Numantius

Numantius is a Latin masculine name that appears in some late antique and provincial Roman inscriptions. The form is typically treated as a gentilician or nomen, formed with the common suffix -ius that Latinizes toponymic or family-origin names. The underlying toponym is likely Numantia, the Celtiberian city resisting Rome in the 2nd century BCE, though direct textual evidence linking Numantius to Numantia is scarce.

In usage, Numantius would have functioned as a family name within a clan or as a personal name within a larger nomenclature, rather than as a praenomen. Because it is relatively uncommon, the name is not associated with a single prominent historical figure. Its regional associations are inferred from inscriptions found in Hispania and surrounding provinces, suggesting that bearers or their ancestors may have had origins near Numantia or connections to Celtiberian communities.

In modern reference works on Roman onomastics, Numantius is cited as an example of toponymic gentilicia that cross provincial boundaries. Its rarity means it is mostly of interest to scholars studying naming practices in the Roman world rather than as a marker of major historical events.