The name was regularly abbreviated Cn., based on the archaic spelling, Cnaeus, dating from the period before the letters "C" and "G" were differentiated.
Although the name was used by a minority of families at Rome, it was favored by a number of prominent gentes, including the Cornelii, Domitii, Manlii, and Servilii.
In his treatise on the origin of Roman praenomina, Chase cites the archaic spelling Gnaivos in support of this explanation.
However, as with other praenomina, Gnaeus was generally chosen because it was a family name, not necessarily because the children who received it had a noteworthy birthmark.
[6][7] Gnaeus was one of a number of Latin praenomina borrowed by the Etruscans, in whose language it became Cneve or Cneies.