nōmen
neuter
The Latin word for name is nōmen.
nōmen is a neuter noun used to indicate a particular person, place, class or thing. In practice, when using names from other languages, they often undergo Latinization. For example, the name Emily becomes Aemilia and John becomes Ioannes.
Meaning: word or phrase indicating a particular person, place, class or thing (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
nōmen is a neuter noun. Its singular genitive form, meaning 'of the name', is nōminis. To express 'names' in the nominative plural, use nōmina. The forms nōminibus is used for the dative and ablative plural, meaning 'to/for the names'.
Did you know?
- In Ancient Rome, the nōmen specifically referred to the clan or family name, rather than a person's individual first name, which was called the praenōmen.
- Ancient Romans often used the phrase nōmen est omen to suggest that a name can act as a prophecy for a person's character or destiny.
- The Latin nōmen shares an ancient root with the Greek word onoma, which is why 'onomatopoeia' uses the word for 'name' to describe words that sound like their meaning.
Examples in context
- Quid est nōmen canī eius?What is her dog's name?This sentence shows how to ask for the name of a dog using nōmen.Tatoeba #11065196 by alexmarcelo, translation #8200277 by josivangoncalves
- Nōmen urbis est Roma.The name of the city is Rome.
Example conversation
Marcus and Lucia meet for the first time at school.
- MarcusSalve! Quid est nōmen tuum?Hello! What is your name?
- LuciaSalve! Nōmen meum est Lucia.Hello! My name is Lucia.
- MarcusPulchrum nōmen est.It is a beautiful name.
- LuciaGrātiās tibi, Marcē.Thank you, Marcus.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “name” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
