This list includes 18 Roman names that start with U, from “Ulpia” to “Ursus”. They include family names, personal names, and descriptive cognomina, useful for writers, parents, genealogists, and students.
Roman names that start with U are a modest set of praenomina, nomina, and cognomina used in ancient Rome. Notable examples link to families like the Ulpii (Trajan’s gens) or to Latin roots for animals, places, or qualities.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Gender, Pronunciation, Meaning, and Type.
Name: The Roman name as written; you use this field to find, sort, and select the exact name form you need.
Gender: Indicates masculine, feminine, or unisex usage so you can choose names that fit a character, child, or historical figure.
Pronunciation: Gives a simple phonetic guide so you can say each name correctly in spoken dialogue or narration.
Meaning: Summarizes the concise meaning or root of the name to help you understand its tone and cultural associations.
Type: Identifies whether the name is a praenomen, nomen, or cognomen so you can place names in correct Roman naming order.
Roman names that start with U
Name
Type
Gender
Meaning
Ulpius
nomen
Unisex
Gentilic; likely Umbrian/Italic origin
Ulpia
nomen
F
Feminine form of Ulpius (gentilic)
Ulpianus
cognomen
M
Derived from Ulpius; “of the Ulpii”
Ummidius
nomen
Unisex
Gentilic, likely Oscan/Italic origin
Ummidia
nomen
F
Feminine form of Ummidius (gentilic)
Umbricius
nomen
M
From Umbria; “man from Umbria”
Umbonius
nomen
Unisex
From umbo “boss, protuberance”
Urbanus
cognomen
M
Of the city; “urban”
Urbicus
cognomen
M
Pertaining to the city (urb-)
Urbanius
nomen
Unisex
Gentilic from Urbanus; city-related family name
Urbinus
cognomen
M
From ‘urbs’; “from the city”
Urania
cognomen
F
Greek “heavenly”; muse’s name
Ursus
cognomen
M
Bear
Ursinus
cognomen
M
Little bear; diminutive of Ursus
Ursicinus
cognomen
M
Derived from Ursus; “little bear-like”
Urgulania
nomen
F
Gentilic of Urgulanius; family name
Ursella
cognomen
F
Diminutive of Ursa; “little she-bear”
Urbilla
cognomen
F
Diminutive of Urbs/Urbanus; “little city one”
Descriptions
Ulpius
Ulpius (ˈulpɪ.us or UL-pee-us) — gens Ulpia, imperial family of Trajan; Marcus Ulpius Traianus attested on inscriptions and coin legends (inscriptions; Trajanic coinage).
Ulpia
Ulpia (ˈulpia or UL-pee-ah) — feminine gentilic of the Ulpii, e.g., Ulpia Marciana, sister of Trajan; attested on inscriptions and coins (inscriptions; coin legends).
Ulpianus
Ulpianus (ʊlˈpi.a.nus or ul-PEE-an-us) — cognomen borne by the jurist Domitius Ulpianus, widely cited in the Digest; attested in legal texts and inscriptions (Digest; inscriptions).
Ummidius
Ummidius (ʊmˈmɪdi.us or um-MID-ee-us) — gens Ummidia, e.g., Ummidius Quadratus; attested in inscriptions and in Pliny the Younger (Pliny, Epistulae 7.19; inscriptions).
Ummidia
Ummidia (ʊmˈmɪdɪa or um-MID-ee-ah) — feminine gentilic, notably Ummidia Quadratilla praised by Pliny (Pliny, Epistles 7.19); attested in inscriptions.
Umbricius
Umbricius (umˈbrɪki.us or um-BRIH-kee-us) — nomen appearing in literature and inscriptions; Juvenal’s satirical figure Umbricius (Juvenal, Satire 3) and epigraphic evidence (Juvenal; inscriptions).
Umbonius
Umbonius (umˈboːni.us or um-BOH-nee-us) — nomen attested in Roman inscriptions, probably derived from ‘umbo’ (inscriptions; CIL entries).
Urbanus
Urbanus (urˈbaːnus or ur-BAY-nus) — common cognomen meaning ‘of the city’; widely attested in inscriptions and occasional literary references (inscriptions; e.g., CIL).
Urbicus
Urbicus (urˈbɪkʊs or ur-BICK-us) — cognomen variant found in inscriptions and legal contexts, related to Urbanus (inscriptions; legal texts).
Urbanius
Urbanius (urˈbaːni.us or ur-BAY-nee-us) — nomen formed from Urbanus, attested in epigraphy across the empire (inscriptions; CIL).
Urbinus
Urbinus (urˈbiːnʊs or ur-BEE-nus) — cognomen indicating urban origin; attested in inscriptions and occasional literary mentions (inscriptions; CIL).
Urania
Urania (uˈraːni.a or oo-RAH-nee-ah) — Greek-derived cognomen used for women, attested among freedwomen in papyri and inscriptions (papyri; inscriptions).
Ursus
Ursus (ˈʊrsʊs or UR-sus) — common cognomen meaning ‘bear’; numerous epigraphic and literary occurrences across the Roman world (inscriptions; literary references).
Ursinus
Ursinus (urˈsiːnʊs or ur-SIN-us) — diminutive cognomen from Ursus; attested in inscriptions and prosopographical records (inscriptions; prosopography).
Ursicinus
Ursicinus (urˈsiːkɪnʊs or ur-SIH-kin-us) — cognomen borne by military officers and officials; attested in inscriptions and late-antique sources (inscriptions; Ammianus).
Urgulania
Urgulania (urguˈlaːnia or ur-gu-LAH-nee-ah) — wealthy Roman woman and friend of Livia mentioned by Tacitus (Tacitus, Annales 1.3); attested in literary sources and inscriptions (Tacitus; inscriptions).
Ursella
Ursella (urˈsɛla or ur-SELL-ah) — feminine cognomen/diminutive of Ursa, attested in inscriptions and funerary epitaphs (inscriptions; epitaphs).
Urbilla
Urbilla (urˈbɪla or ur-BILL-ah) — feminine cognomen derived from Urbanus, attested in inscriptions and papyri as a woman’s name (inscriptions; papyri)
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