Cognomen

Lat. In the Roman law. The last of the three names by which all Romans, at least those of good family, were designated. The first, or prcenomen, served to denote the individual; the second, or nomen, the class or gens, and the third, or cognomen, the house or familia to which he belonged.

Inst. 2. 20. 29. Adam's Bom. Ant. 35. Brande.

There was sometimes a fourth name, termed agnom£n, (q.v.) Inst. ub. sup.

In English law

A surname. Cognomen majorum est ex sanguine tractum, hoc intrinsecum est; agnomen extrinsecum, ah eventu; a cognomen or surname is derived from the blood of one's ancestors, this is intrinsic; an agnomen is extrinsic, (or of foreign origin,) being derived from some event.

6 Co, Qb.