ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2902 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2902 ************************************ 05 Oct 2004 From: Ursula Whitcher Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether would be an appropriate name for a woman living in Britain between 400 and 450 AD, during or immediately following the withdrawal of the last Roman legions from Britain. You were especially interested in a name appropriate for the daughter of a Roman soldier and a British woman. We'll begin with some background, discuss each element separately, and then consider possible combinations. Originally, a Roman woman was known only by the feminine form of her family or clan name: this name was called a nomen or gentilicium. For example, a woman of the gens Claudius would have been called by the gentilicium . During the first century AD, it gradually became normal for a woman to add a cognomen, an extra name distinguishing her from other women with the same gentilicium. [1] A British example of this type of name is : the nomen identifies a member of the Fabian gens, and the cognomen literally means 'honored'. [2] By the fifth century, however, names were much simpler: most men and women in what was (or had recently been) the Roman empire used only a single name. Most of these single names had evolved from late Roman cognomina, though by this period many nomina had also shifted over into use as cognomina. The main exception to the rule of single names is the higher aristocracy: aristocratic women continued to use both a nomen and a cognomen. However, we believe it is unlikely that the daughter of a Roman soldier and a British woman would have used more than one name. We found in a first- to fourth-century British inscription; in this name, appears as a cognomen. We also found a woman in a British inscription known only as <[L]ucilla>. [3] Thus, is a fine name for an early fifth-century Romano-British woman. We were not able to find used as a nomen. We did find one instance of the corresponding masculine form, , used as a nomen somewhere in the Roman empire, but we weren't able to confirm that it was used in Britain. [4] We also found several examples of the nomen in British inscriptions; this suggests that the feminine form of the nomen, , is a good choice for your time and place. [5, 8] is a Roman cognomen. [6] We found the feminine form in France around 700 AD, so we wouldn't be surprised if was used in Britain around your period as well. [7] You might also be interested in the cognomen , since we found a woman in Britain using this cognomen. [2] The single-element names , , and are all fine choices for your period. A two-element name is less likely; a combination of nomen and cognomen such as , , or is still possible in your period, but it would probably imply aristocratic connections. I hope this letter has been useful to you. If any part of it is unclear, or if you would like further information, please do not hesitate to write to us again. I was assisted in writing and researching this letter by Maridonna Benvenuti, Arval Benicoeur, Talan Gwynek, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, and Aryanhwy merch Catmael. For the Academy, Ursula filia Georgii 5 October 2004 References: [1] Anthony Birley, _The People of Roman Britain_ (London: B T Batsford, Ltd, 1979), p. 15. [2] R.G. Collingwood and R.P. Wright, _The Roman Inscriptions of Britain I: Inscriptions on Stone -- Epigraphic Indexes_ (Gloucester: Alan Sutton, 1983), RIB 1482. [3] Collingwood and Wright, RIB 1288 and 1271. [4] Heikki Solin and Olli Salomies, _Repertorium Nominum Gentilium et Cognominum Latinorum_ (Hildesheim: Olms-Weidmann, 1988), p. 107. [5] Collingwood and Wright, nomens. [6] Solin and Salomies, p. 343. [7] Marie-ThereseMorlet, _Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siecle_, (Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1972), II:60b. [8] Birley, pp. 100 and 121. A veteran discharged in 133 AD was the son of a man named , and a piece of pottery from Caistor is inscribed 'Verecunda actress Lucius gladiator'.