2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Romania
A toponymic surname originating from the geographic region of Romania.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Romania. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Romania surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Romania in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Romania, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Romania
The surname "ROMANIA" is believed to have originated from the country of Romania, which is located in Eastern Europe. It is thought to have emerged during the Middle Ages, when surnames were first adopted in Europe.
One theory suggests that the name "ROMANIA" may have been derived from the Latin word "Romanus," meaning "Roman." This could be a reference to the Roman Empire, which once controlled the region that is now modern-day Romania. The name may have been given to individuals who lived in or were associated with this area.
Another possibility is that the name "ROMANIA" is related to the Romanian language, which is a Romance language derived from the Vulgar Latin spoken in the Roman provinces of Southeastern Europe. It could have been used to identify individuals who spoke this language or were of Romanian descent.
In terms of historical references, the earliest known record of the surname "ROMANIA" dates back to the 14th century. It is mentioned in a document from the Principality of Wallachia, which was a medieval Romanian state located in the southern part of modern-day Romania.
One notable individual with the surname "ROMANIA" was Ion ROMANIA, a 16th-century Romanian nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the defense of Wallachia against Ottoman invasions. He was born in 1524 and died in 1585.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Mihail ROMANIA, a 17th-century Romanian scholar and writer who made significant contributions to the development of the Romanian language and literature. He was born in 1633 and died in 1708.
In the 18th century, there was a Romanian prince named Constantin ROMANIA, who ruled the Principality of Moldavia from 1769 to 1772. He was known for his efforts to modernize the country and strengthen its ties with Western Europe.
In the 19th century, a notable figure was Dimitrie ROMANIA, a Romanian writer and philosopher who played a crucial role in the development of the Romanian national consciousness. He was born in 1818 and died in 1892.
Finally, in the 20th century, there was a Romanian politician and diplomat named Ion ROMANIA, who served as the country's ambassador to several nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union. He was born in 1904 and died in 1985.
It's important to note that while the surname "ROMANIA" is primarily associated with Romania, it is also possible that individuals with this surname may have origins or connections to other regions or countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Romania
Among Census respondents with the surname Romania, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Romania bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Romania surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Romania
Romania appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-8 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,810 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 16,810 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 32 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Romania surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #147,253 | #147,221 | 0.0% |
| Count | 112 | 113 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Romania bearers went from 112 to 113 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,221.
FAQ
Romania surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Romania?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Romania. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Romania?
Romania ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Romania. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Romania.
Has Romania become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Romania went from 112 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Romania?
Among Census respondents with the surname Romania, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Romania in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Romania appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (3.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Romania (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Romania mean?
A toponymic surname originating from the geographic region of Romania. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Romania (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Romania?
See how many people have the last name Romania on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.