Rufinia gens


The gens Rufinia was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. Few members of this gens are mentioned in history, although the derivative surname Rufinianus appears in several sources. A number of Rufinii are known from inscriptions.

Origin

The nomen Rufinius belongs to a class of gentilicia formed from surnames ending in -inus, using the suffix -inius. The name was formed from the cognomen Rufinus, reddish, a diminutive of Rufus, red, and in this way is related to a number of other gentilicia formed from rufus, ruber, and rutilus, all with similar meanings, and in most cases originally applied to someone with red or reddish hair.

Praenomina

The Rufinii used a number of common praenomina, including Gaius, Titus, Marcus, Publius, and Lucius.

Members