Annius

Annius is a Latin name associated with the gens Annia, an ancient Roman patrician and plebeian family. The name appears in classical Roman sources as a nomen (gens name) and as a praenomen or cognomen within that gens; the feminine form is Annia. The most well-known classical bearer is Marcus Annius Verus, father of the future emperor Marcus Aurelius. In the imperial era, members bearing the name held various offices, and the gens produced several consuls and senators through the Republic and into the early Empire.

In medieval and Renaissance usage, Annius gained presence as a given name in Latinizing forms. A famous Renaissance figure is Annius of Viterbo (Annio da Viterbo) (c. 1432–1502), an Italian humanist who collected and published ancient texts. He traveled to libraries and produced compilations of classical authors, many of which he presented as authentic works from antiquity. His efforts helped spark renewed interest in antiquity but also included texts later shown to be forgeries or misattributions, contributing to the broader phenomenon of textual fabrication in the period.

In modern times, Annius appears chiefly as a historical or genealogical name and occasionally as a surname or in fiction. See also gens Annia.