Roman names historically followed the tria nomina system: a limited set of praenomina such as Gaius, Lucius, Marcus, Publius, Quintus, and Titus, a family nomen indicating the gens (Julius, Tullius, Claudius), and a cognomen that often began as a nickname or descriptor. Male names commonly end in -us or -ius, with adjectival forms in -ianus or -inus (Hadrianus, Flavianus), and female forms were the feminine of the family name, typically in -a or -ia (Julia, Tullia, Claudia). Diminutives and derivatives used suffixes such as -illus, -ellus, -inus, with feminine -illa or -ella. Some praenomina reflect numbers or birth order, like Quintus or Sextus.
Meanings are primarily Latin lexical roots or family identifiers rather than theophoric elements. Cognomina often referenced physical traits, geography, or achievements. In late antiquity, Christian influence increased the use of Latinized biblical and saint names such as Paulus or Petrus. Modern usage spreads through Latin forms across Europe and beyond, with local adaptations in Romance and other languages, so there is no single contemporary pattern labeled Roman.
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amara | Varies by origin - commonly 'grace' (Igbo), 'immortal' (Sanskrit); in Latin 'amara' means 'bitter'. | Arabic, Igbo, Latin, Roman, Sanskrit | Girl | 17,415 #1 | |
| Romy | Pet form meaning either 'dew of the sea' (from Rosemary) or 'from Rome' (from Roman) | Dutch, English, French, Roman | Girl | 11,536 #2 | |
| Arturo | Bear; bear-like, associated with strength and nobility | Celtic, Roman, Spanish | Boy | 4,344 #3 | |
| Juno | Name of the Roman goddess, queen of the gods and protector of marriage and childbirth | Latin, Roman | Girl | 1,509 #4 | |
| Adria | From the town of Adria / the Adriatic; sometimes associated with 'dark' | Catalan, English, Italian, Latin, Roman | Girl | 654 #5 | |
| Illyana | Often associated with 'God has answered' (from Eliana) or 'light/torch' (from Helen/Helena) | Roman, Slavic | Girl | 347 #6 | |
| Aloys | Famous warrior | Roman | Boy | 287 #7 | |
| Lavin | Possibly “descendant of Lamhán” (Irish, literally “little hand”) or a short form of Lavinia (linked to Lavinium, i.e., ‘of Lavinium’). | Irish, Italian, Latin, Roman | Unisex | 149 #8 | |
| Maiyah | Modern spelling/variant of Maya/Maia - commonly associated with 'illusion, magic' (Sanskrit Maya) or the Roman/Greek goddess Maia (growth/spring); sometimes linked to Hebrew roots meaning 'water'. | English, Greek, Hebrew, Roman, Sanskrit | Girl | 140 #9 | |
| Saturn | Named for the Roman god of agriculture and time; also the planet Saturn. | Latin, Roman | Boy | 121 #10 | |
| Baïa | A feminine name used in Georgia; in Romance-language contexts it is derived from the word for 'bay' (coastal inlet); in Romanian it relates to 'bath'. | Georgian, Italian, Roman, Romanian, Spanish | Girl | 59 #11 | |
| Mauriana | Derived from 'Maurus' - 'Moor' / 'dark-skinned' (sometimes interpreted as 'from Mauritania') | Latin, Roman | Girl | 55 #12 | |
| Adriaan | From Hadria - a person from the town of Adria (associated with the Adriatic); sometimes linked to 'dark' in uncertain etymologies | Roman | Boy | 39 #13 | |
| Sylvanus | Of the woods | Latin, Roman | Boy | 33 #14 | |
| Rem | A short, one-syllable form used for Rémy/Remus. Associated meanings include 'oarsman' (from Latin Remigius/Remex) and the legendary 'twin' (Remus); in Japanese the meaning varies by kanji. | French, Japanese, Latin, Roman | Unisex | 21 #15 | |
| Seila | Multiple possible origins - possibly 'pause' (Hebrew Selah) or related to Celia meaning 'heavenly'; sometimes treated as a phonetic variant of Sheila/Cecilia. | English, Gaelic, Hebrew, Latin, Roman | Girl | 20 #16 | |
| Fela | Varies by origin: from Latin 'felix' meaning 'happy, fortunate' (via Felicia/Felicity); in Yoruba it appears in names like Olufela and is associated with concepts of wealth/expansion or used as a theophoric element. | Latin, Roman, Slavic, Yoruba | Unisex | 11 #17 | |
