Roman

Roman - A unique male name

Roman appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #419. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Roman and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Roman? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Roman. The baby boy name Roman was given to 6,162 baby boys in 2025, ranking #42 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 238 baby boys were given this name - making this a unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Roman peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 42.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Roman, 1-5?

Roman is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Roman is currently topping the baby name charts in Rhode Island at position #13 - and is the least popular in Vermont at position #119.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Roman is where you live.

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Roman origin and meaning

Latin

Citizen of Rome

Romanus simply meant a Roman — a man of the empire — and it has been an ordinary first name for centuries across eastern and southern Europe, where several saints bear it. Its current American rise gives an ancient citizenship a modern, tailored feel.

Attested etymology

Roman is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Roman, pop culture references for the name Roman and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Roman

We've found the following names that sound similar to Roman, sorted by popularity.

Ryan / Ronnie / Ramon / Rowan / Rene / Ron / Romeo / Ronan / Ronny / Remy /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Roman

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Roman a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Roman?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

ROH-mun · /ˈroʊmən/

Around the world

• Romain (French) — Standard French form.
• Román (Spanish) — Standard Spanish form.
• Romano (Italian) — Standard Italian form.
• Roman (Polish) — Pronounced roh-MAHN.
• Roman (Russian) — Standard Russian form.

Spellings and nicknames

• Romain — The French form.
• Romano — The Italian form.

Nicknames: RomeRo

Famous bearers

• Roman Polanski — Film director (Rosemary's Baby, The Pianist) (b. 1933) Contemporary

Style

Place nameClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

Roman is an empire's citizenship worn as a name: tailored, strong and at home from Warsaw to Rome to Los Angeles. Its American rise rides the taste for Latin gravitas without Latin length.

Worth knowing

• Expect 'so, Italian?' — and confusion with Romanian/Romania, which is a different word history in English ears.
• Roman numerals jokes arrive in maths class.