Re Herennius Pontius

[Gladius Hispaniensis]

Ave

The above name was that of the Samnite general that defeated the Romans at Caudine Forks according to Livy. The name sounds suspiciously Roman, as do the names of other Samnites in Livy's book. I was under the impression the Samnites spoke an Oscan tongue which differed substantially from Latin.
Are these names just Romanized I wonder. Thanks in advance for any input.

[Epictetus]

Good question, but the name might be accurate.

This tradition treats “Herennius” as the praenomen and “Pontius” as the gentilicium. The Livian tradition is likely to be correct, as is suggested by the Oscan evidence for “Herennius” as a praenomen (Rix 2002: 139-40 lists nine instances [s.v. hefrens], also three as a gentilicium [s.v.v. heirennis, hereiis, herenni(s)]; cf. Salomies 1987: 73-74 and Schulze 1904: 82) and “Pontius” as a gentilicium (Rix 2002: lists six instances …, no instance as a praenomen; cf. Salomies 1987:107).

Philip Horky, Herennius Pontius: the Construction of a Samnite Philosopher