Lucius (praenomen)

Lucius (/ˈluːʃ(i)əs/ LOO-sh(ee-)əs, Latin: [ˈluːkiʊs]) is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. The feminine form is Lucia (/ˈluːʃiə, luːˈtʃiːə/ LOO-shee-ə, loo-CHEE-ə, Latin: [ˈluːkia]). The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gentes Lucia and Lucilia. It was regularly abbreviated L.

Throughout Roman history, Lucius was the most common praenomen, used slightly more than Gaius and somewhat more than Marcus. Although a number of prominent families rarely or never used it, it was amongst the most frequently given names in countless others. The name survived the collapse of the Western Empire in the fifth century, and has continued into modern times.