a praenomen among the Romans of rather rare occurrence. Hence the copyists of munuscripts frequently changed N., its contracted form, into M. Varro says that this praenomen was given to those who were born quickly; and that women in childbirth were accustomed to pray to a goddess Numeria, who must have been a deity of some importance, as the pontifex mentioned her in the ancient prayers (Var. Frtgm, p. 319, Bipont.; camp. Hartung, Die Religion der Römer, vol. ii. p. 240). As a Roman praenomen the feminine Numeria could not be used any more than Marca (Varr. L. L. 9.55, ed. Müller). Festus relates that Numerius was never used as a praenomen by any patrician house, till the Fabius, who alone survived after the six and thirty had been slaughtered by the Etruscans, married the wealthy daughter of Otacilius Maleventanus, on the condition that the first child should receive the praenomen of its maternal grandfather, Numerius. (Festus, p. 171, ed. Miüller.)
Numerius also occurs as the gentile name of a few persons :--