Roman names

[Araminta34]

I've been binge watching I Claudius, and it got me thinking about their names and how many have survived until now.

Names I like but haven't survived:
Gaius
Claudius (although Claudia made it for girls)
Marcellus (has it morphed into Marcus?

Girls names I like but haven't survived:
Livilla
Livia (morphed into Olivia?)
Drusilla

Girls names which have survived:
Helen
Antonia
Julia

Then there are the really awful names which thankfully died out:
Apicata
Tiberius
Sejanus (Morphed into Jason?)
Agrippa
Vipsania

Just a thought. Does anyone know other Roman names that have made it to the present day?

Marcus was a Roman name, I don’t know if it’s separate to Marcellus.

I’ve always liked Flavia and Fabian, which have survived (just).

They survived in Italy! I know a several woman called Marcella and males called Marcello. Gaius is now Gaia, a female name.

I love Titus and there are a few around.

Fabian! I have one!

Gaius - I know one
Claudius - Claude, Claudia
Marcellus - Marcel, Marcelle, Marcella

Livilla
Livia (morphed into Olivia?) - they're different names
Drusilla - it's still around but not often used

Sejanus (Morphed into Jason?) - Jason is a greek name, no connection AFAIK

Felix
Marcus
Diana
Lucia
Atticus
Magnus
Milo
Rufus
Fabian
Claudia
Camilla
Sabina
Julian
Juno
Aurora
Flora

Augustus
Nero
Marcus
Horatio
Titus
Octavian
Septimus
Atticus
Achilles
Hercules

Roman ways of naming were quite interesting. Male citizens tended to have 3 names. The first and second were from their family. The third was a ‘nickname’ that meant you could differentiate between people in the family. E.g Julius Caesars name was Gaius Julius Caesar. Gaius was his first name, Julius - male of Julii family and Caesar was his nickname.

Female citizens had the feminine of their father’s name so Claudius’ daughter was Claudia. Often all daughters of a family had the same name and would be differentiated by either Major or Minor (older, younger) or another nickname.

Slaves were named by their masters and often names either to do with their job, origin or owner. If they became freed they would often take their master’s name as a surname. It was important to show who their patron is.

Because of the family ways of naming quite a lot will have come down to modern day Italy. Some here will have come down more as surnames.

Hera
Aurelia
Andromeda
Apollo
Aria
Julian
Janus
Juno
Jupiter
August/Augusta/Augustus /Gus
Athena
Ptolemy

Not Julius if that is a Roman name? I knew one who didn’t use it and went by something else which I can’t remember. Also something to be cautious of when using older/out of date names.

I thought Caesar was his royal title

Nope. It became a royal title after him.

Caesar was made a dictator (temporary supreme leader for the Republic), when he died his adopted son Octavian fought a war with his long time friend Mark Anthony to see who would take over. Octavian won and took the name Augustus Caesar. The Caesar part was to show his ‘lineage’ and his right to succeed. He turned the Republic to an Empire. He was in turn succeeded by an adopted son who took the name Caesar to show his family and so on.

Marcellus is the diminutive of Marcus. It literally means 'little Marcus'.

Tiberias is still in use... though I think it is often spelt Ty not Ti

Alba
Antonia
Cassia
Cornelia
Lucasta
Octavia

Lucius
Marius
Rufus

I think Linus, Rasmus, Thaddeus, and Tobias were also used, although they're Greek or Hebrew in origin.

DD was at school with a Livia so there are a few around. Quite a few Julias and Claudias and I know some Octavias and Emilias (latin was Aemilia). Other Roman names of people I know include Diana, Persephone , Venus, Flora, Antonia (know 3), Cecilia (know loads), Camilla, Luciana (know 2), Lucilla, Lucretia, Marina (know 2), Paula, Tacita, Tatiana.

There's also Virginia, Hilary Valerie Aurelia and Cornelia and that's just girls names.

Ds’s first name has already been mentioned on this thread and his middle name is Antonius. There is a Julius in his class. I wanted Minerva for dd but we went with something else in the end. I think Roman names are pretty widespread.

Hera is Greek.