This list includes 13 Roman names that start with I, from “Iamblichus” to “Iustus”. They include praenomina, nomina, and cognomina with Latin and Greek roots, useful for writers, parents, genealogists, and students.
Roman names that start with I are personal and family names attested in ancient sources and inscriptions. Several reflect Greek influence, such as “Iamblichus”, a name borne by philosophers and freedmen.
Below you’ll find the table with Gender, Pronunciation, and Meaning.
Gender: Shows whether the name is masculine, feminine, or unisex, helping you choose appropriately for characters or research.
Pronunciation: Provides a simple phonetic guide so you can say the names confidently and match period-appropriate sounds.
Meaning: Gives a concise translation or origin note that clarifies each name’s sense and cultural associations for you.
Roman names that start with I
| Name | Gender | Type | Meaning | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iulius | Masculine | Nomen (gentilic) | “of Iulus; Julian family” | ee-OO-lee-us; gens Iulia (Julii), legendary Iulus/Ascanius ancestor; extremely common in Republican and Imperial Rome (Livy, Cicero); ubiquitous in inscriptions. |
| Iulia | Feminine | Type Nomen (gentilic) | “female of Iulius; Julian family” | ee-OO-lee-ah; female form of Iulius, borne by many Roman women (e.g., Iulia, daughter of Augustus); very common in literary and epigraphic sources (Suetonius, inscriptions). |
| Iunius | Masculine | Nomen (gentilic) | “of Juno; Junian gens” | ee-OO-nee-us; gens Junia, prominent Republican family (e.g., Decimus Junius Brutus); well attested in literature and inscriptions (Livy, Cicero); common. |
| Iunia | Feminine | Nomen (gentilic) | “female of Iunius; Junian gens” | ee-OO-nee-ah; female form of Iunius; regularly appears on funerary inscriptions and in literary references; moderately common (Cicero, inscriptions). |
| Iulus | Masculine | Cognomen / Other | “mythic name (Ascanius); link to Julian line” | EE-oo-lus (YOO-lus as consonantal I); name of Aeneas’ son and used as Julii cognomen; rare as personal name but symbolically important (Virgil, Livy). |
| Icilius | Masculine | Nomen (gentilic) | “ancient Roman gens name (uncertain meaning)” | ih-KIL-ee-us; gens Icilia is attested in early Republican history (tribunes and plebeian leaders); archaic and rare by Imperial times (Livy). |
| Iccius | Masculine | Nomen (gentilic) | “regional nomen; uncertain etymology” | IK-kee-us; attested in Horace and provincial inscriptions (Horace, inscriptions CIL); moderately rare, often provincial. |
| Iustus | Masculine | Cognomen | “just, fair” | YOO-stus; common cognomen across Republic and Empire; frequent on inscriptions and used by freedmen and elites alike (inscriptions, Cicero); very common. |
| Iusta | Feminine | Cognomen | “feminine of Iustus; just” | YOO-stah; feminine cognomen seen on tombstones and legal documents; moderately common in epigraphy (inscriptions). |
| Iulianus | Masculine | Cognomen / Nomen derivative | “belonging to Iulius; Julian derivative” | yoo-LEE-ah-nus; widely used cognomen and later nomen (e.g., emperor Iulianus/Julian); common in Imperial and Late Antique sources (Historia Augusta, inscriptions). |
| Iason | Masculine | Other (Greek personal used in Roman context) | “Jason; Greek heroic name” | YA-son; Greek name attested in Latin literature and Roman inscriptions among Greeks and freedmen; used in Roman-era contexts (Ovid, inscriptions). |
| Iamblichus | Masculine | Other (Greek personal used in Roman era) | “Greek personal name; Neoplatonist” | yam-BLIH-kus; famous Syrian Neoplatonist Iamblichus appears in philosophical sources and Roman-era writings; attested in literary sources (Porphyry, Philostratus). |
| Iordanes | Masculine | Other (Late-antique Latin personal name/author) | “Jordanes; Gothic-Roman historian name” | yor-DAH-nes (Iordanes); 6th-century Gothic historian writing in Latin about Roman/Gothic history; attested in his Getica and later Latin tradition; rare as personal name (Jordanes). |