Roman Boy

Popularity: #42 · Trend: ↗ Rising

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 #69 nationally, which occurred in 2025, 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.

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 Total Births Boy Girl
2025 6,185 6,162 23
2024 5,529 5,502 27
2023 4,830 4,803 27
2022 4,760 4,740 20
2021 4,602 4,571 31
2020 4,519 4,491 28
2019 4,950 4,919 31
2018 4,408 4,390 18
2017 4,304 4,282 22
2016 4,249 4,222 27
2015 3,914 3,889 25
2014 3,497 3,481 16
2013 2,898 2,886 12
2012 2,587 2,577 10
2011 2,476 2,466 10
2010 1,999 1,993 6
2009 1,843 1,837 6
2008 1,943 1,933 10
2007 1,898 1,891 7
2006 1,827 1,819 8
2005 1,867 1,867 0
2004 1,406 1,398 8
2003 1,049 1,049 0
2002 1,045 1,045 0
2001 985 985 0
2000 911 906 5
1999 792 787 5
1998 813 806 7
1997 739 739 0
1996 677 672 5
1995 654 649 5
1994 623 623 0
1993 667 661 6
1992 626 626 0
1991 601 601 0
1990 630 623 7
1989 583 572 11
1988 514 507 7
1987 409 404 5
1986 390 390 0
1985 370 363 7
1984 410 410 0
1983 391 386 5
1982 371 371 0
1981 286 286 0
1980 258 258 0
1979 285 285 0
1978 267 260 7
1977 300 293 7
1976 323 318 5
1975 350 350 0
1974 355 349 6
1973 364 364 0
1972 366 360 6
1971 391 391 0
1970 376 376 0
1969 247 247 0
1968 216 216 0
1967 154 154 0
1966 153 153 0
1965 184 184 0
1964 182 182 0
1963 182 182 0
1962 190 190 0
1961 149 149 0
1960 140 140 0
1959 155 155 0
1958 174 174 0
1957 167 167 0
1956 178 178 0
1955 156 156 0
1954 174 174 0
1953 184 184 0
1952 154 154 0
1951 156 156 0
1950 148 148 0
1949 144 144 0
1948 117 117 0
1947 118 118 0
1946 92 92 0
1945 93 93 0
1944 90 90 0
1943 122 122 0
1942 116 116 0
1941 99 99 0
1940 124 124 0
1939 93 93 0
1938 106 106 0
1937 87 87 0
1936 117 117 0
1935 106 106 0
1934 135 135 0
1933 130 130 0
1932 166 166 0
1931 184 184 0
1930 165 165 0
1929 187 187 0
1928 220 220 0
1927 235 235 0
1926 223 223 0
1925 224 224 0
1924 247 247 0
1923 256 256 0
1922 255 255 0
1921 257 257 0
1920 248 248 0
1919 258 258 0
1918 269 269 0
1917 256 256 0
1916 265 265 0
1915 234 234 0
1914 191 191 0
1913 134 134 0
1912 86 86 0
1911 57 57 0
1910 44 44 0
1909 33 33 0
1908 39 39 0
1907 31 31 0
1906 29 29 0
1905 31 31 0
1904 23 23 0
1903 18 18 0
1902 23 23 0
1901 18 18 0
1900 20 20 0
1899 21 21 0
1898 22 22 0
1897 19 19 0
1896 15 15 0
1895 19 19 0
1894 10 10 0
1893 9 9 0
1891 10 10 0
1890 10 10 0
1889 13 13 0
1888 14 14 0
1887 16 16 0
1886 9 9 0
1885 7 7 0
1883 10 10 0
1882 7 7 0

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. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 818
15%
TX 556
10%
FL 354
6%
PA 266
5%
NY 257
5%
OH 237
4%
MI 187
3%
IL 163
3%
NC 148
3%
NJ 145
3%
GA 135
2%
VA 131
2%
AZ 126
2%
IN 123
2%
MO 122
2%
TN 122
2%
CO 115
2%
WA 108
2%
MD 90
2%
MA 79
1%
WI 77
1%
MN 75
1%
LA 72
1%
OK 72
1%
CT 70
1%
UT 65
1%
KY 62
1%
IA 60
1%
NV 60
1%
OR 59
1%
AL 52
1%
SC 45
1%
KS 44
1%
AR 43
1%
WV 36
1%
NM 30
1%
HI 27
0%
ID 25
0%
NE 25
0%
SD 22
0%
MT 22
0%
RI 20
0%
ND 19
0%
NH 19
0%
MS 19
0%
ME 16
0%
DC 16
0%
DE 16
0%
AK 14
0%