A Roman Citizen usually had three names. The first, or praenomen, designated the individual; the second, or nomen, the gens or tribe; and the third, or cognomen, the family. Thus, Publius Cornelius Scipio was Publius of the Scipio family of the Cornelian gens, and Gaius Julius Caesar was Gaius of the Caesar family of the Julian gens.

1. The praenomen was often abbreviated in inscriptions and in literature. The abbreviations of the most common names are as follows:

2. Sometimes an agnomen or surname was added. Thus Scipio received the surname Africanus as a result of his military victories in Africa during the Second Punic War. Hence his full name became:

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus.

Note -- the Romans of the classical period had no separate term for this additional name; it was generally referred to as a supplemental cognomen. The designation agnomen was an invention of later grammarians.

3. An adopted son took (l) the full name of his adoptive father, and (2) an agnomen ending in -anus formed from the name of his own gens. Thus Octavius when adopted by Caesar became: Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. Afterward the additional title (or agnomen) Augustus was confered upon him, making his full name:

Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus.

4. Women were generally known by the name of their gens. Thus the daughter of Julius Caesar was simply Julia; of Tullius Cicero, Tullia; of Cornelius Scipio, Cornelia. In the case of multiple daughters, they were usually numbered off. Hence, three daughters in any family of the Cornelian gens would be known as Cornelia, Cornelia Secunda or Minor, and Cornelia Tertia.

Note -- the name of a wife or daughter is usually accompanied by that of the husband or father in the genitive. Thus Postumia Servi Sulpicii (= Postumia, the wife of Servius Sulpicius); Caecilia Metelli (= Caecilia, the daughter of Metellus).