan name (nomen) and often an extra family nickname (cognomen), as in Gaius Julius Caesar. Roman women usually used the feminine form of their family name, such as Julia or Cornelia. Use the Roman name generator, then follow the guide below for authentic combinations.
5 Roman Names
Chosen for this topic, each with a short note. Copy a name, or save it to compare later.
Marcus Valerius Rufus
Authentic three-part name; "Rufus" means red-haired.
Gaius Cornelius Magnus
Noble-sounding Roman citizen.
Julia Minor
Younger daughter of the Julii.
Lucius Aemilius Paullus
Patrician-style name.
Livia
Elegant Roman woman's name.
The parts of a Roman name
Praenomen (personal name): only a small set was common, such as Gaius, Lucius, Marcus, Publius, Quintus, Titus and Gnaeus. Nomen (clan name): Julius, Cornelius, Claudius, Valerius, Aemilius, Fabius. Cognomen (nickname or branch): Caesar, Cicero, Brutus, Rufus ("red-haired"), Magnus ("great").
Roman women's names
Women usually took the feminine form of the father's nomen: Julia, Cornelia, Claudia, Valeria, Aemilia. Sisters could be distinguished by "Maior" (elder) and "Minor" (younger), or by numbers like Tertia (third).
Frequently asked questions
How did Roman names work?
Roman citizen men typically had a praenomen (personal name), nomen (clan name) and often a cognomen (family nickname), like Marcus Tullius Cicero.
What are common Roman names for girls?
Julia, Cornelia, Claudia, Valeria and Livia were common Roman women's names.
Can I use these names in my story, game or campaign?
Yes. All names are free to use in home games, fan fiction, streams and your own original writing.