| Marico | Likely 'true child' if from Japanese Mariko; alternatively a Maria-derived form (linked to Mary) depending on origin | Italian, Japanese, Roman, Spanish | Unisex | 5 #18 | |
| Romyna | From Rome; Roman | Latin, Roman | Girl | 5 #19 | |
| Eugen | Well-born, noble | Greek, Roman | Boy | 3 #20 | |
| Aegeria | A mythological water nymph and counselor associated with wise counsel and ritual guidance to Numa Pompilius. | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Agripa | Uncertain - traditionally associated with 'born feet first' but likely of Etruscan origin with unknown exact meaning. | Roman | Boy | — | |
| Agrippin | Derived from Agrippa; often interpreted as "born feet first" or broadly "of/descendant of Agrippa" | Latin, Roman | Boy | — | |
| Angerona | Name of a Roman goddess associated with silence, secrecy, protection and relief from suffering; etymology uncertain (possibly linked to Latin 'angor' 'anguish' or an Etruscan root). | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Anna Perenna | Anna: 'grace' (from Hebrew Hannah); Perenna: 'perennial, everlasting' - associated with renewal and the Roman goddess of the new year. | Latin, Roman | Girl | — | |
| Ascanius | Mythical Trojan prince; son of Aeneas and legendary founder of Alba Longa. | Latin, Roman | Boy | — | |
| Aticus | From Attica; Athenian | Greek, Roman | Boy | — | |
| Auvit | Ancestral; "of the ancestors" (from Latin avitus) | Roman | Boy | — | |
| Avitus | Ancestral | Latin, Roman | Boy | — | |
| Bellona | Goddess of war; warlike (from Latin bellum 'war') | Latin, Roman | Girl | — | |
| Bernadina | Brave/strong as a bear | Germanic, Roman | Girl | — | |
| Brangana | Uncertain; may be linked to the Wagnerian name Brangäne or to the root 'Bran' (often rendered as 'raven' or 'brown'), no single established meaning | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Cardea | Roman goddess of door hinges, thresholds and protection of the home; name derived from 'hinge' | Latin, Roman | Girl | — | |
| Carila | Little beloved; dear | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Carlus | Free man | Germanic, Roman | Boy | — | |
| Carmenta | From Latin carmen 'song, oracle' - 'she of the prophetic song'; name of a Roman goddess of childbirth and prophecy. | Latin, Roman | Girl | — | |
| Carrilla | Likely 'beloved' or 'dear one' (possibly a diminutive/variant of Carla/Carolina) | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Celandryna | Heavenly, moonlike; celestial. | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Celeane | Likely 'moon' (from Selene) or 'heavenly/sky' (from Celia/Celina) | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Ceresse | Derived from Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, fertility, and grain. | Latin, Roman | Girl | — | |
| Coreana | Maiden; alternatively 'Korean woman' (Spanish usage) | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Crestianah | Derived from 'crest' + feminine suffix: 'of the crest' or 'one at the peak/eminence' | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Cyrenia | Probably 'of Cyrene' (the ancient Greek city/nymph); connotations of serenity or queenly/sovereign character | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Danilla | God is my judge | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Delcea | Delight, darling; beloved or sweet | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Egeria | Mythological Roman water nymph and counselor to King Numa; associated with wisdom, prophecy, and sacred springs. | Latin, Roman | Girl | — | |
| Empanda | Goddess of hospitality and open-handedness; name linked to Latin pandere ‘to open’. | Roman | Girl | — | |
| Ennia | Feminine form of the Roman family name Ennius; literal meaning uncertain | Latin, Roman | Girl | — | |
| Escalibor | Uncertain; may evoke Excalibur (the legendary sword) or reflect a place/surname origin rather than a literal meaning | Roman | Boy | — | |
| Estrel | Star | Roman | Girl | — |
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Roman-origin name in our dataset.
