The gens (plural gentes) was a Roman family, of Italic or Etruscan origins, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same nomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. It was an important social and legal structure in early Roman history.Harper's Dictionary of Classical Literature and Antiquities, Second Edition, Harry Thurston Peck, Editor (1897)Oxford Classical Dictionary, 2nd Ed. (1970)
The distinguishing characteristic of a gens was the , or gentile name. Every member of a gens, whether by birth or adoption, bore this name. All nomina were based on other nouns, such as personal names, occupations, physical characteristics or behaviors, or locations. Consequently, most of them ended with the adjectival termination -ius (-ia in the feminine form).
Nomina ending in , , , and are typical of Latin families. Faliscan gentes frequently had nomina ending in -ios, while Samnite and other Oscan-speaking peoples of southern Italy had nomina ending in -iis. Umbrian nomina typically end in -as, -anas, -enas, or -inas, while nomina ending in -arna, -erna, -ena, -enna, -ina, or -inna are characteristic of Etruscan families.
The word gens is feminine, and the name of a gens was also feminine. Marcus Valerius Corvus was a member of gens Valeria. Valerius was his nomen. His son's nomen would have been Valerius, and his daughter's Valeria. Male members of his gens were collectively called Valerii, and female members Valeriae. If a member of the gens were adopted into another family, he would assume the nomen of that gens, followed by the cognomen Valerianus.
In the following list, "I" and "J" are treated as separate letters, as are "U" and "V". The letter "K" was rare in Latin, and the few nomina occasionally spelled with this letter were usually spelled with "C". No Roman gentes began with "X", and the letters "Y" and "Z" occurred only in names borrowed from Greek. The letter "W" did not exist in Classical Latin.
A
Abronia Abudia Aburia Accia Accoleia Acerronia Acilia Aconia Actoria Acutia Aebutia Aedinia Aelia Aemilia Afinia Afrania Agoria Albania Albatia Albia Albinia Albinovana Albucia Alfena Alfia Alfidia Allectia Alliena Amafinia Amatia Ambrosia Ampia Ampudia Ancharia Anicia Annaea Anneia Annia Anquirinnia Antia Antistia Antonia Apisia Aponia Appia Appuleia Apronia Apustia Aquillia Aquinia Arellia Arennia Arminia Arpineia Arrecina Arria Arruntia Articuleia Artoria Asconia Asellia Asinia Ateia Aternia Atia Atidia Atilia Atinia Atria Attia Audasia Aufeia Aufidia Aulia Aurelia Auria Aurunculeia Ausonia Autronia Avia Aviana Avidia Aviena Avilia Axia
B
Babria Baebia Balonia Balventia Bantia Barbatia Barria Bavia Bellia Bellicia Belliena Betiliena Betua Betutia Blandia Blossia Boionia Brotia Bruttia Bucculeia Bucia Burbuleia Burriena
C
