OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Roman Legionary Name Generator
Roman Soldier Names with Ranks, Legions and Service for Centurions
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How the Roman Legionary Name Generator works
A roman legionary name generator for soldiers of the Roman legions. Pick a detail and generate a legionary's three-part Roman name, a name with rank, a soldier with their legion, or a soldier with their years of service. Every soldier is fictional, for historical fiction, strategy games and tabletop campaigns.
How the roman legionary name generator works
Roman citizens had three names. The praenomen was a personal name from a short list, the nomen was the family clan and the cognomen was a nickname that often became hereditary. Legionaries had to be citizens, so they used this form. Ranks run from ordinary legionary to primus pilus, the senior centurion. For civilian Roman names, try the Latin and Roman name generator, and for whole legions, try the legion name generator.
Twenty-five years under the eagle
A legionary signed up for around twenty-five years. They marched, fought, built roads and forts, and on retirement received money or land. Many settled near their old forts and started families there.
FAQ
How were Roman soldiers named?
Roman legionaries used the three-part citizen name: praenomen, nomen and cognomen, like Gaius Valerius Rufus. In daily life, soldiers were often called by their cognomen or nomen, since so many men shared the same praenomen.
What ranks did a Roman legion have?
A legion had ordinary legionaries, then junior officers like the tesserarius and optio, and centurions who led centuries of eighty men. Standard bearers included the signifer and aquilifer, who carried the legion's eagle.
How long did Roman soldiers serve?
Under the empire, legionaries usually served about twenty-five years. On discharge they received a payment or a grant of land. Auxiliary soldiers who were not citizens earned Roman citizenship when their service ended.
Can I use these in a Roman game?
Yes. The names, ranks, legions and service records are fictional and free to use in strategy games, tabletop campaigns and novels. They follow real Roman naming rules, so they fit historical settings well.
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