A "praenomen" is a personal name used in ancient Roman naming conventions. It is the first part of a Roman citizen's name, typically indicating the individual's given name. Praenomina were often chosen from a limited set of traditional names, such as Gaius, Lucius, or Marcus, and were used to distinguish individuals within families. In Roman society, the praenomen was followed by the nomen, which indicated the family or clan, and the cognomen, which could denote a branch of the family or a personal nickname. This naming system helped to identify and categorize individuals in a complex social structure.