Roman Boy
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: ROH-muhn /ˈroʊ.mən/
Origin: Latin; Italian
Meaning: Latin: citizen of Rome; Italian: Roman
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Roman originates from the Latin word "Romanus," meaning "a Roman" or "of Rome." This term itself derives from the name of the ancient city of Rome, which was founded in the 8th century BCE. The Latin language, spoken by the Romans, became the foundation for many modern languages and significantly influenced the development of English through the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when Latin-derived Norman French entered the English lexicon.
The transition of the name into English occurred as Latin evolved into Old French and subsequently into Middle English, where it was adopted as a given name. Throughout history, the name Roman has been associated with various notable figures and events.
In the early Christian era, Saint Romanus was a popular figure, and his veneration contributed to the name's spread across Europe. The name appears in various historical texts and religious contexts, including the Latin Vulgate Bible, which was translated in the late 4th century and became a significant text for the Christian Church.
The name's association with the Roman Empire, a dominant force in the ancient world, further solidified its cultural significance. Culturally, the name Roman carries connotations of strength, civilization, and authority, reflecting the legacy of the Roman Empire.
It has been used in various literary and artistic works, symbolizing the grandeur and historical weight of Rome. The name also has diminutive forms, such as Romy, which have emerged in various cultures, though the primary form remains prominent.
Overall, the name Roman encapsulates a rich historical narrative that spans centuries, embodying the enduring influence of Roman culture and language.
Famous people named Roman
In this section, you will find notable people named Roman. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Roman who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Roman who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Roman Polanski is a film director best known for Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, and The Pianist.
Roman Abramovich is a businessman best known for owning Chelsea F.C. and his investments in oil and steel.
Roman Reigns is a professional wrestler best known for his time in WWE and being a multiple-time world champion.
Roman Josi is a professional ice hockey player best known for playing as a defenseman for the Nashville Predators and winning the Norris Trophy.
Roman Coppola is a film director and producer best known for directing CQ, and co-writing The Darjeeling Limited and Moonrise Kingdom.
Fictional characters named Roman
The following list of fictional characters named Roman is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
Roman Sionis is a fictional character from DC Comics. He is a notorious crime lord who becomes the villain Black Mask, often opposing Batman.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Roman, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Roman. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Roman was first seen in the United States in 1882.
Roman has ranked as high as #83 nationally, which occurred in 2024, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York.
In the past 5 years the name Roman has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Roman is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Roman was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Roman (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| CA | 818 | |
| TX | 556 | |
| FL | 354 | |
| PA | 266 | |
| NY | 257 | |
| OH | 237 | |
| MI | 187 | |
| IL | 163 | |
| NC | 148 | |
| GA | 135 | |
| VA | 131 | |
| AZ | 126 | |
| IN | 123 | |
| MO | 122 | |
| TN | 122 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Roman.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 5,474 |
| 2023 | 4,796 |
| 2022 | 4,736 |
| 2021 | 4,567 |
| 2020 | 4,488 |
| 2019 | 4,916 |
| 2018 | 4,389 |
| 2017 | 4,280 |
| 2016 | 4,221 |
| 2015 | 3,890 |
| 2014 | 3,481 |
| 2013 | 2,886 |
| 2012 | 2,577 |
| 2011 | 2,466 |
| 2010 | 1,992 |
| 2009 | 1,837 |
| 2008 | 1,933 |
| 2007 | 1,890 |
| 2006 | 1,819 |
| 2005 | 1,866 |
| 2004 | 1,397 |
| 2003 | 1,049 |
| 2002 | 1,045 |
| 2001 | 985 |
| 2000 | 906 |
| 1999 | 787 |
| 1998 | 806 |
| 1997 | 739 |
| 1996 | 672 |
| 1995 | 649 |
| 1994 | 623 |
| 1993 | 661 |
| 1992 | 626 |
| 1991 | 601 |
| 1990 | 623 |
| 1989 | 572 |
| 1988 | 507 |
| 1987 | 404 |
| 1986 | 390 |
| 1985 | 363 |
| 1984 | 410 |
| 1983 | 386 |
| 1982 | 371 |
| 1981 | 286 |
| 1980 | 258 |
| 1979 | 285 |
| 1978 | 260 |
| 1977 | 293 |
| 1976 | 317 |
| 1975 | 350 |
| 1974 | 349 |
| 1973 | 364 |
| 1972 | 360 |
| 1971 | 390 |
| 1970 | 376 |
| 1969 | 247 |
| 1968 | 217 |
| 1967 | 154 |
| 1966 | 153 |
| 1965 | 184 |
| 1964 | 182 |
| 1963 | 182 |
| 1962 | 189 |
| 1961 | 150 |
| 1960 | 141 |
| 1959 | 155 |
| 1958 | 174 |
| 1957 | 167 |
| 1956 | 178 |
| 1955 | 156 |
| 1954 | 174 |
| 1953 | 184 |
| 1952 | 154 |
| 1951 | 156 |
| 1950 | 148 |
| 1949 | 144 |
| 1948 | 117 |
| 1947 | 118 |
| 1946 | 92 |
| 1945 | 93 |
| 1944 | 90 |
| 1943 | 122 |
| 1942 | 116 |
| 1941 | 99 |
| 1940 | 124 |
| 1939 | 93 |
| 1938 | 106 |
| 1937 | 87 |
| 1936 | 117 |
| 1935 | 106 |
| 1934 | 135 |
| 1933 | 130 |
| 1932 | 166 |
| 1931 | 184 |
| 1930 | 165 |
| 1929 | 187 |
| 1928 | 220 |
| 1927 | 235 |
| 1926 | 223 |
| 1925 | 224 |
| 1924 | 247 |
| 1923 | 256 |
| 1922 | 255 |
| 1921 | 257 |
| 1920 | 248 |
| 1919 | 258 |
| 1918 | 269 |
| 1917 | 256 |
| 1916 | 265 |
| 1915 | 234 |
| 1914 | 191 |
| 1913 | 134 |
| 1912 | 86 |
| 1911 | 57 |
| 1910 | 44 |
| 1909 | 33 |
| 1908 | 39 |
| 1907 | 31 |
| 1906 | 29 |
| 1905 | 31 |
| 1904 | 23 |
| 1903 | 18 |
| 1902 | 23 |
| 1901 | 18 |
| 1900 | 20 |
| 1899 | 21 |
| 1898 | 22 |
| 1897 | 19 |
| 1896 | 15 |
| 1895 | 19 |
| 1894 | 10 |
| 1893 | 9 |
| 1891 | 10 |
| 1890 | 10 |
| 1889 | 13 |
| 1888 | 14 |
| 1887 | 16 |
| 1886 | 9 |
| 1885 | 7 |
| 1883 | 10 |
| 1882 | 7 |