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Roman Name Meaning, Origins & History

Roman

Pronunciation: ROH-muhn

Meaning From Rome Origin Latin Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#42
TREND
10
GIRLS RANK
#5,523
TREND
421
Peak Years
2025, 2024, 2019
Lowest Years
1882, 1885, 1886
Energy Archetype
Generous & Compassionate

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Roman in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Roman

  • Gaining ground: Roman remained in the U.S. top 100 for 10 consecutive years, from 2016 through 2025. In 2025, it gained 10 ranking positions compared with the previous year.
  • More than 105 thousand babies named Roman: U.S. records list 105,074 babies given the name Roman from 1880 through 2025. Even 477 girls received the name Roman - about 1 girl for every 219 boys.

What Does the Name Roman Mean?

Roman is a masculine given name from Latin Romanus, meaning "Roman" or "of Rome." Romanus was formed from Roma, the Latin name of the city of Rome, with the suffix -anus. In classical Latin it was both an adjective and a noun, describing a citizen or inhabitant of Rome and things associated with Rome or the Roman Empire. The given name preserves that literal sense; it is not a translation of a separate abstract word. Related forms in other languages include French Romain, Spanish Román, Italian Romano, and Russian Роман.

Roman Name History & Origins

In the Greek-speaking eastern Roman Empire, the Latin name took the form Romanos. Romanos the Melodist, a sixth-century Byzantine hymn writer, is an early example of the name in Greek. The name was later borne by several Byzantine emperors, including Romanos I Lekapenos (reigned 920 - 944) and Romanos II (reigned 959 - 963). Through Greek Christian usage, it entered East Slavic languages; in Russian it is Роман, stressed on the second syllable. In West Slavic languages such as Polish, Czech, and Slovak, the name appears as Roman.

In the Latin West, Romanus was also used as a personal name; Pope Romanus was pope in 897. In English, the given name is identical in form to the common noun and adjective Roman, which English borrowed from Latin Romanus by way of Old French Romain. The personal name therefore overlaps with the ordinary English word for a person or thing of ancient Rome. It is a masculine name in English and in the other languages noted above.

How Popular is the Name Roman?

Roman recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Roman entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 2016.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Roman

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Roman Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are a law unto itself. Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You are tolerant and like to help humanity. You are very active. You are generally warmhearted and gives freely of your time, energy, and sympathetic understanding. You have tolerance and acceptance of the frailties of others. Universal and humanitarian in outlook. This is very compassionate name. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.

You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.

✦ Roman's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Roman's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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