Names of the Aristocracy in the Roman Empire

[athanasius]

Common Names of the Aristocracy in the Roman Empire During the 6th and 7th Centuries. These female and male names can be used by everyone (because there are so many).

Masculine Names by Frequency
Ionnes 327 Eutychianus 5 Aeneas 2
Theodorus 230 Hadrianus 5 Aetherius 2
Stephanus 86 Iordanes 5 Agricola 2
Georgius 81 Macedonius 5 Amantius 2
Petrus 77 Maurianus 5 Anatolicus 2
Paulus 75 Nicephorus 5 Antoninus 2
Sergius 56 Samuel 5 Antonius 2
Menas 54 Severus 5 Apollos 2
Constantinus 52 Sisinnius 5 Aquila 2
Theodosius 52 Tatianus 5 Aristobulus 2
Iulianus 50 Taurinus 5 Armenius 2
Leontius 46 Theophanes 5 Arsenius 2
Anastasius 43 Theophilius 5 Asbadus 2
Thomas 39 Traianus 5 Attalus 2
Andreas 29 Tribunas 5 Auxitius 2
Cosmas 29 Vitalius 5 Avienus 2
Gregorius 27 Zemarchus 5 Bacauda 2
Leo, Leon 26 Anthemius 4 Barbatus 2
Alexander 23 Archelaus 4 Batzas 2
Phoebammon 22 Asclepiodotus 4 Beatus 2
Dorotheus 20 Belisarius, Bellesarius 4 Beppolenus 2
Elias 19 Claudius 4 Bonosus 2
Marinus 18 Conon 4 Callistus 2
Narses 18 Deusdedit 4 Celsus 2
Victor 18 Diomedes 4 Charegiselus 2
Callinicus 17 Domitius 4 Chilbudius 2
Cyrus 17 Ennodius 4 Clementinus 2
Germanus 17 Eugenius 4 Comitiolus 2
Eustathius 16 Eulogius 4 Constantianus 2
Michael, Michaelius 16 Euphemius 4 Constantinianus 2
Zacharias 16 Flavianus 4 Constantius 2
Iustinus 15 Florentinus 4 Cyricus 2
Nicetas 15 Hypatius 4 Ddymus 2
Theophylactus 15 Lucinus 4 Domentziolus 2
Athanasius 14 Macrobius 4 Domninus 2
Basilius 14 Manuel 4 Domnitziolus 2
Comitas, Cometas 14 Moschus 4 Donus 2
Romanus 14 Olybrius 4 Droserius 2
Theodotus 14 Pastor 4 Eudoxius 2
Anatolius 13 Paulinus 4 Eulalius 2
Eusebius 13 Scholasticus 4 Eulampius 2
Felix 13 Sebastianus 4 Eupatarius 2
Isidorus 13 Soterichus 4 Euphratas 2
Marcellus 13 Symmachus 4 Euphronius 2
Marianus 13 Theodulus 4 Eustochius 2
Marcianus 12 Tiberius 4 Eustratius 2
Patricius 12 Trolius 4 Euthalius 2
Strategius 12 Tryphon 4 Eutolmius 2
Bonus 11 Valerius 4 Eutychius 2
Damianus, Domianus 11 Vasacius 4 Firminus 2
Demetrius 11 Vitalianus 4 Francio 2
Isaac, Isaacius, Isaaces 11 Zeno 4 Fronto 2
Rufinus 11 Ablabius 3 Genethlius 2
Theopemptus 11 Abundanitus 3 Godilas 2
Dioscorus 10 Acindynus 3 Helias 2
Gabriel, Gabrielius 10 Agapetus 3 Helladius 2
