Roman Name Generator: A Simple Tool To Generate Roman Names

roman name generator
by CJ McDaniel // February 27  

When you’re writing a historical piece, whether it’s a novel or a short story, choosing the right name for your character can be pretty tricky. There are so many different factors that you have to consider. 

While some people pick names at random and hope for the best, there is a much better way to do it; through our Roman Name Generator.

A character’s name is a significant plot- point in any novel. It can add to the story or detract from the story. 

This article will help you pick a Roman name for your main character that fits well with the rest of the plot and doesn’t seem out of place.

Ancient Roman Culture

Ancient Roman culture developed throughout the almost-1000-year Roman civilization and spanned more than 800 million people. The Romans sought wealth, conquest, and power through expansion.

As the Republic transformed into an empire, Roman citizens enjoyed a variety of freedoms and opportunities not previously available to them. 

For example, to maintain peace, Romans had a very liberal legal code that allowed for freedom of religion and speech – even for enslaved people!

The Roman culture is also one of the most influential civilizations in history. They have contributed many things to modern civilization like writing, architecture, art, and science. They were also known for their extravagant and indulgent behaviors. 

Some of the most interesting facts about the Romans are:

  • The Romans were very superstitious. They would make sacrifices to appease their gods before every significant event, from wars to elections.
  • It was common among the Romans to use enslaved people as bodyguards.
  • Before they conquered Egypt, the Romans thought that garlic was a narcotic!
  • It was one of the first to have a large empire. 
  • Their culture was very advanced, and they were savvy at marketing and advertising. 

Rome was so good at advertising that it’s still being used today. Their advertising served two purposes: to entice the people of Rome and spread the Roman Empire’s influence. 

Some of their advertisements were pretty funny, especially considering that language barriers don’t limit brands in our world.

Why Choose A Roman Name For Your Book Character?

Whether you’re writing a non-fiction or fiction book, sometimes it will be best to choose a Roman name for your book character. 

There are many reasons why it’s a good idea to create book characters with Roman names, including:

  • Roman names are historical and have been used in many novels before.
  • They can impact your story and make your character seem more attractive.
  • A Roman name is unique and has a sense of power to it. 
  • It can also instill more respect towards the character that you’ve created.
  • They’re among the most famous names in the world.
  • They are appealing to readers of all ages and places
  • They have rich meanings that will help your character stand out.
  • A Roman name will help your book character to have a strong voice. 

Throughout literature, many writers have used a Roman name for their characters. The Romans were known for their values, principles, and strength. 

They were also conquerors, which gave them enough courage to face any challenge. Even today, a Roman name indicates confidence, ability, and masculinity.

Roman names were trendy in ancient Rome due to their simplicity, spelling, and meaning. Their popularity has stretched far beyond the bounds of Rome ever since. 

Factors To Consider When Picking A Roman Character’s Name 

What does it take to choose a Roman name for your character? It may be tempting to choose something that sounds cool or cute, but it is much more essential to find a name that fits the story. 

  • The first thing that you have to understand is that everyone had three names: a praenomen, a nomen, and a cognomen. 
  • While there’s no set formula for creating a Roman name, you must never forget to consider its purpose;
  1. A name should be both realistic and symbolic. It should reflect the character’s personality and make sense when used in a sentence. 
  2. A Roman name shouldn’t just sound cool. It should be cool by association with something in the story (like the character’s traits). 
  3. It should also make sense for that period.
  • Making sure that your character’s name matches their personality and historical context will make your story more interesting. 
  • Consider what you know about the character’s background.
  • Don’t randomly combine Latin words and think it sounds like a roman name.

 It doesn’t work like that. You should know Latin roots and prefixes and think about the meaning of the name.

  • Don’t use modern names as a base for your ancient Roman name. 

Modern names are usually derived from ancient ones, but they have changed their meaning and origin over time.

Roman Naming Nomenclature

Roman naming conventions can be pretty confusing to the modern mind. A Roman nomenclature system is a naming convention used in Ancient Rome, which typically included:

  • The 1st is the given name(praenomen)
  • The 2nd  is both the family name or clan name(nomen)
  • The 3rd is a cognomen or nickname.