Caecia Caecilia Caecinia Caedicia Caelia Caeparia Caepasia Caerellia Caesellia Caesennia Caesetia Caesia Caesonia Caesulena Caetronia Calavia Calesterna Calidia Calpurnia Calventia Calvisia Campatia Cania Canidia Caninia Cantia Cantilia Canuleia Canutia Carfulena Caria Carisia Caristania Carpinatia Carrinatia Carteia Carvilia Casperia Cassia Castricia Castrinia Catia Catiena Catilia Ceionia Centenia Ceppuleia Cervonia Cestia Cestronia Cicereia Cilnia Cincia Cispia Classidia Claudia Cloelia Cluentia Clutoria Cluvia Cocceia Coelia Cominia Condetia Consentia Consia Considia Coponia Cordia Corfidia Cornelia Cornificia Coruncania Cosconia Cossinia Cossutia Cotia Cottia Crassicia Cremutia Crepereia Critonia Cupiennia Curia Curiatia Curtia Curtilia Curvia Cusinia Cuspia
D
Dasumia Decia Decidia Decimia Dellia Desticia Dexsia Didia Digitia Dillia Domitia Duccia Duilia Durmia Duronia
E
Eggia Egilia Egnatia Egnatuleia Egrilia Elvia Ennia Epidia Eppia Equitia Erbonia Erucia Esuvia
F
Fabia Fabricia Fadena Fadia Faenia Falcidia Faleria Faminia Fannia Farsuleia Faucia Favonia Festinia Fidiculania Firmia Flaminia Flavia Flavinia Flavoleia Flavonia Floria Floridia Floronia Fonteia Foslia Fufia Fuficia Fufidia Fulcinia Fulginatia Fulvia Fundania Furia Furnia Futia
G
Gabinia Galeria Gallia Gargonia Gavia Gegania Gellia Geminia Gennia Genucia Gessia Glicia Grania Gratidia Gratia
H
Hateria Heia Helvia Helvidia Herennia Herennuleia Herminia Hippia Hirria Hirtia Hirtuleia Holconia Horatia Hordeonia Hortensia Hosidia Hostia Hostilia
I
Iallia Iasdia Iccia Icilia Ignia Insteia Istacidia Iteia Ituria
J
Jania Javolena Jucundia Julia Juncia Junia Justia Justinia Justuleia Juventia
L
Laberia Labiena Laceria Laecania Laelia Laenia Laetilia Laetoria Lafrenia Lamponia Laronia Lartia Latinia Lavinia Lemonia Lentidia Lepidia Libertia Liburnia Licinia Ligaria Livia Livinia Lollia Longinia Loreia Lucceia Lucia Luciena Lucilia Lucretia Luria Luscia Lusia Lutatia
M
Maccia Macrinia Maecenatia Maecia Maecilia Maelia Maenatia Maenia Maevia Magia Mallia Mamercia Mamilia Manilia Manlia Marcia Maria Maruleia Martinia Matia Matiena Matinia Matrinia Maximia Memmia Menenia Menia Mescinia Messia Messiena Mestria Metilia Mettia Milonia Mimesia Minatia Mindia Minia Minicia Minidia Minucia Modia Mucia Mummia Munatia Munia Murria Mussidia Mustia Mutia Mutilia
N
Naevia Nasennia Nasidia Nasidiena Nautia Neratia Nerfinia Neria Nigidia Ninnia Nipia Nonia Norbana Novellia Novia Numeria Numicia Numisia Numitoria Nummia Numonia Nunnuleia Nymphidia
O
Obellia Obultronia Occia Oclatia Oclatinia Ocratia Octavena Octavia Ofania Ofilia Ogulnia Ollia Opellia Opetreia Opimia Opiternia Oppia Oppidia Opsia Opsidia Opsilia Orania Orbia Orbicia Orbilia Orchia Orcivia Orfia Orfidia Oscia Ostoria Otacilia Ovidia Ovinia
P
Paccia Pacidia Pacilia Paconia Pactumeia Pacuvia Palfuria Palpellia Pantuleia Papia Papinia Papiria Pasidia Pasidiena Passiena Patulcia Pedania Pedia Peducaea Peltrasia Percennia Perpernia Persia Pescennia Petillia Petreia Petronia Petrosidia Pilia Pinaria Pinnia Pisentia Placidia Plaetoria Plaguleia Plancia Plaria Plautia Pleminia Plinia Poetelia Pollia Pomentina Pompeia Pompilia Pomponia Pomptina Pontia Pontidia Pontilia Pontiliena Popillia Popaedia Popidia Poppaea Porcia Postumia Postumulena Potitia Praecilia Praeconia Prastinia Precia Priscia Procilia Proculeia Propertia Publicia Publilia Pupia
