Vibius is a Latin praenomen

Praenomen

The praenomen was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the dies lustricus , the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the birth of a boy...

, or personal name

Given name

A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...

, which was occasionally used throughout the period of the Roman Republic

Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...

 and perhaps into imperial times. It gave rise to the patronymic gens Vibia. The feminine form is Vibia. As a praenomen, it was usually abbreviated V.

Although never especially common, the praenomen Vibius appears in a number of Roman families, including the gentes Anicia

Anicia (gens)

The gens Anicia was a plebeian family at Rome, mentioned first towards the end of the 4th century BC The first of the Anicii under to achieve prominence under the Republic was Lucius Anicius Gallus, who conducted the war against the Illyrii during the Third Macedonian War, in 168 BC.A noble family...

, Curia, Octavia, Oppia, Sestia

Sestia (gens)

The gens Sestia was a family at Rome. The gens was originally patrician, but in later times there were also plebeian members. The only member of the family to obtain the consulship under the Republic was Publius Sestius Capitolinus Vaticanus, in 452 BC.-Origin of the gens:The nomen Sestius is...

, Sextia

Sextia (gens)

The gens Sextia was a plebeian family at Rome, from the time of the early Republic and continuing into imperial times. The most famous member of the gens was Lucius Sextius Lateranus, who as tribune of the plebs from 376 to 367 BC, prevented the election of the annual magistrates, until the...

, and Vedia. The Sestii are the only patrician family known to have used the name, which, like many other praenomina, appears to have been more common in the countryside than at Rome.

Origin and Meaning of the Name

Vibius appears to belong to that class of praenomina which was common to Latin, Oscan, and Umbrian. Chase cites a number of examples, mostly from Oscan and Umbrian families, and clearly the name was more common in other parts of Italy than at Rome. But the name was clearly used at Rome and treated as a Latin praenomen. It may be that it arrived in Rome shortly after the founding of the city, since much of the early Roman populace was of Sabine

Sabine

The Sabines were an Italic tribe that lived in the central Appennines of ancient Italy, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome...

origin. However, because the name was seldom used by prominent families, there are few examples from this early period.

The meaning of the praenomen is unknown. Chase disposes of it after concluding that it was of Oscan origin, and cites no authorities on its possible meaning.

The Etruscan form of this praenomen was Vipie.