Roman
From Old French Romain, from Latin Rōmānus.
Every Roman since 1882 — 105,131 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Roman
Roman is a top-50 name for boys in the United States, ranked #42 in 2025 with 6,162 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1882, 105,131 American babies have been named Roman. Its peak came in 2025, when 6,185 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2020s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Roman stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Roman year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 | #5,523 | 6,162 | #42 |
| 2024 | 27 | #5,002 | 5,502 | #52 |
| 2023 | 27 | #4,971 | 4,803 | #66 |
| 2022 | 20 | #6,170 | 4,740 | #68 |
| 2021 | 31 | #4,489 | 4,571 | #74 |
| 2020 | 28 | #4,731 | 4,491 | #77 |
| 2019 | 31 | #4,521 | 4,919 | #72 |
| 2018 | 18 | #6,738 | 4,390 | #86 |
| 2017 | 22 | #5,791 | 4,282 | #91 |
| 2016 | 27 | #5,102 | 4,222 | #98 |
| 2015 | 25 | #5,426 | 3,889 | #102 |
| 2014 | 16 | #7,574 | 3,481 | #113 |
| 2013 | 12 | #9,502 | 2,886 | #136 |
| 2012 | 10 | #11,092 | 2,577 | #159 |
| 2011 | 10 | #11,021 | 2,466 | #158 |
| 2010 | 6 | #16,554 | 1,993 | #186 |
| 2009 | 6 | #16,850 | 1,837 | #206 |
| 2008 | 10 | #11,431 | 1,933 | #205 |
| 2007 | 7 | #15,149 | 1,891 | #207 |
| 2006 | 8 | #13,358 | 1,819 | #209 |
| 2005 | — | — | 1,867 | #205 |
| 2004 | 8 | #12,504 | 1,398 | #238 |
| 2003 | — | — | 1,049 | #294 |
| 2002 | — | — | 1,045 | #284 |
| 2001 | — | — | 985 | #297 |
| 2000 | 5 | #17,026 | 906 | #317 |
| 1995 | 5 | #15,219 | 649 | #368 |
| 1990 | 7 | #11,101 | 623 | #374 |
| 1985 | 7 | #9,049 | 363 | #451 |
| 1980 | — | — | 258 | #535 |
| 1975 | — | — | 350 | #415 |
| 1970 | — | — | 376 | #423 |
| 1965 | — | — | 184 | #563 |
| 1960 | — | — | 140 | #664 |
| 1955 | — | — | 156 | #589 |
| 1950 | — | — | 148 | #556 |
| 1945 | — | — | 93 | #627 |
| 1940 | — | — | 124 | #523 |
| 1935 | — | — | 106 | #561 |
| 1930 | — | — | 165 | #462 |
| 1925 | — | — | 224 | #400 |
| 1920 | — | — | 248 | #379 |
| 1915 | — | — | 234 | #350 |
| 1910 | — | — | 44 | #405 |
| 1905 | — | — | 31 | #379 |
| 1900 | — | — | 20 | #549 |
| 1895 | — | — | 19 | #473 |
| 1890 | — | — | 10 | #662 |
| 1885 | — | — | 7 | #823 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Roman
- Roman Polanski Film director · b. 1933
- Roman Jakobson Linguist · 1896–1982
- Roman von Ungern-Sternberg Military personnel · 1886–1921
- Roman Herzog Politician · 1934–2017
- Roman Abramovich Businessperson · b. 1966
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Roman mean?
From Old French Romain, from Latin Rōmānus.
How popular is the name Roman in 2025?
Roman ranked #42 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 6,162 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Roman?
105,131 babies have been named Roman in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Roman most popular?
Roman peaked in 2025, when 6,185 newborns received the name.
Is Roman a boy or girl name?
Roman is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Roman rising or falling?
Roman is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Roman?
Well-known people named Roman include Roman Polanski (film director), Roman Jakobson (linguist), Roman von Ungern-Sternberg (military personnel).