Numbering children

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Permalink Reply by William Douglas on October 17, 2010 at 6:47am

Octavia? However, I am not sure that works as an 8th child. As an example, Octavia the Elder was the elder half sister of Octavia Minor. (She was the daughter of the Roman governor and senator Gaius Octavius by his first wife, Ancharia.)

Anyone got them in their family tree?

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Permalink Reply by John Pepperdine on October 17, 2010 at 7:13am

Thanks William, I understand that in Roman times the name may also have been used for a child born on the eighth day of the month or in the eighth month of the year and of course once it has been used by someone well known it can be adopted by anyone regardless of its original meaning. Have been making some progress. (1) Original (2) Secunda or Secundus (5) Quentin or Quintin (6) Sexta or Sextus (7) Septima or Septimus (8) Octavia or Octavius (9) Nona or Nonus (10) Decima or Decimus. [In Latin the male ending was -us and the female -a]. The absence of a name for the third or fourth child perhaps due to the fact that the first and second are novelties and then after four the births become interesting again as the family size is now above average. I heard some years ago that in Wales they have the habit of calling their dogs "Pedwar", pedward is Welsh for four, but I am straying from the original question.

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