Sub-Roman Britain (Cavalry etc)

[Conal]

(To add to the confusion, I seem to remember that "Riothamus"--something like "high king"--may have been his title, not his name.)

This is a popssibility but if he had another "common" name such a person may have had more of a noticed history, especially considering his supposed contact with those more East than he.

My own name is of Celtic origin meaning "strong wolf" or "high & mighty" or "strong in battle" depending on the source you read. These may have been given at birth as portential much as Peter (The Rock) might be given to ensure a trait or Chastity for a girl. Alternatively they may have been "earned" in later life as below;

What might seem like a title may be a name change based on circumstances, take the Irish hero Cú Chulainn who's original name was Sétanta ( which incidentaly means White Bear in Kiowa)

<<Culann the smith invites Conchobar to a feast at his house. Before going, Conchobar goes to the playing field to watch the boys play hurling. He is so impressed by Sétanta's performance that he asks him to join him at the feast. Sétanta has a game to finish, but promises to follow the king later. But Conchobar forgets, and Culann lets loose his ferocious hound to protect his house. When Sétanta arrives, the enormous hound attacks him, but he kills it in self-defence, in one version by smashing it against a standing stone, in another by driving a sliotar (hurling ball) down its throat with his hurley. Culann is devastated by the loss of his hound, so Sétanta promises he will rear him a replacement, and until it is old enough to do the job, he himself will guard Culann's house. The druid Cathbad announces that his name henceforth will be Cú Chulainn – "Culann's Hound".>>

We have strange habits regarding names .... in the US you say Mr President like his surname name had been changed to president. I always find that a bit odd.