Added 9 October 2026
cognomen
/kɒɡˈnoʊ.mən/ noun
In Latin: cognomen Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about cognomen at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A personal epithet or clan name added to the given name and family name of Ancient Romans.
Julius Caesar's actual name was Gaius Iulius Caesar. Gaius was his praenomen or forename, Iulius his nomen or surname, and Caesar his cognomen, denoting which part of the Iulius family he belonged to.
- Synonym of nickname, any epithet used similar to the Roman cognomina.
- Synonym of surname, a family name.
Origin
From Latin cognōmen, from con- (“with”) + nōmen (“name; family name”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)