The convention was used by the Roman Empire and its citizens and other countries and cultures that adopted it.

In addition, there are certain conventions regarding how to use a tria nomina or three-part name. 

The praenomen was typically used on its own to refer to the child. It was often abbreviated when inscribed on monuments to capitalize only the initial letter.

For example, Julius Caesar is a very different name from Gaius Julius Caesar. Gaius Julius Caesar had the praenomen Gaius, the nomen Julius and the cognomen Caesar, which means “hairy” in Latin. 

In Imperial times, the names of many families were Latinized. An example was “Flavius,” originally a family in Rome with “Niger.”

A boy’s name was chosen based on the day of his birth, while a girl’s name was chosen based on the month of her birth and other factors such as the family’s culture and tradition.

The Roman naming conventions changed over time, although no particular point in time was considered important enough to call it the system’s “birthday.” The most significant change occurred when the Romans began employing first names. 

In the early days of the Roman Empire, there was no fixed convention for names and their ordering, except that most families used personal names, not hereditary ones like modern European royalty or cognomina. 

The Roman aristocracy adopted the most common names as surnames and then spread to other classes via Romanization.

Examples Of Roman Names

There are many excellent Roman names, and the Roman name generator will help you get the best. Here are some examples of Roman names.

Male Names

  • Julius 

Julius is the Latin word for downy-bearded or youthful. Julius is also the first name in English-speaking countries, where it has been in use since the Norman conquest, though it was already present in Latin documents before then.

  • Caesar

Caesar is one of the most famous names of all time. Caesar is a Latin name for boys. The meaning is “hair, fur.” Cæsar or Caius was one of the most influential men in Roman history.

The name was used by many rulers in Europe, Asia, and Africa. It was trendy during the Middle Ages; it remains popular today though it is not as common as it once was.

  • Aureliu

Aureliu is a Romanian masculine name. The name originates from the Latin word “aurum,” which means “golden.” In English-speaking countries, Aurelius is sometimes used as a feminine given name.

Aurelius is related to the name Aurelia, Aurelio, and Aurilla. Marcus Aurelius was one of the most powerful emperors in Rome who fought numerous battles against German tribes.

  • Kosta

Kosta is a boy’s name of Latin origin, meaning “constant.” Similar baby names are Konstantin, Kristopher, Kristof, Kovacs, Kurt, Kosta, Kostadin, Kasper, and Caspian.

Female Names

  • Aurora

In Roman mythology, Aurora is the goddess of the dawn. Her name is derived from the Latin word “aurora,” meaning “sunrise.”Her Greek equivalent is Eos, which translates to “dawn.”

  • Aelia

Aelia is a feminine given name which is used as a surname too. It is derived from the Latin word Aelius(masculine), which means “sun.”

  • Concordia

The goddess of peace and good order is identified with the Roman goddess of harmony. This Roman name conveys that the person is both a peacemaker and well-balanced.

  • Di

Di is a female name in Romanian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, English, and Spanish. The meaning of the name is “goddess of moon or huntress.” It was a popular name throughout Roman history.

It may also refer to a shortened version of Diana (goddess of the hunt and moon), Dian, and Dianne.

Conclusion

No matter the occasion, there is always a need for a tremendous Roman name. Whether you are writing historical fiction or just interested in reading about the characters of ancient Rome, it’s good to have a Roman Name Generator on hand. 

This generator should help you choose the perfect name for your next Roman character. We hope this article has been helpful. 

If you liked this Roman Name Generator, click here for some other Fiction Name Generators you might love.

Also kickstart your project with our free 3d book cover generator and our novel title generator.

About the Author

CJ grew up admiring books. His family owned a small bookstore throughout his early childhood, and he would spend weekends flipping through book after book, always sure to read the ones that looked the most interesting. Not much has changed since then, except now some of those interesting books he picks off the shelf were designed by his company!