Cognomen
/kɒɡˈnoʊmən/noun
A surname or additional name, especially in ancient Rome.
Did you know?Cognomen comes from Latin con- + gnōmen, literally a “known name,” and it was the Roman label that could turn a person into a lineage, a legend, or a political brand.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵneh₃-
“to know”
Latin
Latin
gnōscere
“to come to know, learn”
Latin
Latin
cognōmen
“surname, family name, nickname”
Middle English
English
cognomen
“a surname or descriptive name, especially in classical contexts”
Modern English
English
cognomen
“a surname or additional name”