Lucius (/ˈluːʃ(i)əs/ LOO-sh(ee-)əs, Latin: [ˈluːkiʊs]) is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. The feminine form is Lucia (/ˈluːʃiə, luːˈtʃiːə/ LOO-shee-ə, loo-CHEE-ə, Latin: [ˈluːkia]). The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gentes Lucia and Lucilia, as well as the cognomen Lucullus. It was regularly abbreviated L.