Scipio (plural,
Scipiones) is a
Roman cognomen representing the
Cornelii Scipiones, a branch of the
Cornelii family. Any individual male of the branch must be named Cornelius Scipio and a female Cornelia. The
nomen, Cornelius, signifies that the person belongs to the
Cornelia gens, a legally defined clan composed of many
familiae. The
cognomen, Scipio, identifies the line, or branch within the clan. Other branches had other cognomina; during the Republic there were no Cornelii who did not belong to some branch of the ancient clan. As branches developed, each was identified by its own
agnomen, such as Africanus. The formal names of the Cornelii were thus at least two names long; in the late Republic, three or more.