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Name, according to Roman mythology, of the wife of Aeneas, and thus the mother of the Roman people. Legend had it that she gave her name to the Latin town of Lavinium, but in fact she was almost certainly invented to explain the placename, which is of pre-Roman origin. She was said to be the daughter of King Latinus, who was similarly invented, to account for the name of Latium.

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(A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford University Press)