Nonus (praenomen)
Encyclopedia
Nonus is a Latin praenomen
, or personal name
. It was never particularly common at Rome, but may have been used more frequently in the countryside. Although not attested in surviving Latin inscriptions, the name must have been used occasionally, as it gave rise to the patronymic gens Nonia. The feminine form is Nona. Nonus was probably not used frequently enough to acquire a regular abbreviation.
, Sextus
, Septimus
, Octavius
, and Decimus
, as well as the feminine names Prima, Secunda, Tertia, Quarta, Quinta, Sexta, Septima, Octavia, and Decima. However, it may also have been used for children who were born in November, the ninth month of the Roman calendar.
The name appears to have been quite rare in Latin, although the reason for this is unclear. Perhaps nine was simply the least auspicious number between five and ten (Septimus and Octavius were also quite rare in Latin). However, it is also possible that the Oscan praenomen Novius was derived from the same root. If this is the case, then Roman families may have preferred that form to Nonus on the rare instances in which it was called for.
Praenomen
The praenomen was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the dies lustricus , the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the birth of a boy...
, or personal name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
. It was never particularly common at Rome, but may have been used more frequently in the countryside. Although not attested in surviving Latin inscriptions, the name must have been used occasionally, as it gave rise to the patronymic gens Nonia. The feminine form is Nona. Nonus was probably not used frequently enough to acquire a regular abbreviation.
Origin and Meaning of the Name
Nonus is the Latin word for ninth, and the name must originally have been used for a ninth child, a ninth son, or a ninth daughter. It belongs to the same class of praenomina as the masculine names QuintusQuintus (praenomen)
Quintus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was common throughout all periods of Roman history. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gentes Quinctia and Quinctilia. The feminine form is Quinta...
, Sextus
Sextus (praenomen)
Sextus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was common throughout all periods of Roman history. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gentes Sextia and Sextilia. The feminine form is Sexta...
, Septimus
Septimus (praenomen)
Septimus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name. It was never particularly common at Rome, but it gave rise to the patronymic gens Septimia. The feminine form is Septima. The name was not regularly abbreviated....
, Octavius
Octavius (praenomen)
Octavius is a Latin praenomen, or personal name. It was never particularly common at Rome, but may have been used more frequently in the countryside. The feminine form is Octavia. The name gave rise to the patronymic gens Octavia, and perhaps also to gens Otacilia...
, and Decimus
Decimus (praenomen)
Decimus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, usually abbreviated D. Although never especially common, Decimus was used throughout Roman history from the earliest times to the end of the Western Empire and beyond, surviving into modern times. The feminine form is Decima...
, as well as the feminine names Prima, Secunda, Tertia, Quarta, Quinta, Sexta, Septima, Octavia, and Decima. However, it may also have been used for children who were born in November, the ninth month of the Roman calendar.
The name appears to have been quite rare in Latin, although the reason for this is unclear. Perhaps nine was simply the least auspicious number between five and ten (Septimus and Octavius were also quite rare in Latin). However, it is also possible that the Oscan praenomen Novius was derived from the same root. If this is the case, then Roman families may have preferred that form to Nonus on the rare instances in which it was called for.