Salvete, amici!
Below I have attached my original "Your Roman Name: the Owner's Manual". It was originally written for a friend of mine in the OP; he has since enjoyed much success there; and I of course have enjoyed Not Being There At All Anymore. >({|;-p
So I now share the fruits of my expertise with you 'uns. Sip slowly until it's had a chance to cool...
From: legion6
Subject: Your Roman Name--The Owner's Manual
To: jmath669642reng (James Mathews)
Salve iterum, Marce Minuci!
Now *this* I can do!!
Roman names are pretty simple, actually...once you get the hang of 'em.
(I'm sure you could say the same thing to me about engineering...)
>({|;-P
You've got three: Given name (Praenomen) Marcus; family name (Nomen) Minucius; and street-name/nickname/use-name (Cognomen) Audens. It's important to realize that a Roman's family name...the one we would think of as a surname...is the one in the middle, not the one at the end like in modern practice. So Lucius Cornelius Tiddlypus and Titus Cornelius Anonymus are related (same gens name), but Marcus Aurelius Tiddlypus is not kinfolk to either of 'em (even though his cognomen's the same as Lucius').
As for historically-accurate levels of formality, you are:
-- Marcus Minucius to your family and acquaintances (including business or political);
-- Minucius Audens to most of your friends;
-- just-plain-Audens to people who either like you very much (close friends/intimates) or thoroughly despise you (it's considered very casual/familiar);
-- and Marcus Minucius Audens only to your Paterfamilias and the law courts--and then only when you're in *Big* Trouble!!<g>
Of course, [the OP] is growing its own habits of name use, and we call each other by our cognomina (the third name or nickname) most of the time.
Clear as mud?
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In fide,