Romelo
A name of unknown etymology, possibly derived from the Spanish name "Romelo".
Name Census estimates that about 1,069 living Americans carry the first name Romelo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Romelo today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Romelo births was 2021 (54 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Romelo. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Romelo with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Romelo is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 15 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 320,631 Americans
Peak year
2021
54 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,538
Tracked since 1994
Census
Romelo in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 688 people with the first name Romelo, which placed it at #16,413 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#16,413
National first-name rank
People counted
688
688 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
56.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Romelo
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Romelo is Black at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Romelo described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Romelo at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.8% · 391
- Hispanic or Latino30.1% · 207
- Two or more races5.2% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 27
- White2.3% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 11
Popularity
Romelo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Romelo from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 456 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Romelo remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Romelo by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Romelo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Romelos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Florida, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Romelo, while Ohio, Louisiana, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 35 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Romelo
The name Romelo is a unique and intriguing moniker with a rich cultural heritage. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Roman Empire, deriving from the Latin word "romus," which translates to "citizen of Rome." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have initially been bestowed upon individuals of Roman descent or those residing within the boundaries of the mighty empire.
During the height of Roman civilization, the name Romelo was often associated with nobility and civic pride. It carried a sense of belonging to the esteemed Roman society, which valued virtues such as honor, courage, and loyalty. While no definitive historical records exist to pinpoint the earliest use of the name, it is believed to have been in circulation among the upper echelons of Roman society.
As the Roman Empire expanded its influence across Europe and the Mediterranean, the name Romelo likely spread to conquered territories, adapting to local dialects and cultural influences. Over the centuries, various spellings and variations emerged, such as Romelus, Romulus, and Romolo, but the essence of the name remained tied to its Roman roots.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Romelo can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who chronicled the legendary founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus in the 8th century BCE. While the historicity of this account is debated, the name Romelo may have drawn inspiration from this iconic tale, symbolizing the spirit of Rome's origins and the resilience of its people.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Romelo. One such individual was Romelo Ferretti (1512-1585), an Italian Renaissance painter renowned for his frescoes adorning churches in Rome and the surrounding regions. His works embodied the artistic brilliance and cultural richness of the era, solidifying the name's association with the epicenter of Western civilization.
Another prominent figure was Romelo Gonzalez (1879-1943), a Mexican revolutionary and political leader who played a pivotal role in the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century. His unwavering dedication to social justice and the pursuit of equality for the Mexican people has cemented his place in the annals of history.
In the realm of literature, Romelo Sánchez (1928-2018), a celebrated Colombian poet and writer, left an indelible mark on Latin American letters. His poetic works, infused with vivid imagery and profound symbolism, explored themes of identity, love, and the human condition, resonating with readers across generations.
The name Romelo also found its way into the world of sports, with Romelo Lukaku (born 1993), a Belgian professional footballer of Congolese descent, making a name for himself as a prolific striker in Europe's top leagues. His athletic prowess and determination have earned him accolades and a legion of fans worldwide.
While the name Romelo may not be as widely recognized as some more common monikers, its rich history and cultural significance cannot be denied. From the ancient streets of Rome to the modern-day arenas of artistic expression and athletic endeavors, this name has left an indelible mark on the tapestry of human civilization.
People
Romelo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Romelo as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Romelo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Romelo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,069 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Romelo going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 320,631 US residents.
Is Romelo a common name?
We classify Romelo as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,080 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Romelo most popular?
The single biggest year for Romelo was 2021, when 54 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Romelo is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Romelo in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 688 people with the name Romelo, or 0.23 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #16,413 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Romelo in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Romelo?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Romelo appears almost entirely male. Of the 686 people counted with this name, 99.3% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Romelo?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Romelo is Black at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Romelo most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Romelo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.8% (391 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Romelo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Romelo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Romelo in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Romelo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Romelo in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Romelo can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people share the name Romelo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.