Iustus 10 Agnellus 3 Hermias, Hermeias 2
Marcus 10 Ampelius 3 Herodianus 2
Mauricius 10 Anthimus 3 Himerius 2
Procopius 10 Aphthonius 3 Honoratus 2
Abramius 9 Apollinarius 3 Ionnacius 2
Ammonianus 9 Aristomachus 3 Iovivus 2
Laurentius 9 Armatus 3 Irenaeus 2
Maximus 9 Arsaphius 3 Iulius 2
Phillippus 9 Aurelianus 3 Marius 2
Philoxenus 9 Bacchus 3 Marthanes 2
Phocas 9 Baduaruis 3 Martyrius 2
Asterius 8 Boethius 3 Maruthus 2
David 8 Caesarius 3 Maurinus 2
Diogenes 8 Calopodius 3 Maxentius 2
Gennadius 8 Carellus 3 Maximianus 2
Heraclius 8 Carinus 3 Maximinus 2
Honorius 8 Comentas 3 Megistus 2
Iacobus 8 Comentiolus 3 Melminius 2
Iustinianus 8 Daniel, Danielus 3 Menander 2
Olympius 8 Decius 3 Menelaus 2
Palladius 8 Deuterius 3 Mercurius 2
Probus 8 Domnicus 3 Musonius 2
Albinus 7 Donatus 3 Nazares 2
Antiochus 7 Dulcitius 3 Nonnosus 2
Faustus 7 Elpidius 3 Pamphilus 2
Florentius 7 Eudaemon 3 Pancratius 2
Ioseph, Iosephius, Iosephus 7 Faustinus 3 Pantagathus 2
Marcellinus 7 Florus 3 Papirius 2
Martinus 7 Fortunatus 3 Pardus 2
Nicolaus 7 Gallus 3 Parthenius 2
Nonnus 7 Gregoras 3 Paternus 2
Photius 7 Hermongenes 3 Pegarius 2
Plato 7 Hilarius 3 Pelagius 2
Ptolemaeus 7 Ianuarius 3 Perigenes 2
Rusticus 7 Innocentius 3 Petronas 2
Timotheus 7 Iovinus 3 Philaretus 2
Valentinus 7 Lazarus 3 Placidus 2
Acacius 6 Magnus 3 Plutinus 2
Aemilianus 6 Martinianus 3 Praetextatus 2
Andronicus 6 Maurentius 3 Principius 2
Areobindus 6 Maurus 3 Rogatus 2
Colluthus 6 Megas 3 Romulus 2
Cyrillus 6 Nicetius 3 Rusticius 2
Dionysius 6 Nilus 3 Sarapammon 2
Epiphanius 6 Olympiodorus 3 Saturninus 2
Gerontius 6 Opilio 3 Senuthius 2
Longinus 6 Paschalis 3 Severianus 2
Philagrius 6 Petronius 3 Severinus 2
Priscus 6 Philippicus 3 Sittas 2
Serenus 6 Photinus 3 Smaragdus 2
Solomon 6 Pompeius 3 Speciosus 2
Symeon, Symeonius 6 Praesentinus 3 Synesius 2
Theoctistus 6 Sarapion 3 Taurus 2
Theodoricus 6 Simplicius 3 Theocharistus 2
Valerianus 6 Stauracius 3 Theon 2
Venantius 6 Syagrius 3 Theotimus 2
Apion 5 Theodoracius 3 Trasaricus, Trasaric 2
Armentarius 5 Theodoretus 3 Tribunus 2
Asclepius 5 Theogenius 3 Tullianus 2
Bassus 5 Tribonianus 3 Varazes 2
Bonifatius 5 Tzittas 3 Venerandus 2
Christophorus 5 Vaanes 3 Viator 2
Demosthenes 5 Vigilius 3 Virus 2
Desiderius 5 Ziper 3 Vrbicus 2
Dynamius 5 Zoilus 3 Zenobius 2

