New Names from France

After the Roman conquest of Gaul, the native Celtic nomenclature gradually gave place to the Latin system which itself was submerged even more completely by Christianity and the barbarian invasions. The christians in the fifth century made a clean sweep of the Latin system of praenomen, nomen and cognomen (e.g. Marcus Tullius Cicero), recognising only a single name, that given at baptism either at birth or on conversion. The Frankish invaders, though compelled to abandon their native language, retained their ancient personal-names, which were used as baptismal names, and maintained the Teutonic system of one man, one name. The native population followed their example, but more generally in northern and central France than in the Midi where the Latin influence was more powerful.