Q
Quartia Quartinia Quinctia Quinctilia Quintinia Quirinia
R
Rabiria Rabonia Rabuleia Racilia Raecia Ragonia Rammia Rancia Rania Rasinia Reginia Remmia Rennia Resia Romania Romilia Roscia Rubellia Rubrena Rubria Rufia Rufinia Rufria Rullia Rupilia Rusonia Rustia Rusticelia Rutilia
S
Sabellia Sabidia Sabinia Sabucia Sacratoria Saenia Safinia Saliena Sallustia Salonia Saltia Saltoria Salvia Salvidia Salvidiena Salviena Sammia Sanquinia Saria Sariolena Satellia Satria Satriena Sattia Saturia Saturninia Saufeia Scaevia Scaevinia Scandilia Scantia Scantinia Scaptia Scoedia Scribonia Scutaria Seccia Secundia Secundinia Sedatia Segulia Seia Selicia Sellia Sempronia Sennia Sentia Seppia Seppiena Septicia Septimia Septimuleia Septueia Sepullia Sepunia Sergia Seria Sertoria Servaea Servenia Servia Servilia Sestia Severia Sextia Sextilia Sibidiena Sicinia Silia Silicia Silvia Simplicia Simplicinia Sinicia Sinnia Sittia Socellia Sollia Sornatia Sosia Sotidia Spedia Spellia Splattia Spuria Spurilia Spurinnia Staberia Staia Stallia Statia Statilia Statinia Statoria Steia Stellia Stenia Stertinia Stlaccia Strabonia Subria Suedia Suellia Suetonia Suettia Suilia Sulpicia Surdinia Symmachi
T
Tadia Talia Tampia Tanicia Tannonia Tanusia Tapsennia Taracia Taria Tariolena Taronia Tarpeia Tarquinia Tarquitia Tarrutenia Tarutia Tarutilia Tatia Tattia Tauria Tebana Tedius Teia Terentia Terentilia Tertia Tertinia Tetrinia Tettia Tettidia Tettiena Thorania Thoria Tiburtia Ticinia Tifernia Tigellia Tigidia Tillia Tineia Titania Titedia Titia Titinia Tittia Titucia Titulena Tituria Titurnia Tolumnia Traia Traula Trausia Travia Trebania Trebatia Trebellia Trebelliena Trebia Trebicia Trebonia Trebulana Tremellia Triaria Triccia Truttedia Trutteia Tuccia Tudicia Tullia Turbonia Turcia Turia Turpilia Turrania Turselia Tursidia Turullia Tuscenia Tuscilia Tussania Tussidia Tutia Tuticana Tuticia Tutilia Tutinia Tutoria
U
Ulpia Umbilia Umbonia Umbrena Umbria Umbricia Ummidia Urbania Urbicia Urbinia Urgulania Urseia Urvinia Usia Utiana Utilia Uttiedia
V
Valeria Valentia Valgia Vallia Vannia Varena Vargunteia Varia Varinia Varisidia Vatinia Vatronia Vecilia Vedia Velia Velleia Venafrania Ventidia Venuleia Vequasia Verania Verecundia Vergilia Verginia Verres Verria Vesnia Vesonia Vestoria Vestricia Vetilia Vettia Veturia Vibenia Vibia Vibidia Vibullia Viciria Victoria Victorinia Victricia Viducia Vigilia Villia Vinia Vinicia Vipsania Vipstana Viria Viridia Visellia Vistilia Vitellia Vitrasia Vitruvia Voconia Volcacia Volturcia Volumnia Volusena Volusenna Volusia Vorenia Vulia
See also Roman naming conventions List of Roman nomina List of Roman cognomina Roman gentes of Etruscan origin Roman gentes of Hernician origin Roman gentes of Latin origin from Alba Longa Roman gentes of Latin origin from Praeneste Roman gentes of Latin origin from Tibur Roman gentes of Latin origin from Tusculum Roman gentes of Picentine origin Roman gentes of Sabine origin Roman gentes of Samnite origin Roman gentes of Umbrian origin Roman gentes of Volscian origin Prosopography of ancient Rome
References