[athanasius]

Feminine Names by Frequency
Maria 17 Agnes 1 Ianuaria 1
Anastasia 8 Anthusa 1 Ionna 1
Patricia 5 Antipatra 1 Ionnia 1
Constantina 4 Anzoy 1 Ionnina 1
Euphemia 4 Appa 1 Irene 1
Iuliana 4 Arabia 1 Italica 1
Rusticana 4 Arethusa 1 Iulia 1
Theodora 4 Argentea 1 Labinia 1
Alexandria 3 Armentaria 1 Leocadia 1
Antonina 3 Augustina 1 Macedonia 1
Athanasia 3 Aurelia 1 Masticana 1
Cesarea 3 Basilia 1 Maximina 1
Dominica 3 Basina 1 Megaris 1
Eugenia 3 Baudegundis 1 Megethia 1
Gregoria 3 Bobila 1 Melissa 1
Helena 3 Bore 1 Minicea 1
Praeiecta 3 Campana 1 Nereida 1
Sophia 3 Catella 1 Nicasia 1
Theocharista 3 Cervella 1 Nonna 1
Aelia 2 Charito 1 Passara 1
Anna 2 Clementina 1 Pateria 1
Aureliana 2 Cleopatra 1 Paula 1
Candida 2 Columba 1 Pericleia 1
Domentzia 2 Comito 1 Petronella 1
Domnica 2 Consolantia 1 Placidina 1
Epiphania 2 Cyra 1 Pompeiana 1
Eusebia 2 Damiane 1 Probina 1
Georgia 2 Destasia 1 Proseria 1
Gordia 2 Didyma 1 Rhode 1
Iustina 2 Domnola 1 Rustica 1
Leontia 2 Epiphania 1 Salvianella 1
Marcia 2 Erchantrudis 1 Sergia 1
Martha 2 Eudocia 1 Sidonia 1
Martina 2 Euphrasia 1 Stephanous 1
Palatina 2 Evantia 1 Syagria 1
Paulina 2 Fausta 1 Tetradia 1
Petronia 2 Firmina 1 Theodoracis 1
Placidia 2 Flavia 1 Theognosia 1
Proba 2 Flora 1 Valeria 1
Silvia 2 Gabrielia 1 Valeriana 1
Theodosia 2 Galla 1 Veneranda 1
(By)z(a)n(tia) 1 Germana 1 Victorina 1
Adeodata 1 Gordiana 1 Vigilantia 1
Adula 1 Gundesvinda 1 Vigilia 1
Aemiliana 1 Herena 1 Vitula 1
Aetheria 1 Hesychia 1 Viviana 1
Aetia 1 Honorata 1 Xanthippe 1
Agnella 1 Honoria 1

[athanasius]

Names of Patricians and Equites (the aristocrats) The Senators are allowed to use these families only (to solve confusion).

Most aristocratic Roman men--the Patricians and the Equites (i.e., knights)--had three names (the tria nomina): a "praenomen," a "nomen," and a "cognomen," which were typically written in that order. So the Julius Caesar and Cicero that you might be familiar with from your history or from your Latin studies were actually Gaius Julius Caesar and Marcus Tullius Cicero. However, when they wrote out their "full names", they typically followed a five name convention: "praenomen", "nomen", an indication of the father's name, the name of their voting tribe ("tribus"), and the cognomen. So Cicero when writing out his name might write: M. Tullius M. f. Cor. Cicero--which stands for Marcus Tullius Marcus Filius (son of Marcus) Cornelia Cicero. Let's look at the various parts of the name in detail.

The praenomen was the counterpart of our first name. However the number of praenomina actually used was considerably smaller than our enormous pool of first English/American names. In the Late Republic (circa 100 BC and later) the number of praenomina had shrunk from a maximum of thirty to about eighteen. Of those, Gaius, Gnaeus, Lucius, Marcus, and Publius were the most common. Normally, the praenomen was abbreviated rather than written out. Below are the more common praenomina used with their abbreviations following in parentheses.

Appius (APP)
Manius (M', a five-stroke M)
Servius (SER)

Aulus (A [mostly used], AV, AVL)
Marcus (M)
Sextus (S, SEX)

Decimus (D)
Numerius (N)
Spurius (S)

Caius or Gaius (C or G)
Publius (P)
Tiberius (Ti)

Cnaeus or Gnaeus (Cn or Gn)
Quintus (Q)
Titus (T)

Lucius (L)

Vibius (V)




Some praenomina were used exclusively by a single family. Here's a short list of some of them (let me know if you know of more):

Appius
Used only by the Claudii

Decimus
Used only by the Claudii Nerones

Mamercus
Used only by the Aemilia Lepidii

Tiberius
Used only by the Claudii Nerones and the Aemilii